As we forge on into more months of virtual meetings (yes, we’re seeing some on-site come back little by little, but virtual is still our reality), we have become more aware of which aspects of virtual exhibiting are truly critical to success.
I have found that one of the more practical ways to create your virtual exhibiting plan is to attempt to compare each aspect of the virtual hall as closely as possible to what would be delivered on-site.
For example, when exhibiting on-site it is always common to see that the top sponsors have the large exhibits right by the hall entrance. You can compare this same concept virtually knowing that if you are a sponsor, it is likely your virtual booth/listing is going to be at the top of the virtual hall webpage – thus getting more eyes on the exhibit and an increased likelihood of traffic. You can think of email addresses collected virtually as the equivalent of someone stepping into your booth and asking for more information.
Sponsorships on-site are sometimes out of budget-range, but virtual exhibiting costs are lower across the board. This could be the time you get the sponsorship your budget didn’t allow for beforehand.
Each time you develop an element for your virtual booth, try to think how it would compare in success to an on-site meeting and you may not feel so out of your element as we all have been lately.
Additionally, keep in mind that the global sales period for all shows should be two weeks before and two weeks after. Reserve judgment of success or failure until you’ve sufficiently followed up.
Our experience shows that it takes up to eight “touches” before a sale converts.