Your online event was a huge success, but how can you secure the attention of your attendees on the remaining days of the year? How do you guarantee that today’s customers will still sign up for your events tomorrow? With 365-day events, you create a platform that keeps your customers active all year round and helps you build a strong digital community. 

365-day event communities are in demand, and also Converve is already successfully implementing community platforms. What exactly is a 365-day event community and how do you benefit from it? In this article, we would like to provide an overview of the topic and show how Converve can help you implement your own 365-day event community.

What is a community?

The word community refers to a community of people who share a common goal or purpose, cultivate the same interests, or share the same values. We usually encounter the term community in connection with social networks. This is because the Internet in particular offers many platforms on which groups with common interests can find and exchange information, and from which permanent communities can develop.

A community can therefore be understood as a special kind of group that is characterized by a strong sense of belonging. Within a community, members can contribute and make a difference; they feel respected and needed. Unlike a traditional group, a community has a specific focus – a shared passion or need. In doing so, a community relies on strong relationships that sometimes take a long time to build and therefore tend to last a long time.

Too many event marketers fail to distinguish between a community, a traditional group, crowd or audience. Yet there are definitely differences here:

  • A group is usually two or more people connected by a social relationship. Examples include friends, family, teammates, or music lovers.
  • A crowd is specifically a large group of people, often gathered in an uncontrolled manner and generally for a short period of time. This can be a soccer match, a theater performance or a political protest.
  • An audience is just as much a large group, but it tends to be more engaged and often stays for longer periods of time – media companies often talk about their target audience.

The event industry is great for building crowds with whom there is a transactional relationship over a period of, say, three days, but which remains completely untapped during the other 362 days of the year. To stop this valuable potential going untapped, a trend has developed away from the one-time event to the 365-day event community.

The approach: The timed event is now only the highlight of the overall experience. Events continue throughout the year on different channels by extending the themes as a combination of physical availability, content and digital communication and networking. Because digitalization offers us the chance to dissolve the boundaries of an event and simply be available to the event community 365 days a year.

Where did the shift from a one-way event to a 365-Day Event Community come from?

Face-to-face events will undoubtedly always remain a highlight and a special, emotional experience. Nevertheless, the main focus of event marketers is increasingly on virtual events, which have become the communication channel of choice since the pandemic if not earlier. This is because virtual events are crisis-proof and can adapt flexibly to current events because the conversion of formats and schedules is made much easier.

In addition, virtual and hybrid events provide valuable and already produced content for own podcasts, video channels, webinar series and much more. In this way, target groups can be reached much more frequently and intensively. That’s why more and more event marketers see great opportunities in relying on a 365-day event community instead of a short one-off event, in which content and products can be easily extended and made available to participants as an on-demand offer beyond the event and a year-round interaction can be cultivated.

365-Day Event Community: What are the benefits?

Physical and larger online events are a reliable tool for bringing people together and building relationships. To maintain and continuously strengthen these valuable connections and the developed trust in the brand throughout the year, 365-day event platforms are a good choice.

This is because the continuous cultivation of your regular audience results in many important competitive advantages for you. For example, the probability that an existing customer will register again for one of your events is significantly higher and involves less effort than that of a prospective customer becoming a new customer. Thanks to the strong trust in your brand, your satisfied and loyal community will recommend your events to others and thus generate new customers for you.

By building and maintaining a 365-day event community, you can also prevent your attendees from leaving sooner or later and turning to other events. That’s because you’re fostering attendee loyalty throughout the year and continuously keeping your customers engaged. With a 365-day approach, valuable network connections no longer fizzle out after the event, but remain on your platform. If your regular audience remains loyal, you also need less marketing budget to acquire new participants. This leaves you with more marketing budget that can go into cultivating subscriber loyalty. With strong attendee loyalty, you also make it harder for your competition to gain a foothold in the market.

With an always-on strategy, your content and products are always available to the community and you reach a larger and more engaged audience. In addition, thanks to digital tools, you can collect more data and insights about your subscribers and find out what they want and demand from your products and content. On this basis, you then have the opportunity to continually create new and individually tailored experiences for your users – similar to Netflix, Amazon or Spotify.

Another benefit of a 365-day event community is that your revenue is no longer solely dependent on physical events or major online events. You have the opportunity to offer your exhibitors a year-round presence in your marketplace and also generate additional revenue through sponsorships, such as content, articles, and webinars, as well as through advertising or mobile notifications. Moreover, the larger the share of your digital revenues, the more crisis-proof you are positioned.

The advantages of 365-day events at a glance

  • Promoting participant retention and loyalty
  • Building trust in the brand
  • Recommending the events to others: Participant growth
  • Leveraging on-demand offerings
  • More data and insights about attendees
  • Revenue growth
  • Sustainability (no travel for participants, etc.)
  • Crisis-proof and flexible
  • Promotion of competitiveness

Year-round interaction: How to create touch points with your community

The advantages of a 365-day event community are obvious. But how do you now extend your own event from one or a few days to a whole year and how do you successfully build a year-round community alongside your event portfolio? Well, when switching from an event to a community model, you should first look at what you already have as a foundation:

  • Email database
  • Existing social media channels
  • Exhibitor base
  • Webinars & workshops

A 365-day strategy can be gradually developed on the existing infrastructure.

But keep in mind: 365-day events aren’t just based on technology; there needs to be a value proposition that your attendees can identify with, which ultimately turns a broad collection of individuals into a truly definable community.

How does your product meet the needs of your target audience?

With the help of surveys within your existing database, you can find out, for example, how you offer your community added value and which product features are particularly important to your community. These can include prices and offers, technical innovations, customer support, product information or testimonials. The results can then be used to tailor your 365-day event to your customers’ wants and needs. Which ultimately allows event participants to be brought together to form a community.

For example, ask your database which companies you think are the most interesting and influential in the industry? Then invite speakers from these companies to your online events and integrate them into your community as testimonials.

But you won’t get far with just upfront research. By testing different types of content and messages, you can find out and learn more about your community every day. Also, continuously listen and track what is and isn’t resonating well with your community right now. Develop content that targets just that and then play it back out to the community.

How to maintain your 365-day event community

To cultivate a vibrant 365-day event community, you need good content, strong networking opportunities, and an active marketplace.

The content

Content is the lifeblood of your community. It’s where you can bring your value proposition to life every day with new, useful content for your users. It’s the content that keeps your social media channels attractive, that gets your email newsletters opened, and that attracts new audiences via search engines. In today’s world, the market is flooded with content, so it’s even more important to listen closely to your target audience to provide content that adds real value to your community. There are many ways to deliver your content through a variety of formats:

  • Social Media Channels
  • Newsletter
  • Podcast, vlog or blog
  • Checklists
  • E-Books & Guides
  • Cost calculator tool
  • Infographics
  • Trend Reports & Whitepapers
  • Studies & Surveys
  • Contests & Quizzes
  • Influencer Cooperations & Brand Ambassadors
  • Webinars / Workshops / Livestreams
  • Product videos / how-to videos, etc.
  • Community Forums
  • Testimonials
  • News reports from the industry
  • Interviews with industry representatives

If you want to build a successful 365-day event community, you should nurture your community and regularly provide it with high-quality content. Here, journalistic skills, the willingness to experiment with different multimedia formats, and the insight to trust the results of analysis are essential. But the best content is of no use to you if no one knows about it. You should therefore promote your content, for example, through:

  • SEO-oriented articles
  • via social media
  • Assign hashtags
  • Send out how-to post
  • conduct weekly chats
  • Or spread the word through email marketing.

Create networking opportunities

Another important role in building a community is to create quality connections among participants. After all, as an event marketer, you should see yourself not only as an organizer, but also as a facilitator between people within the community. One of your goals is to create a year-round networking experience, just as audiences do when they attend a one-time event. However, it is not enough to simply provide the technology that allows people to network, certain methods are also needed to create networking opportunities.

Examples of networking tools:

  • Use community groups to foster discussions on niche topics.
  • Hold online meetings of micro-communities categorized by topic or geography.
  • Set up meet and greet areas with speakers.
  • Arrange concierge service to encourage a meeting between buyers and sellers (hosted buying)

When networking your community, be sure to use the data you have collected to understand what their community needs and use matchmaking to bring together the exact people who can benefit from each other.

Create a marketplace

A marketplace is an essential building block for creating an omnichannel experience. Because purchases and sales don’t wait for the one event. To enable year-round business relationships, you should therefore have a marketplace in your portfolio that allows your community to combine in-person and digital transactions at any time. This way, buyers can seamlessly switch between digital and in-person experiences, just as they please.

But one more thing: You can provide a platform for your community, you can support your community, and you can facilitate the exchange among each other, but the golden rule is: You can’t own or control your community. Because successful communities lead their own lives.

How can you provide your community with content throughout the year? 

To give you a rough idea of how a 365-day event community can work, take a look at the animation below.

The two major events, here at the beginning and end of the year, take place at regular intervals on the event platform and represent special highlights within your community. Throughout the year, smaller event formats are offered, for example in the form of webinars, livestreams or workshops, which encourage the community to visit the platform again and again and to exchange ideas with other participants. The possibility of networking within the community is unlocked throughout the year, in the animation this area is represented by the purple area. The large light blue bubble encompasses the big picture and represents the entire 365-day event community.

Build your 365-day event community with Converve

Once the strategy for your 365-day event community is in place, the next step is to find the right technology for implementation that meets all your requirements. As one of Germany’s leading providers of event software for B2B matchmaking and networking, we at Converve can work with you to realize all of your event planning tasks. That’s because we already implement 365-day event platforms and have the right tools and methods you need to build an active community.

Community platforms will play a significant role in the future because they can be of great importance in customer retention. Even in times of crisis, you can generate reach and acceptance for your brand.

Learn how to use Converve as a customized solution for your events & community in a short demo.

Picture this: A major B2B conference, hundreds of attendees, sensitive data —and then, a data breach! 💥💥💥

Scenarios like this highlight just how crucial it is to choose the right software for B2B events. It’s the difference between smooth planning and unexpected security nightmares. In a world where data protection and security are top priorities, ISO 27001:2022 certification is a game-changer when selecting an event software provider. In this article, we’ll discuss why, as an event management software user, this certification is significantly more important than you may realize.

What Exactly Is ISO 27001:2022?

ISO 27001:2022 is an internationally recognized standard for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). Companies that achieve this certification demonstrate that they have a systematic and documented approach to protecting confidential information, identifying risks, and taking appropriate measures to mitigate those risks.

But it’s more than just a shiny badge on their website—it’s proof that they’re committed to continually improving their security standards. During the certification process, several aspects are rigorously evaluated, including:

  • Risk Management: Identifying and assessing risks, then implementing measures to reduce them. This is particularly vital for event software, which often handles sensitive data like attendee details and payment information—gold mines for cybercriminals.
  • Data Privacy: Ensuring that personal data is processed in compliance with legal requirements.
  • Access Control: Defining who can access sensitive information (and, more importantly, who cannot).
  • Technical Security: Identifying system vulnerabilities and implementing robust protective measures.
  • Employee Training: Educating staff about security risks and best practices.
  • Regular Audits: Continuously monitoring and improving security protocols.

Why Is Data Security So Important for Events?

B2B events often involve handling highly sensitive information:

  • Attendee Data: Basic details like names, addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers—but also potentially sensitive info, like dietary restrictions (yes, even that matters).
  • Corporate Secrets: Proprietary content, business figures, or other confidential company information.
  • Payment Information: Credit card data and other payment details for paid events.

A data breach doesn’t just cause financial damage; it can also ruin your company’s reputation and shatter attendee trust. ISO 27001:2022 certification shows that the software provider you choose understands the value of this data and takes protecting it seriously.

What Are the Benefits of Using ISO-Certified Event Software?

a) Trustworthiness:
The certification is a clear signal that the provider is committed to high security standards. You can rest assured knowing your data is in safe hands.

b) Risk Mitigation:
ISO-certified providers have proven processes for identifying and addressing security risks, significantly reducing the likelihood of security incidents.

c) Compliance:
Many industries face strict legal requirements for data protection (think GDPR). An ISO 27001:2022 certification helps ensure compliance with these regulations.

d) Continuous Improvement:
Certification isn’t a one-time thing. It requires regular audits and updates to security protocols, meaning the provider’s security measures are always up-to-date.

How to Choose the Right Event Software Provider?

If you’re on the hunt for event management software, keep these points in mind:

  • Ask About ISO 27001:2022 Certification: Verify the validity of the certification. Be cautious—some companies use their suppliers’ certificates to give the false impression that they are certified themselves. Make sure the certificate explicitly names the provider you’re considering.
  • Evaluate Their Data Protection Practices: What steps do they take to protect sensitive information?
  • Look for Transparency: How openly do they communicate about their security policies and incidents?

An event software provider with ISO certification isn’t just another vendor—they’re a partner who values your requirements and guarantees long-term security and reliability. As a potential customer, you can verify the authenticity of the ISO certification by requesting the official certificate number and checking it with the issuing certification body.

Using the Certsearch.org database (https://www.iafcertsearch.org/) from the International Accreditation Forum, you can easily verify a company’s certification by entering its name. This platform offers a reliable way to confirm the authenticity of certifications.

 

Certificates often include QR codes, which allow you to access information about the accreditation body directly. By scanning the QR code, you can visit the accreditation body’s website and confirm the certificate’s validity. This saves time and provides a simple way to verify the certification’s authenticity. Make sure the certificate is current, bears the provider’s name, and matches the listed certification body.

Be Vigilant: Fake It Till They Make It? Not Here.
Some companies, including those in the event software industry, may attempt to pass off their suppliers' certifications as their own or misappropriate ISO trademarks. Since achieving certification involves significant financial and personnel resources, the temptation to cut corners is real. To protect yourself from such deceptions, always check whether the certificate is issued directly to the provider you’re working with.

Security Isn’t Sexy, But It’s Essential! ✅

We get it—talking about ISO certification isn’t exactly thrilling. We all just want to skip the tedious parts like reading the fine print in contracts or safety instructions on flights, right? But just like those rules keep you safe in the real world, certifications are the backbone of trust and security in the digital world.

ISO 27001:2022 certification shouldn’t be optional when choosing event management software—it’s a must. In an era where data is a valuable asset, you need partners who take data security seriously and prove it through international standards.

Your company, your event data, and your attendees deserve the best possible protection. Choose software providers like Converve 😎, who are certified according to ISO 27001:2022, and benefit from a secure, professional, and trustworthy environment for your events.

Need more convincing? Just remember that choosing the right event software isn’t just about features or user experience. It’s about ensuring the safety and security of your data. And with ISO 27001:2022, you’re not just checking a box—you’re making a smart, strategic choice for your business.

Stay safe, stay smart—and host your events with confidence! 🎉

P.S.: If you want to learn how to save months on getting ISO certified, check out this blog from Secfix.

In today’s fast-paced global economy, making the right connections is crucial for business success. Business matchmaking has emerged as a powerful tool to facilitate strategic partnerships, foster collaboration, and drive growth. But what exactly is business matchmaking, and how can it benefit your organization?

What is Business Matchmaking?

Business matchmaking is a structured process that brings together companies or individuals with complementary needs and offerings. It serves as a platform where businesses can find potential partners, suppliers, clients, or investors efficiently. This concept is especially prevalent in trade shows, conferences, and dedicated matchmaking events, both online and offline.

The Importance of Business Matchmaking

  • Efficient Networking: Traditional networking can be time-consuming with uncertain outcomes. Business matchmaking streamlines this by connecting you with relevant contacts who have a genuine interest in your products or services.
  • Global Reach: With virtual matchmaking platforms, geographical barriers are eliminated. You can connect with international partners without the need for extensive travel.
  • Targeted Connections: Algorithms and professional matchmakers consider your specific needs and goals, ensuring that the connections made are highly relevant.

How Does Business Matchmaking Work?

  1. Profile Creation: Participants create detailed profiles outlining their offerings, needs, and objectives.
  2. Match Identification: Using advanced algorithms or expert matchmakers, potential matches are identified based on compatibility.
  3. Scheduling Meetings: Once matches are made, meetings are scheduled either in person or virtually to discuss potential collaborations.
  4. Follow-Up: Post-meeting, participants can pursue the connections that offer the most promise.

Benefits of Business Matchmaking

  • Time-Saving: Focus on pre-screened, high-potential leads rather than sifting through countless contacts.
  • Cost-Effective: Maximizes return on investment by concentrating efforts on fruitful partnerships.
  • Access to New Markets: Open doors to markets that were previously inaccessible due to lack of connections.
  • Knowledge Sharing: Learn from others in your industry or complementary sectors, fostering innovation.

Tips for Successful Business Matchmaking

  • Clear Objectives: Know what you want to achieve—be it partnerships, sales, or knowledge exchange.
  • Comprehensive Profile: Provide detailed information to increase the chances of finding the perfect match.
  • Open Mindset: Be open to opportunities that may not fit the exact criteria but offer unexpected benefits.
  • Follow-Up Diligently: Post-event communication is key to turning initial meetings into lasting business relationships.

Conclusion

Business matchmaking is more than just a buzzword; it’s a strategic approach to expanding your professional network and unlocking new opportunities. By leveraging these platforms and services, you position your business for sustained growth and success in an increasingly competitive market.

Efficient registration and management of participants is the cornerstone of a successful event. Today, event organizers have numerous software solutions for this purpose. They facilitate and optimize the event registration process. This article presents the nine best software solutions for event registration in 2023. From user-friendly interface design to seamless integration with other tools, these solutions offer advanced features to help event organizers plan and execute memorable events.

What are the benefits of an event registration tool?

Using an event app or other software solution offers numerous benefits for you as an organizer and your participants. From efficient registration to improved data management and personalized communication, digital event platforms help increase the event’s success and the participants’ satisfaction.

Efficient registration: An event app enables participants to register for an event quickly and easily. The registration process is accelerated and simplified by using a user-friendly interface and an intuitive login.

Time and resource savings: Automating the registration process using a software solution saves time and resources. Manual tasks such as collecting credentials, sending confirmation emails, and creating attendee lists are automated, leaving you more time for other jobs.

Improved data management: An event registration app enables you to manage and organize attendee data effectively. Event organizers can collect, store, and manage data centrally, resulting in better data management. You can also easily create reports and analytics.

Personalization: Modern event registration software often offers personalization options. As an event organizer, you can customize registration forms, send individual confirmation emails, and personalized name badges. This makes the event experience even more personalized for attendees.

Improved communication: An event platform enables seamless communication between you and your attendees. Through automated email messages and updates, organizers can quickly communicate important information about the event or any changes to attendees.

Better event experience: Pleasant and stress-free registration, easy payment options, and fast and personalized customer communication contribute to an improved attendee experience.

Event registration tools: 9 best software solutions 2023

Converve

Converve’s event app offers a comprehensive solution to make your event a memorable experience. With various flexible features, this all-in-one event software enables customized events focusing on B2B matchmaking and networking. Instead of relying on off-the-shelf solutions, you benefit from the expertise of experienced event professionals who perfectly customize the event software to meet the needs of your event. Moreover, Converve’s event app is DSGVO compliant, which is crucial for protecting your attendees’ data.

Event Registrierung mit Converve

Speaking of registration: With Converve, participants can register quickly and conveniently online. With automated smart forms, your attendees are registered and ready for matchmaking in a flash. You can also personalize your registration form and tailor registration perfectly to your needs. You can also easily integrate registrations that have already been collected into Converve as a supplement. Registration and ticketing go hand in hand with the networking functionalities of the platform.

Cost: from 3800 € (depending on the size of the event)

Advantages: Seamless data transfer to the event app, different ticket and attendee categories, rights assignment based on tickets, automatic badge, and invoice generation, ISO27001 compliant.

Disadvantages: Can only be used in combination with the Converve event app

Application areas: B2B events, 365-day communities, trade shows, hosted buyer events, conferences, conventions

Additional features: Networking, attendee management, event website builder, event platform builder, mailing tools, streaming, program planning, reporting, many integrations, white-label opportunities.

Do you also want to know which event networking apps will be the most popular in 2023? We’ve looked at the best event networking apps and compared them for you.

Hubilo Germany

Hubilo is a versatile event platform from the U.S. with a corporate offshoot in Germany that is suitable for both virtual, hybrid events and on-site events. The platform offers a personalizable solution to create interactive events. Features such as gamification and an integrated broadcasting studio can be used to enhance online events and webinars. In addition, Hubilo offers hosting in the EU and complies with the requirements of the GDPR.

hubilo event dashboard showing different agenda items

Speaking of registration, let’s look at their simple check-in process. The Hubilo platform has an all-in-one registration and ticketing feature that allows you to create different ticket categories (free, paid, general or VIP), manage payments and optimize event registrations.

Cost: only on request

Benefits: numerous integrations and API interfaces (Salesforce, Hubspot, Marketo, Mailchip, Zapier), built-in gamification and a leaderboard of the most active participants, and comprehensive event analytics.

Disadvantages: Registration is only possible with the basic functions, too few personalizable design options.

Areas of application: Online events focusing on networking and interaction, B2B events, trade fairs, conferences, and conventions.

Additional features: event website, event app, ticketing, multiple events possible, real-time chat, attendee management, sponsorship management, social media integration, polls, networking lounge.

EventMobi

EventMobi is a comprehensive event management software that helps organizers plan and execute events. Whether online, hybrid, or on-site events, EventMobi offers a wide range of features, including interaction tools and automatically generated usage statistics. The personalizable event app allows your attendees to interact with each other before, during, and after the event: Networking in one-on-one chats, group discussions, and activity feed, appointment booking, gamification through contests, surveys, feedback, and live displays. Get real-time insights into your guests’ behavior.

eventmobi dashboard showing annual conference

Speaking of registration, create a branded website for your event registration. Both the app and registration site are intuitive to set up. EventMobi’s attendee management tool automates all your registration communications, from custom email invitations to confirmation emails and waitlist updates. The registration page also features a separate ticket and hotel reservation function.

Costs: Entry price at 3,500 euros

Advantages: German provider with professional and close customer support

Cons: limited branding options on the registration page, third-party vendors are used for appointment matching

Application areas: virtual and hybrid events, session streaming, conferences, trade shows, corporate events, gala events, educational events and more.

Additional features: EventMobi Studio, event portal design, multi-event management, event website, social media dashboard, check-in & badge design, lead capture, networking tools, live survey tool, gamification, event CMS, event statistics.

Bizzabo

Bizzabo is an all-in-one event software that lets you organize and manage online, in-person and hybrid events. The event networking app has a particular focus on social sharing and engagement. It offers a wide range of networking features, including a community section, a messaging feature, and seamless integration with LinkedIn. Using the event networking app, you can increase the engagement of your attendees through polls, questionnaires, interactive Q&A sessions, and more. It also enables you to build an engaged community where attendees can connect with sponsors – not just during the event, but beyond.

bizzabo community app with text messaging features displayed

Speaking of registration, the form fields in the registration tool are personalizable, so you can customize the data and branding to fit your event. You can also view attendee data in the platform’s contact management dashboard and integrate Bizzabo with your favorite social media platforms to promote your event.

Cost: only on request

Advantages: Event design, speaker contributions, multiple event management, good customer support.

Disadvantages: Some users find the prices relatively high compared to other event management platforms. It takes time to get to know all the possibilities of the platform.

Areas of application: Conferences, congresses, internal corporate events and other events.

Additional features: Website creation, ticketing and event orchestration, Q&As and surveys, real-time insights during events, email marketing, reports and more.

Airmeet

Airmeet is a versatile event platform that supports various events such as conferences, webinars, meetups, workshops and career fairs. With features such as matchmaking criteria, detailed user profiles, speed dating features and networking time slots, Airmeet promotes effective networking. The cloud-based event platform provides comprehensive capabilities to connect attendees and create interactive networking experiences.

airmeet event dashboard showing a session that people can register for

Speaking of registration, the event landing page and registration form are personalizable to a certain degree so you can customize the dates and branding. So are the email texts and the automated invitations and reminders.

Costs: free of charge up to 50 participants, $500 per month (from 200 participants), $1500 per month (from 500 participants), Pro Version only on request

Advantages: unlimited event hosting of any size, networking tables (side sessions possible at different tables), fast and professional support

Disadvantages: No pricing model for medium-size teams (50-200 participants), too few templates, limited personalization options for corporate design.

Areas of application: Webinars, workshops and training, community meetings, conferences, hybrid events, product launches, town halls & kickoffs.

Additional features: social lounge, backstage, private and group chats, Q&A sessions, electronic reporting (hand-raising), interactive dashboard, file sharing, and more.

Canapii

Canapii is an event management platform that enables event organizers to plan events of any size, be it in-person, hybrid or virtual. With a variety of digital tools, event planners can streamline the entire event organization process, from online ticketing to post-event analytics. The platform also offers engagement features such as polls, surveys, gamification opportunities and a matchmaking tool accessible through the event app. Through these features, attendees can interactively engage and experience an enriching event.

canapii events that participants can attend

Speaking of registration, Canapii’s simple registration software helps you plan your event. You can track your attendee data with visitor check-in and updated attendee lists in real time. It also allows you to create multiple ticket and registration links and customize welcome and confirmation emails. Furthermore, you can categorize your attendees to promote different content.

Cost: starting at $2,950 for small events up to 300 attendee seats, all other pricing models (Pro and Enterprise) on request only.

Benefits: Discounts for events for a good cause, excellent customer service.

Disadvantages: Limited customization options, lack of social media integration.

Application areas: face-to-face events, conferences, networking events, hybrid events, webinars, workshops, virtual events, exhibitions

Additional features: event website, event branding, live translation, organizer console, live streaming, event app, audience engagement, sponsor management, integrations, gamification, analytics and reporting.

Swapcard

Swapcard is an AI-powered all-in-one event and matchmaking platform that helps event organizers execute in-person, virtual, and hybrid events successfully. The platform uses Artificial Intelligence to target attendees based on their individual profiles, interests and preferences.

Through these B2B matchmaking capabilities and personalized event journeys, Swapcard creates valuable business contacts and promotes knowledge exchange. With virtual showrooms, interactive conferences and customized event agendas, Swapcard offers an innovative solution for event planning and execution.

swapcard website screenshot where people can learn how to integrate and embedd the registration forms into an event

Speaking of registration, Swapcard provides you with customizable registration forms to ensure your event runs smoothly. Specify the number of free tickets and create your custom registration form. You can also add questions to the registration, create multiple forms and ensure easy ticket payment. By allowing you to print attendee badges and scan digital tickets, you can keep your attendees’ event journey professional from the start.

Costs: free of charge (up to 250 participants), 999 Euro (up to 500 participants), 5990 € for larger events and enterprise pricing only on request

Pros: User-friendly, excellent customization options, exhibitor/sponsor friendly, good customer support.

Cons: You use a third-party partner for gamification

Areas of application: Trade shows and exhibitions, conferences and conventions, virtual events hybrid events.

Additional features: event management & promotion, website creation, attendee management, networking tool, integrations, 365-degree community, ticket sales, lead management.

BigMarker

BigMarker offers an event networking app that combines powerful webinar software with intelligent event marketing capabilities and an AI-powered matchmaking service. The AI-powered technology lets attendees quickly identify relevant contacts and make valuable connections. With the mobile app and networking features such as matchmaking, network builder and speed dating, event organizers can provide their attendees with quality networking from anywhere.

bigmarker event dashboard with speed networking activated showing a woman working in tech, design and marketing

Speaking of registration, BigMarker offers full-service registration for webinars and virtual and hybrid events. Create flexible, personalizable event registration capabilities for webinars, virtual, hybrid and in-person events, and capture data and integrate seamlessly with your CRM.

Cost: only on request

Advantages: Easy CRM integration (Hubspot, Salesforce, Mailchimp, etc.), a wide variety of features.

Disadvantages: Many functions must first be learned

Application areas: Webinars, virtual events, hybrid events, online courses, conferences and meetings.

Additional features: Branding, attendee management, email marketing, attendee live chat, surveys, screen sharing, sponsor management, lead management, social media integration, APIs, event analytics and white label service, event analytics and more.

Whova

The Whova mobile event networking app allows attendees to create detailed bios and network before events. The app enables the exchange of digital business cards and encourages interactive interactions between attendees and speakers. The conference app allows guests to select and attend their favorite panels and sessions. Whova specifically promotes attendee engagement and networking opportunities to provide your guests with a customized event experience.

whova registration flow for national business owner summit

Speaking of registration, event registration with Whova offers easy ticket creation, add-ons, discount codes, group tickets and other advanced features such as check-in & badging, email marketing and highlighting sponsors/exhibitors.

Cost: only on request

Advantages: intuitive and user-friendly app

Disadvantages: only limited personalization options

Application areas: Webinars, conferences, exhibitions, corporate events, virtual, on-site, and hybrid events.

Additional features: event information, personal login for company information, networking area, lead generation tool, virtual fairing, display ad opportunities, etc.

Choosing a suitable event software: You should pay attention to these 7 criteria!

  1. Ease of use: A good event registration software should have an intuitive user interface that is easy to use for both organizers and attendees. A straightforward registration page, clear instructions and a user-friendly registration and payment function help to improve the user experience.
  2. Functionality and personalization: The software should have a wide range of features to cover the entire registration process. This includes creating different ticket types, integrating discounts and promotion codes, waiting list management, automatic confirmation emails and personalized name badges. In addition, the software must be personalizable to meet your specific needs and the branding of your event.
  3. Integration of other tools and systems: Seamless integration with other tools and systems such as CRM platforms, email marketing tools, and payment gateways is critical to streamline the registration process and manage data efficiently. A good event registration software should offer APIs (interfaces) or integrations with popular tools to enable a smooth flow of information and data exchange.
  4. Data management and analytics capabilities: Your software should be able to capture, store, and manage attendee data so you can generate attendee lists, reports, and analytics. Organizations can gain valuable insights to improve their event and make future decisions by analyzing the data.
  5. DSGVO compliant: A good event registration software should be DSGVO compliant. In the best case, use a software solution that stores the data on European servers.
  6. Cost and Licensing: Make sure that the software you choose has a transparent cost structure and that the different pricing plans fit your requirements and planned budget. Be aware that platforms may also have additional fees for specific features, payment processing or ticket sales.
  7. Reputation: It is important to find software that is trustworthy and reliable. Look for software that is well-rated.

Converve: Your all-in-one tool – 100% customizable

Reviews and experiences about event registration tools show that too often software providers offer limited personalization options. Yet you want to make your event unique and stand out with your event landing page, ticket options, and a customized registration process? At Converve, instead of standard solutions, we offer the guidance of experienced experts who will customize the event platform 100 percent to your event. Please contact us if you want to get to know the Converve team or already have a concrete event you wish to implement. We look forward to hearing from you.

While traditional business travel is declining, MICE tourism is experiencing a real boom. Consequently, MICE travel has become an important part of the tourism industry and a non-negligible economic factor for countries and regions. Learn more about the importance of MICE tourism and which factors make your location attractive for meeting and incentive travel in the following article.

What does MICE mean?

The abbreviation MICE is a term used in the tourism industry to describe a specific type of business travel. The English term MICE means:

  • Meetings
  • Incentives
  • Conventions
  • Exhibitions

MICE tourism is traditionally business-oriented and deals with the organization of meetings, incentive travel, congresses and trade fairs – live on-site, in hybrid form or purely virtual. With almost every industry hosting events on a regular basis, these travel activities make up a large part of global business travel. Like leisure tourism, MICE tourism is a growing trend in the tourism industry.

What are the MICE components?

MICE events always aim to bring professionals together, foster contacts, promote new ideas and stimulate corporate growth. MICE stands for four event formats that are planned by companies and for which others send employees and decision-makers.

Meetings

Whether internal or external to the company, business meetings can be information sessions, sales meetings, conventions, training sessions, or workshops that occur on a one-time or regular basis. Meetings can range from a small group of business executives to large shareholder meetings. The location of the meeting is usually a company headquarters, but depending on the size, business meetings can take place in other locations.

Incentives 

The word incentive comes from English and means incentive. Incentive trips are therefore so-called reward trips or incentive events designed to increase motivation and loyalty to the company. Companies usually sponsor incentive trips for employees, for customers and for suppliers and dealers. Incentives can range from a team-building event in a nearby climbing forest to an all-inclusive weekend trip and can be designed in many different ways.

Conventions

Conventions are congresses or conferences that bring together participants who share a common interest or concern and participate in presentations and workshops that follow a set schedule. While conventions can attract hundreds to thousands of participants, conferences are geared toward a smaller group of people and usually take place over several days take place. Organizers of congresses often combine the event with an exhibitor area, so that congresses take place in larger locations such as congress centers, convention centers or in an exhibition hall. For meeting rooms, high-quality hotels or conference venues are a good choice.

Exhibitions 

Exhibitions are large-scale events such as trade fairs that attract many visitors from all over the world and usually last several days and are accompanied by an interesting lecture program. Trade fairs are industry-specific and have clearly defined target groups: on the one hand, the trade fair exhibitors who want to present their products and services and conclude new contracts. On the other hand, the trade fair visitors who are looking for new solutions and new contacts. An important aspect of trade shows is networking, so trade show organizers offer networking events for attendees at the same time. They are the best way to meet potential partners, discuss cooperations and exchange thoughts on current trends.

To better connect trade show visitors and exhibitors, event networking apps are a popular tool for organizers. Here we have summarized the 23 best event networking apps from 2023.

What role does MICE play in tourism?

Did you know that the World MICE Awards exist and that large trade fairs such as IMEX Frankfurt or EIBTM in Barcelona are exclusively dedicated to the topic of meeting and incentive travel?

MICE tourism has become increasingly important and professionalized in recent years. In addition to the German umbrella organization of the MICE industry, the GCB German Convention Bureau e. V., many independent municipal or regional convention bureaus have now also established themselves, such as the Hamburg Convention Bureau or the various municipal convention bureaus in Baden-Württemberg. Basically, it can be said that due to the economic strength as well as the density of large and medium-sized companies, the convention and event industry plays a prominent role in all German regions of the country.

While MICE tourism suffered greatly in the Corona pandemic, it now accounts for nearly 50% of all business travel. And while traditional business travel is declining year by year, MICE tourism 2023 shows a clear upward trend and is gaining in importance.

Source: Germany Travel

More and more countries and regions are investing in MICE tourism and promoting their destinations as event venues. Why? Because business travelers generally spend more money than leisure travelers. That’s because companies cover a large portion of the costs. For example, the Business 2022 travel analysis indicates that spending on a business trip averages 484 euros, while spending on a private trip averages 126 euros.

What makes a city attractive for MICE tourism?

Berlin, Hamburg, Munich – these three cities have already made it and are the top German locations for congresses, trade fairs and events. This pleases the cities and the event industry, the hotel industry and gastronomy on site. Can you learn from these cities and what factors make a city attractive for MICE tourism? In the following, we summarize which factors are important when deciding on an event location.

Source: Travel Analysis Business 2022

The location

The attractiveness of the location is crucial. Is it special and different from the usual venues? Is it well connected? Is it modern and equipped with a contemporary meeting infrastructure?

(flexible room concepts, modern technical and media equipment)? Is it possibly located near important companies or industry clusters or in a tourist destination?

Good accessibility by car and train

To make a location attractive for MICE tourism, good accessibility by car as well as by public transport is crucial.

60 percent of respondents to the Reise-Analyse Business survey said they arrive by car, 31 percent by train. If the events are international, good connections with flights are also important.

Proximity to companies or industry clusters

If there are important and large companies or industries in your city, it is per se an attractive location for MICE tourism. This is because these companies will invite business partners, plan seminars and hold events. This argument is reinforced because proximity to the company’s location is one of the most important criteria for deciding on an event location.

Very good hotel offer

Statistically, the largest budget of a business trip is spent on accommodation. Most of the business travelers surveyed stay in 4-star hotels in cities (48%), followed by 3-star hotels (28%) and 5-star hotels (11%). Since comfort and exclusivity play a major role in MICE travel and companies are willing to spend more money on a business trip, a city should be able to offer a first-class range of hotels, from inns to 5-star hotels.

Sufficient hotel rooms

During a congress or a trade fair, the hotels in large cities are often fully occupied. This is because hundreds to thousands of people flock to the city and usually book multiple nights. You should have sufficient hotel capacity for all types of events, as well as large hotels that can accommodate many meeting or convention guests at the same time.

Varied gastronomic offer

Since catering and gastronomy also play a major role in MICE events, a good catering economy is also crucial. Whether for a working lunch, to invite business partners or a meeting with restaurant visits – the physical well-being is the second largest cost item in MICE travel after the overnight stay.

Tourist attractiveness

If your city is attractive to tourists, event organizers are more likely to choose your location. This component plays a very important role for 13 percent of respondents, and an important role for 29 percent. If you want to drive MICE tourism in your city, also highlight your attractions.

Sustainability

Did you know that sustainability is more important in business travel – compared to vacation travel? Compared to the 2021 Travel Analysis Business, the role of sustainability as a decision maker has increased significantly. Thirty percent of respondents said that sustainability – among other things – was a consideration when designing their trip, and for 17 percent, the sustainability aspect even tipped the scales when deciding between equivalent offerings. Sustainability guidelines at MICE events, good public transport connections and sustainability labels for accommodation have become a non-negligible part of MICE tourism.

Attractive social programs

What else does your city have to offer besides a suitable location for MICE travel and good hotels and restaurants? Is it possible to book special events or activities? What are the possibilities for team events or moments that provide luxury and relaxation?

Image marketing for MICE tourism

It is important that your attractive offers for business travelers are also found, which is why locations must be findable on websites of cities and regions. Whether on the city tourism page, on search pages for event locations or on the congress or trade fair page. Make your locations and your offer for MICE tourism known on the net

An eye for future trends

The top city for events and MICE tourism is leading the way. Berlin has introduced a MICE Summit, which takes place annually to debate the challenges and future trends of the MICE industry. In this way, Berlin’s event industry ensures that new and innovative concepts are developed, even in times of change.

Converve – Your partner for MICE events

Are you looking for a professional partner for your next event? With Converve, you have an expert on your side to help you digitize your event. Our event platform is suitable for on-site events as well as hybrid or purely virtual events and is 100 percent customizable to your needs. From registration, website & platform to networking, we help you create a unique platform exactly tailored to your specific needs. Contact us now and we’ll be happy to advise you

Sponsorship is an essential factor in event planning. That is why event planners invest a lot of time in finding sponsors and convincing them of their event. But this is easier said than done, because sponsors want to clearly see the added value of the investment. Our guide gives you an all-round view of the complex and important topic of event sponsorship. In this guide, you will learn how to find suitable sponsors, how to get in touch with them and how sponsorship packages can help you.

Overview:

  • Why is event sponsorship important?
  • Event Sponsorship: Corporate Goals
  • How to find the right sponsors?
  • 1. Define your target group
  • 2. Create sponsorship packages
  • 3. How to identify potential sponsors
  • 4. Where to find potential sponsors?
  • 5. Create a sponsorship pitch
  • 6. Contact potential sponsors
  • 7. Conclude sponsorship contracts
  • Implement sponsorship activities
  • Conclusion

Why is event sponsorship important?

Event sponsorship is one of the most popular forms of sponsorship and an important marketing tool for both the sponsored and the sponsors. Well planned and executed, sponsorship offers a win-win outcome for all parties involved.

On the one hand, as an event organiser you want to find sponsors to generate additional income. Especially event managers who are struggling with budget problems for their events are inevitably dependent on sponsors. In addition to financial support, good sponsors also add value to your event, increase your ticket sales and raise the profile of your event by becoming multipliers on social networks and in news coverage.

On the other hand, companies plan larger sums of their marketing budgets for sponsorship every year and look for suitable events to market themselves to their target group in a way that attracts public attention.

Event Sponsorship: Corporate Goals

In our guide, you will get tips on how to find sponsors and conclude cooperation agreements. But to do this, it is important to understand why companies sponsor events in the first place. Only by knowing what companies want to achieve with sponsorship can you make your event an attractive sponsorship opportunity.

Companies usually sponsor events for the following reasons:

  • Increasing the level of awareness
  • Increasing reach
  • Image building
  • Reaching new target groups
  • Generating new leads (in B2B or B2C)
  • Corporate social responsibility (CSR)

By finding out their reasons, you can show how companies can benefit from your event.

Event-Sponsorship: How to find the right sponsors?

Which sponsors you contact depends on the type of event and your target group. Once you have identified the right sponsors for your event, you need to contact them and convince them. Attractive sponsorship packages can help. At the end of your negotiations, you conclude a sponsorship contract.

That was too fast for you? Then read our step-by-step guide to successfully find sponsors for your event.

1. Define your target group

Most companies opt for sponsorship because the event either receives a lot of media attention or the event visitors are very much in line with the target group. Therefore, as a first step, you should be able to define the target group of your event exactly. Only with this knowledge can you find sponsors who are interested in your event.

If your event is specifically tailored to the interests of a small target group, the likelihood of finding sponsors increases. Why? Because it is interesting for companies to present themselves to a small audience that consists almost of their own target group. There is less wastage and it is much easier to adequately address visitors with the same interests.

Examples of target groups and possible sponsors:

Example 1: TIK (Tag der Industriekommunikation) has its focus on B2B marketing. Consequently, sponsors from the B2B marketing industry or sponsors who can advise or support B2B marketing companies are suitable.

Example 2: The German-French job fair Connexio brings candidates together with companies that offer German-French jobs. Suitable sponsors are therefore German-French institutions, companies and other organisations with a German-French connection.

2. Create sponsorship packages

By developing sponsorship packages, you make life easier for yourself and the sponsors. In these packages you define in advance how and where sponsors can present themselves and what financial contribution they have to make.

There are two approaches to designing event sponsorship packages:

Multi-level sponsorship concept: is the “classic” concept. Different packages are put together at different prices. Sponsors get different levels, for example platinum, gold, silver and bronze.

à la carte sponsorship: with this concept you can serve sponsors individually. This model appeals especially to sponsors who know exactly what they want. Look for flexibility and tailor-made offers here.

Multi-level sponsorship concept

1. Define different levels

The levels are often called Platinum, Gold, Silver and Exhibitor, but as an event planner you can come up with other – quite entertaining – names. The important thing is that the names are comprehensible and still relate to the event..

2. Define the number of sponsors

The following question is crucial for this step: What total amount do you want to generate with the sponsorship? Divide this amount over the different packages. The higher the quality of the components of a stage, the higher you can price them.

You should bear in mind that you should only offer high-priced packages in small quantities, because the better you can argue with exclusivity. An example? If you only offer the main sponsor to present himself at a live lecture, the premium package is all the more interesting for sponsors.

3. Allocate sponsoring services to the levels

Arrange your components by value and match them by quantity to the level of the tiers. This way, sponsors will immediately see which level appeals to them the most. This increases your chances of finding sponsors for your event.

Sponsor BenefitPlatinumGold SilverBronze
Sponsor profile (website, social media, logo + description)xxxx
Logo in all newslettersxxx
Logo on coverx
Stand-Alone-Mailingx
Presentationx
In App Surveys (own surveys of the audience)xx
Partner-Pitchxxx
In App messages to all participantsxx
Own advertising trailer before the start of the eventx
Participant tickets2515105
Access to 1:1 video sessionsxxx
Sponsored content in the follow-up reportx
Prices50.000 €10.000 €5.000 €2.000 €

À-la-carte-Sponsoring

With this model, the sponsor can put together his or her own individual package and you need a list of all sponsorship options. For this, a breakdown of the list into “before the event”, “during the event” and “after the event” is a good idea. With this sponsorship package, it is best to negotiate the price individually.

1. Before the event

This stage concerns the visibility of the brand in the run-up to the event as well as the brand presence on the website and/or the event app.

Examples:

  • Linking the sponsor’s logo on the event registration page.
  • Promotion and linking of the sponsor on your social media profiles of the event.
  • Promote the sponsor’s agenda items and speakers in emails.
  • Include sponsored giveaways in your promotion of the registration

Would you like to learn how you can better integrate sponsors into your event with an event app? We would be happy to show you the advantages of an event app for sponsorship acquisition in a personal demo.

2. During the event

This stage concerns brand exposure during the event such as brand presence at the event and interaction with the audience.

Sponsor stellt ein Fahhrad auf seinen Event-Stand um Besucher anzulocken

Examples:

  • Spotlighting top sponsors with promotional banners virtually or live on site.
  • Creation of a sponsor profile for your sponsor
  • Positioning of the sponsor logo in a prominent place on the website and/or event app, including a detailed profile
  • Download links to sponsor materials (brochures or product sheets)
  • Creation of live polls and rooms with the name of the sponsor

3. After the event

This stage refers to on-demand content in the aftermath of the event as well as presence in the community.

Examples:

  • Mention of the sponsor in the first email after the event.
  • Use of the sponsor logo in the media library with on-demand videos
  • Provision of sponsor content in the media library including links leading to the virtual stand or the website
  • Use of sponsor name in post-event feedback survey

3. How to identify potential sponsors

Research potential companies and engage with them. During the research you can address the following points:

Start with companies in your industry niche

To find sponsors, you should first and foremost look in your industry. The advantage is that they address the same target group.

Look for companies that share similar values

If a company’s brand, products and services match the image you embody, sponsorship becomes more likely. Therefore, you need to publicly communicate the values you stand for.

Find out if the company has already sponsored similar events.

Chances are good if a company has already co-sponsored similar events.

Find out which brands your audience loves

The interest of your audience is something you should definitely consider when looking for sponsors. Visitors to your event are excited when they come across brands that love you.

Also ask yourself the following questions:

What ideas could you implement together?

These include, for example, interviews or participation in a panel. Working in partnership provides maximum visibility for the event sponsor.

What valuable consideration can you offer the company?

Sponsorship is not a donation, so you should put together an enticing sponsorship package for your event to inspire sponsors.

4. Where to find potential sponsors?

Finding sponsors has become easier thanks to technology. Use digital tools and common online marketing tactics to make the search easier.

1. Search for similar events

Sie können den Vorgang auch umkehren und nach ähnlichen Events suchen und herausfinden, welche Firmen als Sponsoren auftraten. Die Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass diese Unternehmen ein ähnliches Event sponsoren werden, ist hoch.

2. Platforms for finding sponsors

On these platforms, companies search for suitable events and vice versa. Since it is a kind of “mediation service”, good partnerships can develop. We list some of these platforms below:

  • SponsorPitch: You get access to an extensive sponsor database and a CRM system. Detailed analyses and data on organisers and sponsors also facilitate the selection process.
  • SponsorMyEvent: SponsorMyEvent is a complete sponsorship management tool designed to help event planners find sponsors.
  • Opensponsorship: Opensponsorshio is a special platform for events of athletes, teams and sporting events.
  • Sponeasy: a simple and intuitive tool that allows you to create a professional online sponsorship offer and manage your sponsorship in minutes.

3. Run an advertising campaign

Run an advertising campaign to attract event sponsors and participants at the same time. Paid ads on social media, Google or other platforms can help find sponsors.

4. Use social media

Use the reach of social networks to search for event sponsors with a public post. Also share this post in private groups and ask your followers to share your post. For even more reach, you can also promote the post as a social ad. Last but not least, you can contact strategically important people on LinkedIn, for example, and send them direct messages.

5. Create a sponsorship pitch

Create a crisp pitch including an offer to convince the sponsors of your event. In your sponsorship pitch, you should introduce your event and company, list facts and figures and highlight the added value of sponsorship for the company. Pictures from previous events can help to get a better picture of the event and spice up the pitch a bit. The best way to do this is to send a power point presentation generated as a PDF as an attachment in your email.

You should address the following points in your presentation:

  1. Theme of the event: Is it a niche topic, does it concern a specific business sector or is it a mass event? Describe your event as precisely as possible. Why are the guests coming to your event? Who are the possible speakers or artists performing?
  2. Target group: Describe your guests in detail. How many people do you expect? Age? Origin? Income? Interests? This information is particularly interesting and valuable for potential sponsors.
  3. Speakers at the event: Who will lead the conversation at the event and which speakers will appear? Do the speakers appeal more to young people or business people? You can further deepen the analysis of your target group at this point.
  4. Ticket prices: What prices do you charge? Determining the social status of your participants can help in sponsorship negotiations.
  5. Location: Where will the event take place? This point is particularly interesting for sponsors in the vicinity, for example caterers.
  6. Date: When does the event take place. The season also plays a role in the search for sponsors. In summer, an ice cream parlour could act as sponsor, in winter a spirits or tea producer.
  7. Previous events: If you have already organised an event in the past, include the numbers and pictures of visitors, speakers, artists and sales in the presentation.
  8. The sponsorship offer: An important part of the presentation is of course the offer as well as the prices. Either include your sponsorship packages with different levels that you have put together in advance or create a tailor-made offer for each company. Explain exclusive sponsorship offers in more detail and make sure to offer enough choice so that there is something for every budget.

Extras: To increase sponsors’ motivation, you can think of extras for sponsors to include at the end of your presentation: free tickets, VIP access and hospitality benefits, sponsors’ dinners, etc.

Important tips for your pitch:

  • Since not everyone has a lot of time, be precise and brief in your presentation.
  • Include your logo in your presentation and highlight the link to your website and your contact information well.
  • Always have at least one person proofread your sponsorship pitch and cover letter.
  • Mention how the rest of the process will proceed and how and when you can be reached.

6. Contact potential sponsors

You have identified the right companies as sponsors and created the sponsor pitch, then the next step is to find the right contact persons. Often, the person responsible for sponsorship can be found in the marketing department.

In most cases, you can find the contact on the company website or on LinkedIn. If you can’t find a direct contact, you can also write down some promising names from the company and then pick up the phone.

Once you know the right contact person and their email address, you can send out your cover letter including sponsorship pitch. Make sure you have a good subject line and address the person by name. You can also mention where you got your contact from.

It is important that you put yourself in the sponsor’s shoes and emphasise how they will benefit from the cooperation. Already in the cover letter, mention what you are proposing in return for the financial support.

It is likely that you will not hear back immediately. After about 7 to 10 days, you can briefly ask whether the mail was well received. It is important that you keep at it. Especially if you are organising the event for the first time, companies are more hesitant.

7. Conclude sponsorship contracts

If your sponsor is interested in a partnership, you must draw up a written contract. On the one hand, both parties can present the written contract to the tax office and thus prove their tax treatment of the sponsorship. On the other hand, precisely formulated contracts help to prevent subsequent disputes.

The object of such a contract is the mutual services to which the contracting parties commit themselves. According to Winheller Rechtsanwälte, the following points should definitely be precisely written down in a sponsorship contract:

  • Obligations to perform: A clear division of services and consideration is fundamental. The contract should state which specific sponsoring services are to be provided by the organiser (banner advertising, logo on website, etc.) and which cash or non-cash benefits are owed by the sponsor. In addition, information should also be provided on the duration, frequency and number of individual services as well as the due date of the cash and non-cash benefits.
  • Liability rules: Liability regulations must be agreed on who will pay for the damage if the event does not take place or is postponed. Additional contractual penalties can be stipulated if one party does not fulfil its obligation to perform on time or properly. Also clarify who will be liable in the event of accidents during events or who will be obliged to take out appropriate insurance.
  • Duration of the contract: As there are no legal regulations for sponsorship contracts, the parties themselves must determine how long they wish to be bound by the contract and when they wish to end or extend their cooperation.

They can draw up sponsorship contracts with the help of law firms. They will check the contracts from a legal and tax point of view. You can also find sample templates for sponsorship contracts on the internet at associations, on the websites of lawyers or Wonder.Legal Germany. However, only legal advice can clarify whether these templates are sufficient for your purposes.

Implement sponsorship activities

Whether in-person, virtual or hybrid, sponsors are key to a successful event. So put your partners in the spotlight. But how do you do it? We give you some examples.

How to present sponsors during the event

  • Make your sponsor big! : Presenting your sponsor’s content on big screens or huge interactive versions of a product fascinates the audience and makes them curious.
  • Connect the sponsor with fun: Make sure your visitors can switch off a little in the midst of all the hustle and bustle. They will thank you for it. Get a smoothie bike and pedal to win the drink. It’s fun, healthy and makes for a great photo op. You can use the space creatively for sponsor branding like the bike and cups.
  • Provide Instrammable Content: By providing great photo or video motifs at your event, your visitors will automatically share photos from your event – and your sponsor’s logo right along with them.
  • Who doesn’t love free food?: Your visitors will appreciate it if you offer them snacks on the house. You can go one better and highlight your sponsor with their logo. Little things like this can make your event a memorable one.

Want more creative tips? In our article we give you 37 sponsorship ideas for events and coferences.

großes Google Bällebad in der Mitte eines Events

How to integrate sponsors into the event

  • Your sponsor as speaker: Let your main sponsor have their say on stage with a presentation.
  • Video clips from your sponsors: Our attention span is often short. Collect short video clips from your sponsors. Put the clips on your event website so that your participants always have access.
  • Invite your sponsor in the livestreaming: You can include your sponsor’s logo in the livestream and invite them to talk to the audience.
  • Embed sponsors in virtual reality: Branding VR content has proven to be one of the most powerful sponsorship activations.
  • Integrate sponsors in the metaverse: You can immerse your audience in an immersive digital world and integrate your sponsor with virtual collectibles (NFTs), branding and exclusive VR events.

You can find even more exciting tips for sponsorship ideas in our related article.

How to thank sponsors after the event

  • Sponsor dinner: As a sign of gratitude, you can organise a sponsor dinner after the event.
  • Mentioning the sponsor in the first email after the event: You thank your participants for a successful event and highlight your main sponsor.
  • Use of the sponsor logo in your B2B Virtual Community: Even after the event, you can continue to keep the event alive in a 365 Day Community, for example with chats, on-demand videos about the event and many other useful contents.

Conclusion

Finding sponsors is part of the daily routine at almost every event. The partnership between sponsor and sponsored is a win-win situation for both parties. After all, in the best case, one benefits from the image, reputation and target group of the other. With our guide to finding sponsors, you will know exactly what to look out for and you can make use of our tips and tricks to find sponsors faster.

The first and most important step is to define your target group, because companies will only warm up to sponsorship if the event target group matches the company target group. Your target group analysis will always be able to support your argumentation for your event and should therefore be watertight.

Sponsorship packages make your offer clearer: “What can I book as a company for what consideration?” If your packages are clearly understandable, companies will be less hesitant to contribute financially. Finally, you build your packages into your sponsorship pitch, which should be clear and convincingly structured. Because once you have sent your sponsorship letter to the right contact person, it has to be convincing.

Looking to create successful sponsorship packages for your upcoming event? Our comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know, from identifying potential sponsors to crafting compelling proposals that will help you secure the funding you need to make your event a success.

Creating a successful event requires strategic planning, with one of the most important aspects being the development of effective sponsorship packages. These packages play a vital role in both the organization and funding of your event, as well as providing benefits for your sponsors. In this article, we will discuss the process of crafting the perfect sponsorship packages for your event, from understanding their importance to presenting a compelling proposal to potential sponsors.

Understanding the Importance of Sponsorship Packages

Sponsorship packages provide the necessary financial support and additional resources for organizing a successful event. However, their significance goes beyond just funding. To truly appreciate the importance of sponsorship packages, it is essential to consider both the event organizer’s and the sponsor’s perspectives.

The role of sponsorships in event success

For event organizers, sponsorships offer numerous advantages, such as reducing the overall cost of the event, enhancing event production value, and increasing audience reach. By partnering with well-established brands, events can also gain credibility and attract more attendees. Moreover, sponsors can provide valuable resources, such as promotional material, industry expertise, and networking opportunities, all of which contribute to the overall success of the event.

For instance, a sponsorship package may include a keynote speaker who is an industry expert and can share insights on the latest trends and developments. This not only adds value to the event but also helps the sponsor establish themselves as a thought leader in their field. Additionally, sponsors can provide branded merchandise, such as T-shirts or tote bags, which can be given as giveaways to attendees, increasing brand awareness and visibility.

Another advantage of sponsorships is that they can help event organizers access new markets and audiences. For example, if an event is targeted at a specific demographic, partnering with a sponsor who caters to that audience can help the event reach a wider audience and increase attendance.

Benefits of well-crafted sponsorship packages for both parties

From the sponsor’s point of view, an effective sponsorship package should provide a clear return on investment. Be it through increased brand visibility, direct sales opportunities, or access to a targeted audience, a well-crafted sponsorship package enables the sponsor to achieve their marketing and business goals. In turn, by offering attractive packages that deliver genuine value, event organizers can build long-lasting relationships with sponsors, ensuring ongoing support for future events.

For instance, a well-crafted sponsorship package may include opportunities for the sponsor to showcase their products or services to the event attendees. This can be done through product demos, interactive displays, or even sponsored sessions. By providing such opportunities, the sponsor can generate leads and sales, while also building brand awareness and loyalty.

Looking for ideas how to integrate sponsorships into your event? We’ve gathered 37 creative sponsorship ideas that will help you build your event sponsorship strategy.

Moreover, a successful sponsorship package should be tailored to the sponsor’s specific needs and goals. This means that event organizers need to understand the sponsor’s target audience, marketing objectives, and budget. By doing so, they can create a package that delivers maximum value to the sponsor, while also aligning with the event’s overall goals and objectives.

In conclusion, sponsorship packages are a vital component of event planning and organization. They provide the necessary financial support and resources, while also offering numerous benefits to both the event organizer and the sponsor. By creating well-crafted packages that deliver genuine value, event organizers can build long-lasting relationships with sponsors, ensuring ongoing support for future events.

Identifying Your Target Sponsors

Finding the right sponsors for your event is critical for ensuring mutual benefit and success. To achieve this, thorough research and a clear understanding of both your event and the potential sponsor’s values and objectives are essential. In this section, we will discuss some effective ways to identify your target sponsors and how to align your event with their values and goals.

Researching potential sponsors

Begin by identifying potential sponsors within your event’s industry or those whose target audience aligns with your event demographics. This can be done by conducting a thorough search online, attending industry events, and networking with professionals in your field. Once you have a list of potential sponsors, it’s time to dig deeper and investigate their past sponsorship activity.

Examine how their involvement contributed to the success of other events. Did they receive positive feedback from attendees and other sponsors? Did their sponsorship generate significant media coverage? This research will provide you with valuable insights and help you create a list of potential sponsors that are most likely to be interested in partnering with your event.

Don’t forget to also consider the size of the company and their budget for sponsorships. While it may be tempting to go for the biggest names in the industry, smaller companies may also be interested in sponsoring your event and can offer unique opportunities for collaboration.

Aligning your event with sponsor values and goals

Once you have a list of potential sponsors, analyze their brand values, mission statements, and marketing objectives to ensure a proper alignment with your event. This alignment is crucial for both parties, as it establishes a foundation for creating customized sponsorship packages that cater to the sponsor’s interests and goals, while also benefiting your event.

For example, if your event promotes sustainability and eco-friendly practices, look for sponsors who share these values and have demonstrated a commitment to environmental responsibility. Or, if your event targets a specific demographic, such as millennials or families, seek out sponsors whose products or services align with their interests and needs.

When approaching potential sponsors, be sure to highlight how your event aligns with their values and goals. This will show them that you have done your research and are serious about creating a mutually beneficial partnership.

In conclusion, identifying your target sponsors and aligning your event with their values and goals is essential for creating successful partnerships. By conducting thorough research and analyzing potential sponsors’ brand values and objectives, you can create customized sponsorship packages that benefit both parties and contribute to the success of your event.

Establishing Sponsorship Levels and Benefits

One of the keys to crafting compelling sponsorship packages is offering various sponsorship levels, each with its own unique set of benefits. This approach enables sponsors to choose the option that best suits their objectives and budget, while also allowing you to maximize your revenue potential.

Creating tiered sponsorship packages

Start by determining the number of sponsorship levels you want to offer, with common options including three to five tiers. Common naming conventions include Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze, but you can also use creative or industry-specific names. Make sure each level provides incremental benefits, clearly differentiating them from one another.

For example, a Platinum sponsorship package might include all of the benefits of the Gold and Silver packages, plus exclusive access to VIP events, a dedicated email blast to attendees, and a full-page ad in the event program. A Gold package might include all of the benefits of the Silver package, plus a larger booth space and a speaking opportunity during a keynote session. A Silver package might include logo placement on event signage and promotional materials, a smaller booth space, and the opportunity to host a breakout session.

Determining appropriate pricing for each level

While pricing your sponsorship packages, consider factors such as your event’s size, reputation, location, and target audience. Research similar events in your industry to see what they charge for their sponsorship levels, and analyze the benefits they offer. Using this information as a guide, determine a pricing structure that reflects the value of each sponsorship level while remaining competitive and attractive to potential sponsors.

Not sure yet how to price your different sponsorship levels? Here is an example.

For example, if you are hosting a large industry conference in a major city, you may be able to charge a premium for your Platinum sponsorship package, as it offers exclusive access to high-level executives and decision-makers. On the other hand, if you are hosting a smaller, regional event, you may need to price your packages more affordably to attract sponsors.

Offering unique and valuable benefits to sponsors

To create compelling sponsorship packages, ensure that the benefits you offer cater to the sponsors’ marketing and business objectives. Examples of possible benefits include logo placement, booth space, speaking opportunities, product sampling, social media promotion, and direct access to attendee lists. The higher the sponsorship level, the more exclusive and valuable the benefits should be.

For example, a Platinum sponsor might receive a private meet-and-greet with a keynote speaker, while a Gold sponsor might receive a dedicated social media post promoting their brand. A Silver sponsor might receive a mention in the event program and a product sampling opportunity. By offering unique and valuable benefits, you can differentiate your sponsorship packages from those of your competitors and attract more sponsors to your event.

Ultimately, the key to successful sponsorship packages is to offer a range of options that appeal to a variety of sponsors, while also providing clear and valuable benefits at each level. By taking the time to craft compelling sponsorship packages, you can increase your revenue potential and create a more successful event.

Customizing Sponsorship Opportunities

While tiered sponsorship packages provide a solid foundation for attracting sponsors, customization can make your event stand out and help secure more partnerships. Tailoring packages to meet the unique needs of each sponsor can go a long way in fostering successful, long-lasting relationships.

Customization is the key to creating a successful sponsorship program. By offering tailored sponsorship packages, you can attract more sponsors and provide them with the specific benefits they are looking for. This approach can help you build long-term relationships with sponsors and ensure their continued support for your event.

Tailoring packages to meet sponsor needs

When approaching potential sponsors, take the time to learn about their specific goals and requirements. This information will enable you to adapt your standard sponsorship packages to better accommodate their needs. For instance, if a sponsor values direct engagement with your attendees, consider offering them a branded interactive experience or workshop at your event.

By tailoring your sponsorship packages to meet the specific needs of each sponsor, you can provide them with the benefits they are looking for and ensure their satisfaction with your event. This can lead to increased sponsor retention and more successful partnerships in the future.

Incorporating sponsor branding and messaging

Including the sponsor’s branding and messaging in your event not only helps them achieve their marketing objectives but also reinforces their commitment to your event in the eyes of attendees. Find creative ways to integrate their logos, slogans, and even brand colors throughout your promotional materials, signage, and event décor.

By incorporating sponsor branding and messaging into your event, you can create a more cohesive and memorable experience for attendees. This can also help sponsors achieve their marketing goals and increase their brand awareness among your audience.

Providing exclusive opportunities for top-tier sponsors

To entice sponsors to invest in the highest sponsorship level, offer them exclusive opportunities that provide exceptional value. Examples include prominent logo placement, headline sponsorship of a keynote speech, or the chance to host a VIP networking event. These exclusive opportunities should provide a significant return on investment for your top-tier sponsors, justifying their larger financial commitment.

Providing exclusive opportunities for your top-tier sponsors can help you attract and retain their support for your event. By offering them unique and valuable benefits, you can ensure their satisfaction with your sponsorship program and encourage them to continue their partnership with your organization.

Creating an Effective Sponsorship Proposal

An impactful sponsorship proposal is key to securing sponsors for your event. This document should showcase your event’s value proposition, highlight the benefits of each sponsorship level, and demonstrate the potential return on investment for the sponsor.

Are you hosting a virtual event? Here are 7 tips to get your sponsors onboard.

Presenting your event and its value proposition

Begin your proposal by providing an overview of your event, including its purpose, target audience, expected attendance, and unique features. Explain how sponsoring your event aligns with the potential sponsor’s values, goals, and target market. Clearly articulate the reasons why your event is the ideal partnership opportunity for them.

Highlighting the benefits of each sponsorship level

Detail the various sponsorship levels available and clearly outline the benefits offered at each tier. Use visuals, such as tables or graphics, to make the information more accessible and appealing. Emphasize the benefits that are most relevant to the potential sponsor’s needs and objectives, demonstrating how partnering with your event will provide them with a tangible return on investment.

Including testimonials and case studies from past sponsors

To further strengthen your proposal, include testimonials and case studies from previous sponsors, showcasing the positive impact your event had on their brand and business objectives. These success stories can help potential new sponsors visualize the benefits they can expect from partnering with your event.

In conclusion, crafting the perfect sponsorship packages for your event requires a strategic and tailored approach. By understanding the importance of sponsorships, researching potential sponsors, offering flexible and customizable packages, and presenting an effective proposal, you will increase your chances of securing valuable partnerships and ultimately ensuring the success of your event.

In the rapidly evolving healthcare industry, making the right connections can help boost your business and expand your network. B2B matchmaking plays a pivotal role in facilitating such connections between healthcare providers, suppliers, and other key stakeholders. By understanding the dynamics and adopting best practices, businesses can maximize their chances of success at these events. This article explores the most effective strategies for healthcare B2B matchmaking, from preparation to communication and leveraging the latest technology.

B2B matchmaking events in the healthcare industry have become increasingly popular over the years, with stakeholders from all corners of the sector coming together to explore new opportunities and establish meaningful partnerships. These events are carefully organized to provide a platform for businesses to interact and collaborate effectively, with the ultimate goal of driving growth and innovation in the healthcare sector.

One of the most critical aspects of B2B matchmaking events is preparation. Before attending an event, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of your objectives and what you hope to achieve. Are you looking to expand your network, explore new markets, or establish new partnerships? Having a clear idea of your goals can help you tailor your approach and make the most of your time at the event.

Another key factor in the success of B2B matchmaking events is effective communication. It’s essential to be clear and concise when communicating your objectives and what you have to offer to potential partners. Understanding the needs and interests of other participants can also help you tailor your approach and make meaningful connections. In addition to networking and establishing partnerships, B2B matchmaking events also offer an excellent opportunity to learn about the latest market trends and innovations. Attending workshops and seminars can provide valuable insights into emerging technologies and best practices, ultimately enhancing your competitive edge.

It is also worth noting that B2B matchmaking events foster greater collaboration among key players in the healthcare sector, ultimately driving improvements in patient care, industry standards, and overall efficiency. By working together, businesses and other stakeholders can develop innovative solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing the healthcare industry today.

Attending a B2B matchmaking event in the healthcare industry can be a game-changer for businesses. It provides an opportunity to connect with potential partners, expand market reach, and foster strategic alliances. However, to make the most of these events, proper preparation is key.

In this article, we will explore some crucial steps that businesses can take to prepare for a successful B2B matchmaking event.

Setting Clear Objectives and Goals

Before attending a B2B matchmaking event, it is essential to have a clear understanding of your objectives and goals. These may vary from business to business and can include expanding market reach, forming strategic partnerships, introducing new products or services, identifying investment opportunities, gaining insights into industry trends, or enhancing brand visibility.

Having well-defined objectives will help you focus your efforts and facilitate smoother communication with potential partners. It will also enable you to tailor your approach to attract and engage the interest of those who align with your goals, ultimately contributing to the success of the event.

Researching Potential Partners

One of the most critical steps in preparing for a B2B matchmaking event is researching potential partners. A thorough understanding of the participants can help you maximize your opportunities and make informed decisions during the event.

Start by reviewing the matchmaking event’s attendee list and identifying potential partners based on their relevance, market presence, and compatibility with your business goals. Visit their company websites, explore their current projects, and gain insights into their objectives. By doing so, you can tailor your approach to attract and engage their interest, increasing the likelihood of making meaningful connections.

Preparing a Compelling Company Profile

A well-crafted company profile is crucial in making a lasting impression on potential partners. It should highlight your organization’s strengths, showcase your products and services, and demonstrate your expertise and unique value proposition. A compelling profile should also articulate your goals clearly and establish alignment with the needs of prospective partners.

When preparing your company profile, consider including visual elements such as logos, images, and videos. These elements are vital in portraying your brand identity and capturing the attention of potential partners at the event.

networking profile inside of the converve virtual event platform

In conclusion, proper preparation is key to unlocking the benefits of healthcare B2B matchmaking events. By setting clear objectives and goals, researching potential partners, and preparing a compelling company profile, you can increase your chances of making meaningful connections and fostering the desired partnerships.

Looking for a way to host your on Healthcare B2B Matchmaking Event? Write us a message or directly schedule a call to see your event platform in action.

Effective Communication Strategies

Establishing successful partnerships in healthcare B2B matchmaking events relies heavily on your ability to communicate effectively. Implementing strong communication strategies can help you stand out and build lasting relationships.

One effective communication strategy is to craft a strong elevator pitch. An elevator pitch is a brief, persuasive overview of your organization that can be delivered in under a minute. Crafting a strong elevator pitch involves several key elements.

Crafting a Strong Elevator Pitch

The first step in crafting a strong elevator pitch is identifying your unique selling proposition. What sets your organization apart from others in the industry? What unique value do you bring to the table?

Next, articulate your objectives and goals. What do you hope to achieve through partnerships and collaborations? Be clear and concise in your messaging.

When delivering your elevator pitch, focus on the benefits your organization can provide. How can you help potential partners achieve their goals and objectives? What specific solutions can you offer?

Establishing credibility and trust is also important. Highlight your organization’s track record of success and any relevant experience or credentials. This can help build trust with potential partners.

Finally, incorporate a strong call to action. What do you want potential partners to do next? Whether it’s scheduling a meeting or exchanging contact information, be clear and direct in your ask.

A well-executed elevator pitch can generate interest in your organization and pave the way for deeper conversations with potential partners.

Active Listening and Asking the Right Questions

Successful communication at B2B matchmaking events requires not only effectively conveying your message but also understanding the needs and interests of your prospective partners. Active listening and asking relevant, insightful questions can help you gather valuable information while demonstrating your genuine interest in the partnership.

When engaging in conversation with potential partners, be sure to listen actively. This means paying attention to what they are saying and asking follow-up questions to clarify and deepen your understanding.

Asking the right questions is also crucial. What are their goals and objectives? What challenges are they facing? How can you help them overcome these challenges?

This balance of speaking and listening enables you to identify synergies and ultimately forge stronger connections.

Building Trust and Rapport

Developing trust and rapport with potential partners is crucial in healthcare B2B matchmaking events. Focus on creating a genuine connection and highlighting shared goals and values.

One effective way to build trust and rapport is to share your organization’s story. What inspired you to start the organization? What values and principles guide your work?

Another way to build trust is to be transparent and honest in your communication. If there are limitations or challenges to a potential partnership, be upfront about them.

This foundation of trust and rapport can form the basis for meaningful partnerships and long-term collaborations.

Leveraging Technology for B2B Matchmaking

Advancements in technology have opened up new possibilities for healthcare B2B matchmaking. Implementing cutting-edge tools and platforms can streamline the process and enhance your success. However, it is important to understand the various ways in which technology can be leveraged to maximize the potential of B2B matchmaking events.

Utilizing B2B Matchmaking Platforms

Specialized B2B matchmaking platforms offer integrated solutions for managing and maximizing your event experience. These platforms allow businesses to create profiles, browse potential partners, schedule meetings, and track results. Utilizing such tools helps you stay organized, identify the best opportunities, and monitor your progress throughout the event.

Moreover, some B2B matchmaking platforms offer advanced features like AI-powered matchmaking, personalized recommendations, and data analytics. These features help you identify the most relevant partners based on your preferences, objectives, and past interactions. By leveraging these tools, you can optimize your matchmaking experience and increase your chances of success.

Virtual Matchmaking Events and Webinars

Virtual matchmaking events and webinars have emerged as popular alternatives to traditional in-person events, enabling businesses to connect globally without geographic constraints. Besides enhancing accessibility, these virtual events often provide advanced tools for communication, collaboration, and analytics.

For instance, some virtual matchmaking platforms offer features like virtual meeting rooms, live chat, and video conferencing. These features enable businesses to interact with potential partners in a more engaging and immersive way, despite being physically distant. Additionally, virtual events often provide detailed analytics and metrics, enabling businesses to track their performance and optimize their strategies accordingly.

Social Media and Online Networking

Social media platforms like LinkedIn provide valuable networking opportunities, both before and after B2B matchmaking events. By creating a strong online presence, businesses can boost their visibility, connect with potential partners, and share valuable content aligned with their objectives.

Moreover, social media platforms enable businesses to engage with a wider audience, beyond the confines of the event. By participating in relevant groups, sharing industry insights, and collaborating with influencers, businesses can establish themselves as thought leaders and expand their reach. This, in turn, can lead to more opportunities for B2B matchmaking and partnerships.

In conclusion, healthcare B2B matchmaking events offer significant opportunities for businesses to expand their network and forge lucrative partnerships. By understanding the dynamics, preparing strategically, communicating effectively, and leveraging innovative technology, your business can make the most of these events and achieve your objectives.

With so many event apps out there, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to decide which app suits your event best. To help you decide, we’ve analyzed the market and compiled a list of the best event networking apps in 2023 and looked closely at what they have to offer.

What is an event networking app?

An event networking app is an event app that provides additional features for streamlined networking. Ultimately, the purpose of event networking apps is to bring together attendees with similar interests more easily and quickly, making it easier to gather business contacts at events. Business networking next level – so to speak.

Event professionals use event management tools with matchmaking features to achieve this. Using matchmaking, participants can identify and develop relevant business contacts and opportunities before, during or even after the event.

What are the benefits of using an event networking app?

As you probably know, most people attend a B2B event to make new contacts or refresh existing ones. So the success of an individual’s networking ultimately determines the success of an event.

Since networking at events is a real challenge for all participants, as an event planner you can help this process along – both before and after the event. How? By providing matchmaking, which is available with event networking apps and takes the quality of networking to a new level.

In these apps, suitable contacts are suggested to each other following a previous data query. If both express interest, you can enter into an exchange before the event, plan meetings during the event in advance, and stay in touch with each other afterwards. In this way, you increase engagement and facilitate the process of finding the right business partners.

By using event networking apps, attendees can see in advance who will be attending and initiate and coordinate relevant business conversations. This means less stress and a sharper focus on what’s important during the event. As the process is simplified and optimized through matchmaking, the participants of your event will return with more business contacts and be more satisfied.

Another advantage of event networking apps is that you can use them online, offline, and also very well at hybrid events. Since the challenge of networking at virtual events and hybrid events is even greater, an event app with matchmaking offers exactly the right solution for these event formats.

The 23 best Event Networking Apps in 2023

In today’s world, event guests find themselves in a better position to do business networking. There are many apps that make this easier. We take a look at the vendors and the best event networking apps for in-person, hybrid, and virtual event networking.

An overview of the best event networking app providers:

  1. Converve
  2. Hubilo
  3. Webex Events (ehemals Socio)
  4. Airmeet
  5. Hopin
  6. Bizzabo
  7. Whova
  8. Swapcard
  9. Goldcast
  10. BigMarker
  11. Brella
  12. 6Connex
  13. Braindate
  14. Canapii
  15. Zuddl
  16. Stova (ehemals Meetingplay & Aventri)
  17. Preciate
  18. EventMobi
  19. Jifflenow
  20. B2Match
  21. Let’s Get Digital
  22. Accelevents
  23. Meetyoo

Converve

Converve’s event app brings your entire event and all the features to life from every device, offering one of the best event networking apps on the market. The German all-in-one event software with many flexible features makes a customized event as a networking and content experience possible without any problems. The focus is on B2B matchmaking and networking functionalities. Instead of standard solutions, you will be accompanied by experienced experts who will adapt the event software perfectly to your event. As a local product from Germany, it is also GDPR and DSGVO compliant.

converve meeting platform

Value proposition: Your Event. Your Way.

Pricing: Per event from €3,800.

Top-rated features: matchmaking, customer service, meeting scheduling, platform ease of use

Areas of application: All forms of B2B events, online, offline or as a hybrid event, 365-day community, hosted buyer formats.

Most common industries: Career and job fairs, non-profits, tourism, startups & investors

Languages: German, English + translation into all languages possible through integration

Hubilo

Hubilo is an American all-in-one event platform for webinars, virtual and hybrid events, and on-site events. Customizable to your needs, the platform promises interactive events and greater event ROI. With its built-in gamification feature and integrated broadcasting studio, you can enhance and self-direct your online events and webinars. Hublio also ensures the hosting of data in the EU and is GDPR compliant.

hubilo event dashboard

Value Proposition: “Maximize your event ROI with Hubilo.”

Top-rated features: Features for interactive content, online event programs, and exhibitors/sponsors at virtual events.

Areas of application: Event services, corporate, government organizations and associations, educational institutions, private organizations

Languages: English, German + 19 others

Webex Events (formerly Socio)

The event networking app from Webex Events (formerly Socio) makes it easy to create a branded, fully customizable event app for your conferences, trade shows and events. Attendees can create their own agenda and social networking tools improve engagement between all participants.

webex events group meeting

Value Proposition: Any event. Every audience. One platform.

Top-rated features: multiple event management, event agenda and schedules, email customization

Areas of use: All organizations, groups and companies that run events, conferences and trade shows

Most common industries: Education, non-profits, computer and software companies, event services

Languages: English, German + 28 more

Airmeet

Airmeet is an all-in-one platform for all event formats, including conferences, webinars, meetups, workshops, hackathons, career fairs, exhibitions and more. With matchmaking criteria, completed bios for each user, speed dating features, and explicit time slots for networking increase opportunities for networking with Airmeet’s cloud-based service.

airmeet web conference

Value Proposition: “Stop hosting events. Start hosting event experiences.”

Pricing: Per event from €5,000, Annual subscription from €6,000.

Top-rated features: virtual lobby, 1:1 networking, integrated webcasting

Areas of application: All event formats, including conferences, webinars, meetups, workshops, town halls, career fairs, exhibitions and more.

Most common industries: Education management, higher education, non-profit management, event services, marketing and advertising.

Languages: English, German + 10 more

Hopin

Hopin is an all-in-one live event platform that allows organizations to create, host and manage live events for up to 100,000 attendees. Each event with Hopin features certain core functions: Reception, Stage, Sessions, Networking and Expo Area. For each event, there are personal interaction options from speed dating features to 1:1 conversations to live videos for all participants (guests, sponsors, speakers and vendors and salespeople).

hopin event meeting with many participants

Value Proposition: “Events without limits”.

Top-rated features: built-in webcasting, event configurator

Areas of application: Live-stream, meet-up, webinars, events, 365-day community

Most common industries: Event services, non-profit organization, information technology

Languages: English, German + 8 more

Bizzabo

With a focus on social sharing and engagement, Bizzaboo is a major player among event networking apps. In terms of networking, the all-in-one software offers a community section, messaging feature, and LinkedIn integration, among others. With the event networking app, you can increase engagement using polls, questionnaires, Q&A and much more. It’s also possible to build a community by allowing participants to network with peers and sponsors – even beyond the event.

bizzabo networking event app

Value Proposition: “Every event size, format, and type – all the flexibility you need.”

Top-rated features: customer support, event design, speaker contributions, managing multiple events

Areas of application: Large-scale events, exhibitions, webinars, virtual and on-site events, hybrid events

Most common industries: Event services, computer software, finance, marketing and advertising, e-learning.

Languages: English

Whova

Whova’s event networking mobile app allows attendees to create detailed bios with links to their social networks and connect with each other before an event. Guests can also exchange digital business cards, easing the path to a post-event relationship. The Whova app offers interactive options, so on-site attendees can interact with speakers just as audience members do at home. The conference app also allows guests to select and attend panels or sessions of their choice.

Value Proposition: “Save Organizer Time and provide Attendees the best experience.”

Top-rated features: event agenda and schedules for events,

Networking of guests

Areas of application: Webinars, conferences, exhibitions, corporate events, virtual, on-site, and hybrid events,

Most common industries: Corporate, Higher Education, Non-Profit Organizations, Hospital and Healthcare, Research, Festival and Arts Events.

Languages: English, German + 4 others

Swapcard

Swapcard is an AI-powered all-in-one event and matchmaking platform that supports in-person, virtual and hybrid events. Artificial intelligence is used to facilitate B2B matchmaking and connect users based on their profile, interests and individual event journeys – even before and after the event.

Value Proposition: “Any event format, One software.”

Best-rated features: online event calendar, event configurator

Areas of application: Webinars, conferences, exhibitions, corporate events, congresses

Most common industries: Event services, non-profit organizations, finance,

Automotive

Languages: English, German + 33 others

Goldcast

Goldcast is an event management tool designed for B2B marketers to create engaging digital events – from webinars to large summits. The platform helps you execute your B2B event marketing strategy and grow the pipeline with CRM-integrated post-event insights.

goldcast event dashboard

Value Proposition: “Not just an event. An experience.”

Top-rated features: event configurator, online event program,

Integrated webcasting

Areas of application: Webinars, product demos, product launches, virtual summits, conferences, community events, hybrid events

Most common industries: Computer and software, information technology, marketing and advertising, finance, higher education

Languages: English

BigMarker

BigMarker’s event networking app combines powerful webinar software with marketing features and AI-powered matchmaking service. The AI-powered feature allows your guests to quickly identify relevant contacts. With the mobile app and networking features such as matchmaking, network builder and speed dating, you can provide your attendees with quality networking from anywhere.

bigmarker event meeting feature

Value Proposition: “Elevate your webinars, virtual & hybrid events.”

Top-rated features: cross-device capabilities, integrated webcasting, webcasting integrations

Areas of application: Webinars, conferences, summits and symposiums, expos and tradeshows, job fairs

Most common industries: E-learning, Information Technology, Marketing and Advertising, Education Management, Professional Training & Coaching

Languages: English, German + 8 others

Brella

Brella offers an event networking app for in-person, hybrid, and virtual events that advertises high-value networking features. The AI-powered algorithm finds the best contacts in seconds based on your guests’ networking interests and goals. With the Easy Booking and Easy Scheduling features, attendees can suggest, accept, or reschedule a meeting time in just a few clicks.

Value Proposition: “The complete event platform built for networking.”

Top-rated features: Webcasting integrations, online event program, interactive content

Areas of application: Corporate events, customer events, conferences, tradeshows, academic events

Most common industries: Event services, finance, information technology, marketing and advertising, venture capital

Languages: English

6Connex

The 6Connex all-in-one event platform offers a wide range of features for in-person, hybrid or virtual events. Features of the event networking app include AI technology with content matching and networking capabilities. Engagement can be enhanced with interaction tools such as 1:1 chat, video chat, gamification, social sharing and webcasting.

Value Proposition: “Event Technology for All Your Events”.

Pricing: Per event starting at €3,000

Top-rated features: Virtual lobby, speaker access,

Advanced reporting

Areas of application: Conferences, webinars, job fairs, tradeshows, corporate events

Most common industries: Event services, information technology, healthcare, education management

Languages: English, German + 23 more

Braindate

Braindate is an experiential peer learning solution for virtual, hybrid or live events and communities. To give each guest their own stage, participants can organize or take part in individual and group discussions on topics of their choice. This works with the user-generated content stream and so-called topic cards.

braindate event schedule

Value Proposition: “Reinventing The Way People Meet & Learn”.

Pricing: Per event from €4,500

Top-rated features: lead generation, virtual networking, meeting reports

Areas of application: Customer events, corporate events, industry summits, tradeshows, club events and meetings of 50 to 200,000 guests

Most common industries: Event services, computer software, information technology, management consulting, human resources

Languages: German, English + 2 others

Canapii

Canapii’s event management platform is designed for events of all sizes to plan in-person, hybrid and virtual events. From online ticketing to on-site check-in and post-event analytics, the digital tools enable event planners to streamline the entire event organization process. Engagement features such as surveys and polls, gamification options and the matchmaking tool are also available via the event app.

canapii webinar dashboard

Value Proposition: “Host events of any kind, no matter the size.”

Top-rated features: on-site ticketing and registration, meeting scheduling, vendor sourcing

Areas of application: Conferences, webinars, workshops, networking events

Most common industries: Information technology, non-profit organizational management, higher education, computer & network security

Languages: English, German + 55 others

Zuddl

Zuddl offers B2B event branders an event networking app for virtual, hybrid or live events. AI-powered matchmaking provides smart networking and helps your guests make valuable connections. Other networking features: Quick Networking with defined time limits and detailed networking analytics.

Value Proposition: “The Unified Platform for Events and Webinars”.

Pricing: subscription starting at €24,000 annually

Top-rated features: Integrated webcasting, virtual lobby, speaker access.

Areas of application: Webinars, conferences, DEI events

Most common industries: Computer software, information technology, event services, management consulting

Languages: English, German, French

Stova (former Meetingplay & Aventri)

Stova’s event networking app also works with AI matching so attendees can make the right contacts. Other networking features: social feed, gamification tools, meetup scheduling tool, personalized scheduling.

Value Proposition: “Bring your best event experience to life”

Top-rated features: control and access of speakers

Areas of application: Conferences, sales kickoff, virtual job fairs, exhibitions, tradeshows

Most common industries: Computer software, event services, finance, information technology

Languages: English

Scoot

Scoot is a platform that uses social presence technology to mimic the atmosphere of real networking events with random encounters. Music and movement create a real-life experience in virtual space. Participants can move freely and switch from one conversation to the next. Voices get louder or softer as you move, just like in real life. Scoot’s mobile app makes this platform a true event networking app. But the technology can also be used as an add-on to your virtual event platform.

scoot happy hour webinar

Value Proposition: “Add Networking to Your Virtual Events”

Top-rated features: attendee permissions, hand raising, screen sharing

Areas of application: Virtual meetings, networking events

Most common industries: Information technology, computer software, management consulting, marketing and advertising

Languages: English

EventMobi

Eventmobi’s event app is an end-to-end platform for virtual, hybrid and live events. To encourage networking, the following features are available on the event networking app: individual and personal attendee profiles, group discussions, appointment booking, private one-on-one chats, livestream chat at virtual program events, activity feed for sharing photos, social media wall with your event hashtag, and moderation for group discussions and activity feed.

Value Proposition: “Add Networking to Your Virtual Events”

Pricing: Per event starting at €3,500

Top-rated features: event diary, interactive floor plans/maps

Areas of application: Virtual meetings, networking events

Most common industries: Associations, education, healthcare, finance, insurance

Languages: English, German + 21 others

Jifflenow

Companies focused on scheduling B2B meetings at trade shows and events are well served by Jifflenow’s networking app to enable more meetings. Whether in-person or virtual and hybrid events, meeting automation supports networking. Automated scheduling, management, and analytics of B2B meetings can help marketing and sales teams achieve greater ROI.

Value Proposition: “B2B Meeting Scheduling Automated”

Top-rated features: meeting scheduling, lead generation

Areas of application: Webinars, product demo, conferences, expert meetings, tradeshows

Most common industries: Information technology, computer software, event services, finance

Languages: English

B2Match

b2match is an AI-powered event networking platform for in-person, virtual or hybrid networking events. With a focus on B2B matchmaking features, matching contacts are found and engagement is maintained throughout the year with communities. As an all-in-one platform, you can manage your entire event with b2match.

Value Proposition: “At b2match, your participants start with a match and end with meaningful partnerships.”

Top-rated features: meeting scheduling, networking, ease of use

Areas of application: Investor and startup events, hosted buyer events, career and job fairs, innovation partnerships, exhibitor events and trade shows

Most common industries: Education, construction, creative industries, enterprise

Languages: German, English

Let’s Get Digital

The Dutch provider offers a wide range of options for personalizing a networking app to suit your own event. The software can map virtual as well as physical and hybrid events in a mobile networking app. The special feature: The app has functions to increase the attention of your participants at virtual events. With an Earthquake feature you can make elements like buttons or boxes shake.

let's get digital meeting feature

Value Proposition: We Help Event Managers Make Impact

Pricing: Per event from €500, annual subscription from €2,400

Top-rated features: attendee management, badge management, analytics/reporting

Areas of application: Physical, virtual and hybrid events

Languages: English, German, Dutch + 4 others

accelevents

From a software that was originally intended to revolutinize the user experience of charity events, an all-in-one event software for events has emerged. Accelevents offers a mobile app with various networking features. Attendees can view keynote presentations, attend breakout sessions, participate in workshops, interact with virtual exhibitors, network with companies or individuals, answer surveys, download materials and participate in live chats.

accelevents participants profiles

Value Proposition: Powerfuk Tools & Peace of Mind

Pricing: Per event and subscription options

Top-rated features: attendee management, leads generation, registration, live streaming

Areas of application: Conferences, trade shows, charity events, seminars, job fairs, product launches

Most common industries: Non-profit, education

Languages: English

Meetyoo

Meetyoo allows you to recreate the live character of your events in a virtual environment. Participants as well as booths and live presentations can be experienced with a virtual character. In a mobile app, your attendees can move freely through your event and network with other avatars.

Value Proposition: Virtual events that look different invite your audience to connect differently

Pricing: Per event from €10,000, monthly subscription from €399

Top-rated features: Attendee management, leads generation, registration, live streaming

Areas of application: Conferences, trade shows, charity events, seminars, job fairs, product launches

Most common industries: Non-profit, education,

Languages: English

The term “diversity” is on everyone’s mind. Inclusion and accessibility enable more participation, access and diversity and are a sustainable factor that all event planners should pay attention to. Similar to digitalization, inclusive events will be the standard in the future. But how does an event manager act and plan in a diverse and inclusive way? And how do you do full justice to all this diversity?

In this article, we give you the best practices for inclusive events.

What are inclusive events?

Inclusive events are events that are designed so that everyone can participate and no one is excluded. Diversity and accessibility play a central role. Inclusive events take into account the “seven dimensions of diversity” (also called diversity dimensions). At their core, these consist of 1. gender, 2. sexual orientation. 3. age, 4. ethnic origin and nationality, 5. religion & belief, 6. disability and 7. social origin.

Why is inclusion important at events?

Inclusion will play an increasingly important role in events in the future. According to Hoffmann-Wagner and Jostes, inclusion is one of the four pillars that will determine our future event concepts.

There are many reasons why various events are important and forward-looking. We have filtered out a few for you:

  • Inclusion is a human right: Inclusion is a human right enshrined in the UN Disability Rights Convention, which came into force in Germany in 2009.
  • Social aspect: Every person should be given the opportunity to participate fully and equally in all social processes – right from the start and regardless of individual abilities, ethnic or social origin, gender or age.
  • Role model effect: If diversity is also a normal part of events, events can help to break down prejudices, broaden the horizons of participants and make a statement for a colorful society.
  • Participants call for diversity: Participants are increasingly aware of deficits in the area of inclusion and equality and are articulating them publicly.

Diversity dimensions as a common theme for inclusive events

To communicate and design your event in an open, diverse and inclusive way, pay attention to the seven diversity dimensions (summarized here in six dimensions). These can serve as a common thread for your planning.

Source: https://www.gardenswartzrowe.com/why-g-r

Gender & sexual orientation

This is understood to mean gender equality. This includes not only women and men, but also non-binary and genderqueer people, cis and trans people, inter, endo and agender people, etc.. At the latest since the introduction of the gender entry “divers”, the binary system of two genders is also questioned and discussed in the German mainstream.

Example for inclusive events: be mindful of all genders when registering and specifically state in your communications that you are reaching out to all genders and people of all sexual orientations (LGBTQ+).

Age

This means addressing people of all ages. Old and young people – both should be taken seriously. Demographic change means that the target group of older people is becoming ever larger. This makes it all the more important to eliminate age discrimination and address seniors in an inclusive manner. On the other hand, young people also do not want to be confronted with stereotypical assumptions about their age.

Example for inclusive events: consider the diversity of age groups when choosing images and in communication if you want to appeal to young and old.

Ethnic origin and nationality

In times of globalization, it is no longer enough to consider only your own nationality. Therefore, you should always remember that your target group may be composed of different countries of origin, native languages and cultures.

Example for inclusive events: Consider cultural diversity when choosing images. Pay attention to multilingual texts. Address the issue of racism and avoid stereotypes.

Religion & Worldview

In an increasingly globalized world, people of very different religions will attend your events.

Example for inclusive events: Avoid clichés and stereotypes when talking about religions and world views. Consider religious eating habits when catering (is there vegetarian food and dishes without pork, etc.)?

Disability

Around 9.4% of the German population is severely disabled. Disabilities can be physical, mental or psychological. According to the General Equal Treatment Act, people with a disability should have the same opportunities as non-disabled people.

Example for inclusive events: Plan your inclusive events barrier-free and think about blind or deaf people and people with learning disabilities in your texts and presentations.

Social origin

Social origin and social status play a decisive role in determining what opportunities people have for education, work and promotion, prosperity and other resources. Often, financial resources also play a decisive role.

Example for inclusive events: offer different price categories and promotions for your event.

8 ways to make your events more incluvie

Although diversity is gaining attention, there is still room for optimization at events. 

Depending on the industry, topics such as inclusion, diversity and equality are considered quite differently. For example, it can be observed that public institutions pay much more attention to this concept at events than some industries that are not yet as advanced or are very male-dominated.

Many event planners often make decisions based on gut instinct, without having a clear concept for inclusive events. To change this, we give you solid tips on how to make your upcoming event more diverse.

Tip 1: Plan an accessible event

It is important to pay attention to accessibility from the beginning, both in the external presentation and in the organization.

  • Physical accessibility: The venue must be easy to find for everyone, and everyone should be able to move around the venue in a self-determined manner. Especially for people in wheelchairs, barrier-free/step-free access to all rooms must be possible (e.g., paved paths, ramps, door widths, toilets, acoustics, lighting conditions must be considered). Likewise, “flexible” furniture (e.g. standing tables, tables that can be moved underneath, height-adjustable lectern) is important and there should be enough space to ensure freedom of movement for participants with wheelchairs and walking aids.
  • Linguistic-communicative accessibility: invitations, public announcements, program booklets, etc. are already important in the run-up to an event – here there are some linguistic challenges that can be overcome by using easy language or pictograms. At the events themselves, topics such as translation into sign language or written interpretation become interesting.

Tip 2: Make communication inclusive

Be sure to use an inclusive approach and language and imagery in all of your external communications.

  • Multilingual texts in easily readable font and in easy language
  • Inclusive language ( gender-equal language, language for the blind) 
  • Inclusive pictures (photos of different people from different backgrounds, young and old)
  • Announcement on the Internet barrier-free
  • Disseminate marketing material through different media (email, internet, mail, flyers, radio, television…)
  • Registration should be possible in different ways: verbally, by phone, in person, in writing)
  • Information on accessibility
  • Ask for special needs/support requirements in the registration form
  • Directions and parking options
  • Different price categories or possibilities for financial support
  • If applicable, reference to free participation of accompanying persons/assistants

Tip 3: Inclusive communication on site

Information should be perceptible through at least two senses (hearing, seeing, feeling) (2-channel rule; multi-sense principle).

  • Offer audio description, subtitles and barrier-free documents 
  • Mark escape routes, entrances and exits, and restrooms with pictures or pictograms 
  • Pay attention to special features for people in wheelchairs: Ensure that displays are at reach height, that
  • certain objects or materials are accessible
  • Use sign language

Tip 4: Engage diverse stakeholders

In order to not only promote diversity, but also to really live it, you should also pay attention to diversity among your actors – from the moderation to the speakers to the entertainment.

Tip 5: Select suppliers consciously

In supplier contracts, you can explicitly ensure that partners for the planning and implementation of your event (associations, experts and influencers as well as caterers, photographers and designers, etc.) stand for diversity management.

Tip 6: Consider diversity in hospitality

When catering, pay attention to the flexibility of the kitchen and the variety in catering. Can you offer dishes without pork (or gelatin) and vegetarian and vegan dishes? Perhaps you also want to offer dishes that are halal or kosher?

Tip 7: Encourage participants to deal well with the issue of inclusion

Create a broad and attractive platform that offers plenty of opportunity for exchange and ensure a respectful communication culture, both online and offline. Of course, this also includes diversity in the panels and moderation, because you are also sending a message with this.

Tip 8: Not everything has to be perfect right away

Planning inclusive events can be challenging, especially if you’re doing it for the first time. Put your:n perfectionist:in aside, after all, you won’t be able to think of everything right away, as the diversity palette is vast. Nevertheless, your efforts will surely be perceived positively and you will learn from event to event.

The advantages of inclusive events for event planners

Differentiation from the competition: We will adopt diversity in our attitude, integrate diversity structurally and strategically in processes and actions – not without observing the best examples of others and setting benchmarks. Be a pioneer and make a name for yourself with an open and diverse concept.

Larger target group: By taking the diversity of society into account in your communication and planning, you simultaneously open up your target group and appeal to more people with your event concept.

Modern, contemporary image: By implementing inclusion and equality in your event concept, you project a modern and open image to the outside world and consciously break with old, conservative thought patterns.

Stronger trust & customer loyalty: Organizers who understand the signs of the times and are open to adapting their concepts to the needs of society can benefit from greater trust and stronger customer loyalty in the long term.

Conclusion

Inclusion is one of the cornerstones for future event concepts. Take the opportunity to put conventional concepts to the test and make the right decisions for the (near) future. With inclusive events, you not only ensure more acceptance and diversity from a social perspective, but you can have a clear competitive advantage over the competition. Not only do you expand your target audience, but you also ensure an open and modern image. This in turn can lead to more trust and customer loyalty.

Are you still looking for experts to support you in planning and implementing events? Converve is your partner for your customized event platform. Contact us and tell our team your needs for your event and we will find a suitable solution for you.

The event is set and you want to appeal to as many visitors as possible. The location, date, period and theme have been decided, but you are wondering how to price your event tickets correctly in order to appeal to your target group in the best possible way? Not too expensive, but not too cheap either. Should there be different price levels or should you work with promo codes? And do I price virtual events the same as on-site events?

Finding the right pricing strategy for B2B events is not that easy, though, so this article will help you with that.

How expensive are tickets for B2B events?

A ticket for DMEXCO, Germany’s largest digital trade show, cost 149 euros per person. For the German Trade Congress, you have to pay 1.490 euros for a participant ticket, and if you want to be at the World Economic Forum in Davos, you have to be prepared to pay 28.000 US dollars.

These figures clearly show that there is no “one” ticket price and that prices vary greatly depending on the event. In 2022, ticket prices for the most important marketing events in the DACH region ranged from zero euros to a visitor ticket for 1.590 euros.

Pricing models: 3 different approaches

Your pricing model can be based on different approaches – from the cost-based approach to the demand-based approach. We recommend using the latter.

  • Cost-oriented approach

This pricing strategy for determining the ticket price is relatively simple. You determine the total cost of your event and set a certain margin above the cost.

  • Competition-oriented approach

With this strategy, you put your ticket price in relation to the prices of your competitors.

  • Nachfrageorientierter Ansatz

In this method, you determine the perceived value of your event among customers. You must take into account the competition, market conditions and the quality of your event and estimate the perceived value of your event. This strategy is the most difficult to implement, but it leads to an optimally leveraged pricing potential.

What factors do I need to consider when calculating the price?

The challenge is to find a price that makes you competitive, while attracting attendees and bringing you closer to your event goals.

Consider the goal of your event

What do you want to achieve with your B2B event? Do you want to raise your profile or build a brand image? Do you want to strengthen the business relationship, promote your products or stand out from the competition? Depending on which goal you are pursuing, the right pricing strategy will help. If you want to appeal to a large crowd, low ticket prices are suitable. For exclusive events, higher ticket prices are appropriate. If you want to present your products or generate leads only, a free event could also be an option.

Determine the value of your own event

With pricing, you also determine the value of your own event. Prices serve as a tool for positioning, because participants tend to form a judgment based on the price. This is not to be neglected! So prices can definitely influence the perception of an event. If you price your event high, you build an image of quality and exclusivity. If a low entrance fee is possible at your event, you create access for more customers, and at the same time your event loses exclusivity.

Identifying the customers’ willingness to pay

With a detailed market analysis that you conduct yourself or with a market research company, you can find out how many visitors would spend on your event. If you have already held several events, you can also draw on empirical values or conduct opinion surveys among participants.

Take costs into account

The willingness of your potential customers to pay is the most important factor for you, but of course you also have to keep an eye on the costs incurred and cover them. You need to be able to break down your costs accurately and know where you are coming from.

Dynamic Pricing Process: Yes or No?

Do you want a fixed price or should your prices vary depending on the time in advance? Or do you want to work with discounts or promo codes? Ask yourself the basic question of whether you want your pricing process to be dynamic. If yes, then you have two basic methods depending on your goals:

  • Skimming: In this method of pricing strategy, you choose a high ticket price that can be lowered by means of time discounts or promo codes.
  • Penetration: Here you choose a low ticket price (for example, early bird tickets) so that you can quickly encourage many customers to buy. As the event draws closer, the price is gradually increased in this pricing policy.

The different ticket sales strategies

To get closer to your defined event goals, you have several options to improve your ticket sales with the following Sales Strategies.

Pre-sale levels: Early Bird or Late Bird

Many events offer pre-sale levels. In this pricing model, the ticket price is lower than the regular price. The closer the event gets, the more expensive the event ticket becomes. In addition to early-bird tickets, there are also super-early-bird tickets or early-early-bird tickets to make even more gradations possible. This way, you can motivate a large crowd to buy tickets at a very early stage with an attractive price. In contrast, B2B organizers such as CONTENTIXX do not offer Early Bird tickets, but only Late Bird tickets in addition to the regular price.

Odd-Even-Pricing

You all know this psychological price trick from the supermarket. Odd-even pricing means working with odd or fractional numbers. You don’t sell your ticket for 100 euros, but for 99 euros or for 49.99 euros instead of 50 euros. In this way, you create the impression of a lower price and encourage people to buy.

Bundles or combination tickets

If events last longer than one day or you offer different themes and rooms, you can create bundles or combination tickets. Cheaper 2-day tickets are gladly sold to ensure enough visitors:inside on both days and ultimately sell a higher priced ticket. Also the OMT2022, for example, offers company bundles that allow companies to buy online tickets for up to 100 employees for 1790 euros

Up-Sells

Encourage a higher-value sales deal with this strategy. This can be certain combo tickets, event tickets with exclusive conferences or extra matchmaking rooms that make networking efficient. Create different packages for different needs and budgets, or even try to sell tickets with add-ons like hotel accommodations and transportation.

Discount Strategies

For example, you can set discounts for members of certain associations. Or you can encourage additional ticket purchases by giving each additional participant from the same company a 100 euro discount on the ticket registration fee. If you want to work with discounts in your ticket sales, you must of course take this into account at the beginning of your pricing strategy, because discounts are always deducted directly from the sales price and reduce the profit.

Promo Codes

Promo codes are perfect for marketing campaigns to promote your event on social media, for example. With time-limited promotions, interested parties can save on the ticket price.

How should I price virtual events?

Time and again, the question arises as to how high ticket prices for virtual events should be? 70 percent of the ticket price of the on-site event? Or even free of charge? No! If you want to implement a virtual event well, you also have to invest a lot of budget. Depending on the online event, the pure planning effort is almost as high as for onsite events. Although there is no room rental or catering, an event platform and good technology also have their price. If you plan a hybrid event, the costs and effort are even higher.

Always think about the image and value of your event. If you were to offer your event for free, how would that affect your image? A comparison: Apple would never come up with the idea to lower the costs for the new iPhone just because the employees have been working from home offices since the pandemic.

The added value for the participants is no less online than at an on-site event! An exciting program with knowledge transfer, great speakers and workshops are possible online without any problems. And did you know? Networking is even more efficient and easier to implement online than at face-to-face events thanks to matchmaking. A big plus for your B2B participants!

There will always be critics who say that you get less at an online event than at on-site events. However, that’s just a matter of reasoning. After all, networking is easier with online tools and can be planned and implemented more efficiently. You can also highlight the cost advantage attendees have by not having to drive or take the train to the event location and even save a few nights in hotels. If you have a value-added event program and argue well, there is no reason to sell an online ticket at a lower price. If you sell both event types, on-site and online tickets, you can also sell the presence part as a special add-on, for example.

For which online events do free tickets make sense?

There are free events where free attendance makes perfect sense, such as product launches and webinars that focus on lead generation instead of ticket revenue. Also at events that are funded by co-organizers and their advertising. Here, the companies’ goals clearly lie elsewhere, so they can and want to offer free participation.

How do I know if I have found the “right” price?

If your price was too high or too low, it may be reflected in too few signups and visitors. Of course, you can also verify your pricing strategy based on your sales. However, sales are not the only key figure, because success is always defined by the goals you set.

The crucial question in measuring success should therefore be: What is your most important goal of the event? What is it all about for you? Do you want to win new customers? Are you interested in establishing basic contacts or in building and expanding your reputation?

The best way to determine whether you have achieved these goals is to use event KPIs such as:

  • Registrations for your event
  • Actual attendees
  • Leads
  • Links and mentions
  • Articles about the event
  • Revenue generated by the event
  • Satisfaction of the participants

Based on the metrics, you can take an assessment after your B2B event to see how successful your event was and whether you might need to adjust your pricing strategy for the next event.

Conclusion 

Determining the right ticket price for your events is completely individual and depends on your event and your goals. In any case, it is not enough to simply add up the costs and add a profit margin. Remember that the price of your tickets should always tend to match the perceived value of your customers (i.e., according to the demand-driven approach) in order to maximize ticket sales and profit. Also remember: the price is a tool for positioning!

Consider a pricing strategy that suits your purposes and communicate it openly. Different sales strategies such as sales level models, bundles, discounts, promo codes, and upselling concepts can help you price your offer attractively. For virtual events, you should not necessarily set up lower ticket prices, but point out the advantages of online events.

With Converve’s digital event platform, you can run events entirely online or hybrid. In addition, Converve offers you a customizable matchmaking platform that allows you to cover all areas of your digital events. Feel free to contact us now – whether you’re already planning your next event or just have a question about the event platform. We look forward to hearing from you!

LinkedIn has long established itself as a social network with 850 million world wide users within many companies and offers exciting possibilities to draw attention to your event. Especially if you organize B2B events! In this article, we’ll tell you how you can successfully promote your next conference, trade fair or business networking event on LinkedIn.

Why is LinkedIn suitable for marketing your events?

LinkedIn is a professional social media network that helps people and companies make business contacts. However, it is also an advertising platform and allows companies to market themselves and promote their events.

Here’s why you should market your events on LinkedIn:

  • LinkedIn is the best lead generation platform in the world: according to studies, 80% of B2B leads come from LinkedIn
  • Content achieves high organic reach
  • Competition for impressions is very low
  • LinkedIn’s event feature makes it easy to create and promote events
  • Use your LinkedIn network to draw attention to your event

Bottom line: If you are active on LinkedIn, you have a greater chance of standing out from your competitors, reaching a wider audience, and successfully promoting your event.

How to promote your event on LinkedIn?

On LinkedIn, you have been able to create and promote LinkedIn events for some time now – regardless of whether you manage a profile or a company page. This feature can be used wonderfully to give your events additional exposure. However, as soon as it comes to managing attendees or implementing ticketing, you should turn to an event platform. However, LinkedIn is great for advertising your event.

In the first step, create your event on LinkedIn, either with your personal page or your company profile. LinkedIn explains how creating events works step by step in its guide. Once you have created an event on LinkedIn, you need to promote it. Also, don’t forget that when you create your event, you need to make an initial post. The event is not public until you do so.

Good to know: There is a special feature if you create an event via your company page. In contrast to a personal profile, you can integrate a form with which your participants can register with their e-mail address. You can use these addresses later to address them individually. This increases the commitment significantly.

You have created your event page on LinkedIn? Great! Now you have a variety of ways to get people to participate in your event:

First steps to promote your event

  1. Invite your contacts: A useful function of LinkedIn is the option to invite contacts specifically. This way you can filter who of your contacts you would like to invite to your event. The invited people will see your invitation under the “Network” tab. However, be aware that these types of “acceptances” usually don’t mean anything commitment-wise. The no-show rate is very high.
  2. Tell your network about the event: You can publish posts in the feed of your event page. However, these posts will only be seen by confirmed attendees. Therefore, it makes sense to share your content in your existing network as well. Use your personal profile and your company page to increase the visibility of the event.
  3. Create a group to match the event: You can create a group specifically for your event and invite all attendees to join the group.

Promote events with a personal profile on LinkedIn

To promote your event on LinkedIn, you should use your personal profile and your company profile – but be sure to use two different types of communication. On a private profile, you can present and promote the event on a more personal level.

Personal status updates

Status updates can be posted on LinkedIn. As with other social media platforms, status updates with pictures and videos get the most engagement.

Pimp your profile with event information

Use the headline and summary of your profile to promote your event. In the contact information section, you can link to the event registration website or create a project section and link it to the event registration website.

Storytelling

Tell the story behind the event from a very personal perspective in posts.

Share progress and emotions

Share your planning, difficulties and successes live with your followers.

Engage in exchange

Engage in exchanges with your contacts. Get in touch with everyone who has liked, commented, shared or otherwise expressed interest in your event

Get prospects to share

Encourage prospects and third-party vendors to share your event with their network.

Find interested individuals in groups

Become active in appropriate groups where you leave comments. However, be careful not to spam these groups with your event promotion. Instead, build a relationship with group members first before sharing event details. Help others and they will visit your profile and event by themselves.

Write personal messages

You can and should also promote your event with instant messages. With a free account, you can contact 50 contacts at once, or use “Sponsored InMail” to contact as many people as you want. As with all instant messages, be sure to address each individual personally.

Promote events with a company profile on LinkedIn

As mentioned before, you should use the full potential by promoting events on your personal profile as well as on the company profile. Therefore, we will give you some tips and ideas on how to promote your event on the company page.

Company status update

If you have created a page for an event, status updates can also be posted and pinned to the company page feed so that important information is displayed right at the top. You should also encourage all other event stakeholders, for example, location management and the catering company, to post similar status updates.

Share posts on the company account

Matching posts build excitement and redirect users to the associated LinkedIn event. This is a great way to reach followers of your company account.

Communicate professionally

Share posts and elaborate on what makes your event special! Convince by introducing your speakers and the line-up of the event.

Share your values

Explain the motivation behind your event and what values you hold dear as a company.

LinkedIn Ads: Promote your event beyond your network

Of course, you also have the option to promote your event to a larger audience via paid advertising on LinkedIn. You can choose from the following three advertising formats:

  • Sponsored Content: Sponsored content is displayed directly in the LinkedIn feed of the professional groups you want to reach.
  • Message Ads: This type of advertising reaches your target audience directly through LinkedIn messaging.
  • Text Ads: Text ads appear on the right side of each user’s news feed. A headline, some text and an image (50×50) and your ad is set up.
  • Dynamic Ads: With Dynamic Ads, you can target your audience with automatically personalized ads.

Our tip: Create a video from your previous events focussing on emotions & testimonials. Simply ask your participants “why did you show up today?” and present their reaction to your target audience.

How to reach your target audience with LinkedIn Ads?

To run LinkedIn Ads, you must first create an account in LinkedIn’s Campaign Manager. In the Campaign Manager, you can set the budget, select your marketing objective, and you have full control over the timing of your campaign.

Follow these five steps to effectively promote your event with LinkedIn Ads:

  1. Set a goal: At the beginning of any campaign, it’s important to set a goal. Choose the most important goal for you from the areas of awareness, consideration or conversions.
  2. Target your audience: LinkedIn’s targeting tools help you reach your ideal audience. Choose from the following categories to determine your target audience (occupation, location, skills, age, company, company size, industry, and more)
  3. Select ad format: You can choose between Sponsored Content, Message Ads, Dynamic Ads, Text Ads or a combination of these four formats.
  4. Set budget and schedule: Choose the cost model that’s right for you: Cost per Send (CPS) for Message Ads, Cost per Click (CPC), or Cost per Impression (CPM). Also enter a daily budget, the start and end dates, and the total budget.
  5. Design your LinkedIn Ad: The design of your ads is the most important element in attracting attention, getting your message across, and moving your audience to action. LinkedIn recommends 4 to 5 ads per campaign to increase campaign reach and ensure optimal performance.

3 LinkedIn Ad Tips for Event Promotion

Virtual events benefit from large potential target group

If you are planning a virtual event, you are not bound to a room size or a geographical radius. Take advantage of this and target a larger audience than live events.

Appealing visuals: using video and image content

Use engaging visuals for your event promotion. According to an analysis of LinkedIn posts, video posts are the absolute leader and generate the most interactions. Be sure to use this knowledge to promote your event. For example, by posting an effective video of the last event and drawing attention to the upcoming one.

Use LinkedIn’s insider knowledge for your event promotion.

LinkedIn has created an ebook with lots of insider event promotion tips. Use this knowledge to successfully promote your event.

Conclusion

LinkedIn is a wonderful platform to promote your event. Use the B2B platform as a free marketing channel for your B2B events such as conferences, trade shows or business networking events and promote your event to your network. With the event feature, you can create event pages and promote your event. Additionally, you can run LinkedIn Ads and promote your event beyond your network.

Note, however, that events cannot be managed through LinkedIn. For execution, ticketing, matchmaking, and other smart online solutions, an event platform is worthwhile.

Encounters by chance are an important part of events and we can use the pricipals of serendipity to re-create them in a virtual setting. Here’s how.

“Be open to exciting new contacts because you never know who you might meet?” This phrase comes from a networking guidebook that gives tips for chance encounters at events. But at virtual events, this advice hardly seems actionable! Or does it? We at Converve have taken a closer look at the topic of chance encounters at events in order to give the coffee break or the nice exchange at the bar table more room in a digital way.

You want to know why chance encounters are also important in virtual spaces and how you can implement them digitally? Then just read on.

Virtual Events: Here to Stay

Corona has significantly turned the event industry on its head and caused an entire market to rethink within a short period of time. The rapid shift from live events to virtual events has caused a real upheaval. Companies have also recognized the potential of virtual events. Accordingly, the market for new and innovative event technologies is booming: virtual events, hybrid events, event apps, and all kinds of ways to network digitally. Event platforms are trying to align themselves with live experiences, as the desire for personal contacts and real-life experiences remains.

Are chance encounters still possible at all in the virtual world?

Virtual events have many advantages: no room rental, a wider reach, better ability to plan, international guests and everyone can participate from home and plan meetings with interesting contacts in advance. Virtual events make networking even more efficient thanks to data synchronization and matchmaking, and increase the quality of contacts.

But what about the random encounters? Don’t we also go to events to be inspired spontaneously and come into contact by chance with people who turn out to be extremely interesting? Chance encounters, which are normal at live events, are normally almost non-existent in virtual space! Unless you have the right features at hand.

What potential does serendipity hold?

“…Serendipity describes the lucky coincidence of finding something not originally sought that turns out to be a new and surprising discovery…” (Wikipedia)

In other words, serendipity is the gift of harnessing chance. The serendipity principle underlies many important discoveries, even though the original ideas were intended for something completely different. Velcro, the Post-it, Teflon, linoleum, silicone, nylon stockings and the discovery of penicillin are all discoveries made by chance.

From the organizers’ point of view, they often try to exclude coincidences and make everything plannable and controllable. Efficiency is in the focus. Chance doesn’t stand a chance. However, it is exciting that, quite the opposite, the success of entrepreneurs also depends on the conscious use of chance. Instead, they ask themselves how they can make clever use of it.

Should organizers reconstruct “serendipity” virtually?

Do we need coincidences at events? That’s the question we’ve been asking ourselves over and over again. Pre-scheduled appointments, organized with the help of approved appointment requests, are one of the core features of the Converve event platform. This fosters effective networking, but without any coincidences.

We have noticed that, particularly in digital events, there is an increasing demand for additional meeting formats that follow the so-called serendipity principle and leave room for chance in the event concept. In concrete terms, this means that there is a demand for chance encounters in the virtual space as well. After all, let’s face it, doesn’t our life ultimately consist of a series of coincidences, so that chance is an elementary part of it?

We took on the question “How can you recreate chance encounters virtually?” and developed a concept that makes chance encounters possible even in front of a laptop!

Examples of random encounters at live events

Do you remember your last live event? Surely you were not only networking intentionally, but also talking to people randomly and casually. This relaxed exchange is not only fun at events, but in the best case it represents a new interesting contact for you.

  • Standing tables at trade fairs and larger events: At live events, there is often an area where participants can have a relaxed chat. It is not uncommon for bar tables to be set up with small snacks to make it possible for people to get to know each other in an informal way. “Is this seat free? Can I stand there?” – These questions cannot be asked at virtual events and make chance encounters more difficult.
  • Coffee break: a short break from the hustle and bustle of the event, whether outside the door or at the coffee stand, you will quickly strike up a conversation with other people who may not have it on their meeting calendar.
  • Event lounge: It is not uncommon for live events to set up a location with comfortable seating where participants can take a deep breath, relax and exchange ideas with other participants.
  • Diner event: At smaller events, a communal diner is also the perfect setting to randomly connect with other people.
  • Evening event or trade fair party: At organized trade fairs or after-event parties, DJ and barkeeper provide a relaxed atmosphere. Who has not yet met by chance participants:inside, will do it now at the latest.

What is the joy in chance encounters?

Chance encounters are the unpredictable variable at an event. You can’t invite them to a meeting beforehand, and you can’t arrange to meet them at the booth. They happen by chance. Chance encounters that inspire us, pave the way for new possibilities or broaden our perspective are what we consider lucky. But you can actually help this lucky circumstance along by meeting all people with an open mind or by putting yourself more often in situations where you meet people by chance – whether on the train, in a bar or at an event.

3 ways for virtual chance encounters

Speed Networking 

The Speed Networking feature allows your attendees to sign up for a meeting-by-meeting session. The event planner sets the total duration of the session and the meeting duration of the individual meetings. For example, three minutes. The participants are then randomly connected with other participants, where they can get to know each other briefly via video call, like in a kind of speed dating.

Speed networking focuses on the exchange of business contacts and the presentation of the participants’ own portfolios. If the profiles match, the participants can enter into a business relationship. Speed networking makes it easier for participants to make initial contact with new people. Due to the limited duration of the communication, the initial contact is usually limited to facts such as name and profession, industry, target group and customers, and motivation.

Workshops with changing partners

Your event offers different workshops online? Then you can ensure spontaneous chance encounters by building your workshops dynamically and the groups are always thrown together in new combinations.

Set up stations where participants can work on something together. Ideally, give participants a topic that relates to your event. Working on something together connects people and creates the best communication basis for initial contacts. You can use a workshop moderator or a workshop guide to mix up the group.

Gamification: Playfully creating new contacts

For small to medium-sized events, so-called “icebreaker games” are a good way to introduce participants to each other. The playful aspect (gamification) takes the pressure off and creates a relaxed atmosphere. Many of these ideas can be implemented live and online, for example:

  • Snap: Each participant chooses a playing card (or something else, be creative!). Then, find participants who have the matching card.
  • Bingo: Prepare 5×5 bingo matrices with a series of personal or business-related statements and share them with the participants. Then, everyone asks each other the bingo questions and crosses off the statement if they apply. The goal is to check off a complete row, just as in bingo. This question and answer game allows participants to get to know each other spontaneously and determine if the other person is an interesting contact.

How much randomness should you bring to virtual event networking?

Keep your event with a well-designed program that allows your attendees to network in a planned and targeted way. After all, networking is one of the main reasons for event visitors. The more interesting contacts your guests make, the happier they are. Build in chance encounters as an extra, either to get to know each other or towards the end of the event.

For example, by providing a fun icebreaker session at the beginning of the event, participants can get to know each other. Towards the end of the event, you can use the speed networking feature to create random encounters and be more in line with the reality of live events. Why towards the end? Only after the actual networking event do most participants have time to further develop the business relationship.

At which events are these formats particularly worthwhile?

In digital industries, it’s hard to imagine B2B communication without speed networking. But speed networking is also a popular networking format in other industries.

This includes the following areas:

  • Information technology and programming
  • Trade and B2B communication in various business sectors
  • Alumni associations, universities and non-governmental organizations
  • Online marketing and affiliate marketing

In addition to the industry, certain event formats lend themselves better to this type of networking than others.

Besonders nützlich ist das Speed Networking für:

  • Digital career fairs
  • Conferences
  • Digital investor networking
  • Hybrid formats, in preparation for physical events
  • Meet-ups and camps

Digital events do not rely on serendipity, but enable targeted networking – until now! Provide an all-round package for your event participants that enables both. With the Speed Networking feature, you can ensure random contacts as well as efficient networking at virtual events. The new Converve feature simulates a random meeting with other interesting participants, similar to a coffee break.

Contact our team at Converve now to discuss with our specialists how you can implement your virtual or hybrid event with efficient networking and chance meetings!

In order to be able to implement all event formats professionally, in compliance with data protection regulations and in your own corporate branding, customized event platforms offer many advantages. But when is this investment worthwhile and when are standard solutions sufficient? We clarify in this article!

Anyone who frequently plans virtual events knows – many details have to be taken into account for the success of an event. From the individual functions and features that make your event a very special experience to data protection, the demands on quality and security are constantly growing. In many areas, companies already have completely individual, professional software solutions that make the workflow more efficient and secure. So why not also rely on a customized event platform in the future that is perfectly tailored to your requirements?

Difference: standard platform vs. customized event platform

Whether short webinars or complex customer events: In these times, internal and external corporate communication increasingly takes place online. In addition to tools for video conferencing and collaboration tools for internal exchange, virtual event platforms are specifically specialized in the execution of digital events. So instead of continuing to switch between multiple tools for different tasks, you can now easily manage your digital events from a single source via an event platform. Whether you want to use a standardized event platform or a solution configured specifically for your company should be decided individually based on your personal requirements.

If you choose a standardized event platform, you have access to the most important functions and features that you generally need for the execution of digital events – bundled together on one platform. So you no longer need one provider for web seminar solutions and another for video conferencing, but from now on manage your complete virtual event workflow in one platform. If the standard software isn’t enough for your purposes, you can get expert support to design a custom event platform to meet the unique challenges of your events.

When is a standard event platform enough?

Before you decide on an event platform, you should ask yourself what requirements you have for the event software and what internal capacities you can muster for support and design. Do you only organize events for which the standard functions are sufficient? Then a standardized event platform can fulfill all important requirements for you. After all, event software is generally designed to cover the essential tasks in all phases of event planning.

But remember: not all event platforms are the same. With Converve, you can host any type of networking event with a standard package, and also customize your event setup flexibly. Many services are also available in the standard version, which many basic software solutions do not provide in this scope.

Customer service & support

Hauptfunktion von Converve: Event Matchmaking

Benefit from personal customer support throughout the entire project and take advantage of full support with regard to platform adaptations and event planning.

Website builder incl. corporate branding

zweite Funktion von converve: Event Website

Design your virtual event platform with Converve using the user-friendly drag & drop website builder and choose from a wide range of layouts. It is also possible to adapt the event platform to your existing branding and corporate design with the standard variant.

Customized networking & matching setup

As an all-in-one event networking platform, we offer you very specific networking and matchmaking functions. Because with our matchmaking solution, you give your participants the opportunity to make initial contacts even before the event. Based on interests and behavior, suitable meeting partners can be found with whom your customers can further expand their network.

Online registration

mit converve für Events registrieren

Guide your participants through the registration process as quickly and user-friendly as possible. With freely designable registration forms, participant profiles can be completed in no time at all.

Attendee profiles & attendee management

No matter what type of event platform you choose, Converve allows you to customize attendee profiles. Attendee management is also very easy to handle. For example, you will be notified by email when new attendees have registered for your event, and you also have the option to import entire attendee lists from Excel.

Ticketing & Payment

fünfte Funktion von Converve: Event Registrierung

Standard services include automatic invoicing and digital ticketing – you can also create personalized tickets. In addition, you can handle the payment process in all currencies.

Session & program management

The success of your event stands and falls with the structure and design of your event program. With our event software, you can easily define program elements such as title, description, times, duration, rooms, main topics or speakers. You can also let your attendees know when which program item will take place and you decide which content requires registration or is subject to a limited number of participants.

Meetings & content on attendee agenda

Your attendees create a mobile agenda from all program items and meetings and receive an automated meeting reminder. Post-meeting options include the ability to collect meeting feedback or ratings from attendees.

Video & Streaming

From webinars to workshops to roundtables, any event platform should be able to integrate common formats. With Converve, the integration of live streaming and pre-recorded content is also possible, among other things.

Responsive Web App

vierte Funktion von Converve: Event App

Our event app is accessible from any device, responsive and to use the app you don’t even need to download it from the app store. So your attendees can easily participate in your online events from anywhere via smartphone.

Mailings & Reporting

Already with the standardized event platform you can create, save and send as many email campaigns as you like. The success control through reportings is also part of the standard version. Likewise, the success control through reportings is a component of the standard version.

Sponsoring

As you surely know, sponsoring plays an important role in event planning. You want to give your sponsors the space to present themselves accordingly on your event platform? At Converve, for example, you can integrate sponsor profiles with interactive content, offer sponsored email campaigns or sessions, and provide advertising space on tickets, badges, and in the PDF catalog.

Check-in process

Generate name badges and badges for your attendees and speakers. Barcodes on tickets also make it quick and easy for attendees to check in and out via the web app. Additional check-ins are also possible at the entrance to the sessions.

Legal & Privacy

All event platforms at Converve are GDPR and DSGVO compliant. The integration of privacy policy, terms of use and imprint are also part of the standard package.

As you can see, you can expect a standardized event platform at Converve, which already gives you a lot of flexibility in organizing your digital events. Thus, with our standard event platform, you do not opt for an 08/15 solution, but receive a comprehensive package with which you can offer your target group an attractive participant experience. With the professional support of your tech partner, you can also save valuable time and resources and increase the efficiency of your digital events in the future.

When is a customized event platform worthwhile?

Do you have very specific and special requirements for the implementation of your online events that you cannot realize with the standard platform? No problem – we customize our event platform to your style and needs.

From landing page to event app to networking, all elements can speak your brand language and provide you with a customized solution. Simply tell us what you want and we’ll see what features we can use to solve your challenges.

In addition, we can develop new features for you that will help you successfully implement your event. It is also possible to integrate other tools such as MS Teams or Zoom on your event platform. With the help of our experts, you can thus put together a completely individual event website that leaves nothing to be desired.

When does a customized event platform make sense?

Here are some examples:

  • You want an individual event website, which cannot be easily implemented with the website construction kit.
  • You need complex registration options because your participants can register for several courses, events and workshops and also pay the participation fee directly.
  • You want to highlight your CI & branding individually.
  • You need the development of event-specific functions for special event formats.
  • You have very special requirements for security and data protection.
  • You organize complex event formats, such as large trade fairs with a focus on matchmaking and participant interaction.
  • You need special connections and fast data transfer.

Conclusion: There is a solution for everything

Standard event platforms can be the ideal choice for many companies to best plan, execute and evaluate digital events. That’s because software solutions are designed quite specifically to meet the requirements of digital events.

A custom event platform, on the other hand, is a good choice if your digital events have complex and very specific event software requirements. If you rely on individual functions and features and want the best possible support from a tech expert, then a customized event website is the right solution for your company.

Of course, whether you choose a standardized or customized event platform can sometimes be a budget question. At Converve, you can count on discounted prices when implementing multiple events.

Contact us – our team will be happy to assist you.

Over the past two years, attendees have gotten used to the drill: log into the event from wherever they are, network with participants from any country, and attend seminars from the very best speakers. Probably while sipping coffee in their pyjamas. Events have become easily accessible despite facing set backs caused by the pandemic.

Now with vaccinations being rolled out and infection rates under control, live events are cautiously opening doors again. And this comes a lot of questions and uncertainity. What does the future of online events look like? Will hybrid and online events continue to have a strong hold in the event industry after the pandemic? Is there a high demand for live experiences and can we put our trust in physical events? Do the advantages of digital events outweigh the disadvantages? And to what extent has the event culture evolved because of Corona? Will we go back to normal or is there a new-normal?

Have these questions been on your mind as well? In this article, we get to the bottom of this and gauge where the event industry stands.

Digital events are the future

The pandemic turned the world upside down and the events industry had to act fast and adapt overnight. But a crises can also be an opportunity and the events industry tackled it brilliantly. In-person events swiftly converted into hybrid and digital formats. There are very few sectors that were able to over come adversity and achieve this level of success using technology.

Soon enough businesses also recognized the potential of digital events. There was a demand for new and innovative technology and the event industry rose to the challenge. While attendees still missed the face-to-face interaction of in-person events, online events made up for it with other advantages. These technological advances have had a monumental impact in ways that events will never be the same again.

Why are digital events here to stay?

Digital events have brought in a new era of interactive, staged and experience-oriented events. Thanks to innovative tools and platforms, a whole new event format is here and with it, we have endless possibilities. As a result, many companies and event planners see the benefits of digital events not just as a necessity created by Corona. And even when things are back to normal, digital events will continue to play a major role in the industry.

1. High reach
With digital events, people from all over the world can attend your event. All your attendees need is a good internet connection to join in. One of the biggest perks is that you have unlimited capacity when it comes to the number of participants. An online or a hybrid event is the only format that could possibly have 50 workshop rooms with 10 main stages all happening parallelly.

2. Crisis safety
Who can say today whether and how long the corona virus will cause restrictions in the event sector in the next few years? Especially in the winter months, we can expect stricter hygiene and social distancing rules again. Digital events are not affected by this and can almost always take place.

3. Time and cost factor
Those who rely on digital events save time and money. Some of the advantages companies can benefit from: No expenses for travel, the event location, event staff, set-up or catering – to name a few. Valuable time and costs can be saved, especially in internal and international corporations.

4. Sustainability
Thanks to digital events, no one has to get on a plane to attend a conference today. This not only cuts down budgets and saves time, but also reduces Co2 emissions. And that’s not all. With virtual events, you can also reduce emissions in when it comes to logistics, construction or waste disposal and make a valuable contribution to climate protection.

5. Extending the life cycle
Podcasts, videos and images, e-books: While following up after the event, you have a number of options for using lectures, presentations, interviews and content for your marketing. In this way, you can easily share content with your community on demand and keep your event alive in the long run.

6. Measure and analyse success
Digital events open new doors when it comes to monitoring the success of your events. For example, you can evaluate event KPIs such as the number of presentations and workshops attended or the engagement of participants at a virtual event than at a live event.

7. Digital events drive new behavior patterns
Attending digital events have left people longing for “real” connections that are difficult to find from across screen. Nevertheless, many participants have come to recognise and appreciate the benefits of virtual events. An emerging trend suggests that both companies and attendees will continue to find value in online events in the coming years.

8. Security
Events with large numbers of attendees will likely continue to cause anxiety for some people. To be on the safe side and maintain social distancing, a part of the audience will probably stay away from live events. It might also be completely normal for them to weigh the risk-benefit ratio for themselves in advance and then take a call.

9. Save time
At times the attendee’s down time might be cut short when they have to travel for an in-person event. The choice to attend an event online, sit through relevant presentations and take part in workshops, adds to the appeal of an event.

10. Cost savings
Cutting down costs might be an important factor for many participants. Those who attend a digital event save on travel expenses, accommodation and meals they normally would’ve spent on.

11. Interaction and networking
Some people might shy away from asking questions in front of a large audience or talk one-on-one with the speaker. They might even hesitate to interact with participants at a live event. Digital events removes that barrier and offers easy ways to exchange ideas through chat or video call. Topic-specific break rooms, workshop rooms, matchmaking or match roulette are some of the popular tools to facilitate this.

12. Information and knowledge transfer
Online events often have a strong focus on content and knowledge transfer through video sessions and whiteboards. Participants have the opportunity to work together in small groups and understand concepts better. Also sharing online resources like e-books and videos are much more easier during online sessions.

Do attendees strongly prefer live events?

Even though we have cool tech features available to create emotional worlds and design it to feel like the outside world, there is no substitute for the physical interaction.

A live event thrives on emotional connection and the atmosphere it creates. The personal interaction and the shared experience are the biggest strengths of live events. And it’s natural to feel the need to be physically present and have face-to-face encounters.

Currently, many events returned to their live versions again. But the trust in physical events have taken a toll because of the pandemic and the benefits of digital events are taking over the event industry. Companies and event planners are together looking for ways to come up with new experiences. In this way, physical events can be developed into international hybrid events.

Are hybrid events the future of the event industry?

Hybrid events are a mixture of on-site and virtual events. There are many different ways to host a hybrid event: you can have the main event at one place, other events happening parallelly at different locations, and virtual participants connected to it remotely. So a hybrid event can combine the benefits of both live and virtual events and provide an excellent perspective for the future of events.

A complete return to normal is unlikely from today’s point of view. Now that attendees have experienced online events, attendees will expect digital elements at a live event in the future. It is now a question of redefining the boundaries of event planning. Hybrid events can offer a whole new experience in this regard.

Conclusion: Combining the best of both worlds?

Are digital events going to stay the way they are and will live events take their old place in the post-Covid world? Or are hybrid events the future of the event industry? While it’s not possible to look into the future, it’s safe to say hybrid and digital events have firmly established themselves in the event industry. The most likely answer to this is the combination of the best features available online and the unique strengths of live events.

Hybrid events can play a major role in the future of the event industry. Whereas digital and live events are two very distinct event formats that when combined create an enhanced event experience. And when they are hosted separately, they also work well on their own.

So digital events shouldn’t just be about keeping up with local events, but also an exceptional format for creating experiences, building connections and creating immersive content. After all, it comes down to the end goal you want to achieve with your event, what audience you want to reach and what your event wants to convey. Depending on what you’re looking for, there’s an event format that would be best suited for the success of your event.

Converve helps you organize your digital event

With Converve’s digital event platform, you can host both the event formats – online and hybrid. In addition, Converve offers you a customizable matchmaking software that allows you to cover every aspect of your digital event. Whether your event is physical, virtual or hybrid, you can increase your event engagement and create a community for your attendees using our platform.

Leave us a message – whether you’re planning your next event or just have a question about the platform. We look forward to hearing from you!

The on-site event landscape has changed over the pandemic and there are new challenges to tackle. Here’s everything you need to know before you jump back in.

It’s been a rough couple of years for the event industry. According to Forbes, about 83 million people had to change their plans overnight. The anxiety of the virus spreading, national lockdowns and concerns about meeting in person brought the event industry to its knees. Meetings moved online and businesses struggled to connect with their community as they did with offline ones. 

Two years on, offline events are back with a vengeance. With the vaccines being rolled out and the infection rates dropping, there’s finally a ray of hope. Events are steadily gaining momentum and people are beyond thrilled to make up for the lost time. With the world transitioning to normalcy, it’s vital to not throw caution to the wind. 

A large number of businesses are still on the fence about having physical events. There’s a popular term “Reopening Anxiety” doing the rounds that embodies the fear of restrictions being loosened. The thought of being around large groups of people after a couple of years into the pandemic can feel overwhelming. It’ll take effort to build trust in all the event attendees so they know you are doing everything in your power to put their fears to rest.

As an event planner, there are certain guidelines you can follow to reassure your visitors. From asking for proof of vaccination to maintaining social distance, here’s a list of everything you should do to safely pivot to in-person events.

Should you collect proof of vaccination for the event?

Right now in most countries, it’s not necessary to ask for proof of vaccination. Given the drop in incidence rates and a larger part of the population being vaccinated, public gatherings have become relatively safer. However, if you still want to ask for it, you can do so as privacy laws allow you to.

While making this decision, get a pulse of your audience. If your crowd has a younger age group, it’s more likely they’d be comfortable with not having to disclose their vaccination status. If the event has a more established corporate crowd, ask them what would make them feel safe beforehand. This should help you make a call if it’s necessary to ask for proof of vaccination.

A check-list of safety measures for the venue

Whether you’re hosting the event indoors or outdoors, it’s important to manage the risk of COVID-19. This means taking deliberate precautions to prevent the spread of the virus and bringing down the risk of exposure. It also means taking steps to avoid financial losses that can happen because of the pandemic. We’ve put together a list of things you can carry out at your event.

I.  Implement touchless technology

Use technology to make your event a safer space. You can avoid physical contact by using sensors and scanners that detect certain movements and make the process more efficient. Here’s how automation can come into play to improve your attendees’ event experience:

  • Automatic door sensors
  • Contactless check-in kiosks
  • Scannable QR codes to print badges
  • RFID bracelets for payments
  • Automatic hand sanitiser dispensers
  • Motion-sensor toilets

II. Be on the lookout for indoor-outdoor spaces

It helps to have an indoor and outdoor venue where people can spread out. Being able to get some fresh air is necessary, especially during COVID times. This will also give your visitors enough space to maintain social distance and avoid coming in close contact with others.

While charting out your event’s floorplan, designate areas for both indoor and outdoor activities. You will also have to make a note of what you’d have to procure for these spaces. For example, you’d need wifi, a seating area, gadgets, and weatherproof equipment in case of an emergency.

Keep a tab on everything you’d need and maybe include your attendees while creating a checklist so you have everything in one place.

III. Pick out food and beverage options that cater to your audience

The pandemic has brought health into focus. People are more conscious of their food choices and try to keep their intake as healthy as possible. You can make their experience at the event significantly better by taking these choices into consideration.

  • Send out a survey asking your guests about their food preferences and allergens beforehand. This should give you a good idea of what to have on the menu.
  • Provide organic and healthy choices so it fits a range of culinary requirements.
  • Options like to-go meals, single portion boxes, and packaged snacks give your audience more confidence that the food has been handled with care and with minimum exposure.
  • You can decrease alcohol consumption by giving out packaged drinks with low-alcohol content and non-alcoholic premium drinks rather than just soda.

IV. Ensure sanitizing products are readily available

Experts believe that the risk of being infected by COVID-19 from a surface is low when compared to direct face-to-face contact. But this increases when there are a huge number of people touching the same things. You can reduce this risk by providing:

  • Disinfecting wipes
  • ‌Extra masks
  • Hand sanitiser
  • Trash cans to discard wipes and masks

V. Explore flexible contract terms as a safety net

One of the most important lessons the pandemic taught us was that the only thing that remains constant is change. Things can turn around in the blink of an eye and you’ve got to be prepared for it. To ensure your peace of mind, look for venue providers who offer flexible contracts that include:

  • Cancellation and postponement clause in your contract that’ll allow you to recover a part of your money if your event is cancelled or moved.
  • Force majeure clauses in contracts protect you from liability caused by external events that couldn’t be foreseen or controlled.
  • Event insurance offers a financial cushion to in-person event planners in case of potential extreme conditions.

Factors to be considered while creating an exposure management plan

Asking for proof of vaccination or a COVID test is one of the first steps of screening your event but it’s not an air-tight plan. When you’re developing your safety guidelines, you also need to consider the possibility that there might be a transmission of the virus and plan ahead for it. After developing the safety protocol, make sure your community is aware of it by sharing it on your website and at the event.

Have a medium that your event audience can reach out to if they test positive for COVID 19. With the guidelines you have in place, you’ll have a clear road map of how to handle this. It’s important to keep your event attendees in the loop. Also, contact the local public health officials and inquire about these details:

  • What information do you have to disclose to the people who were at the event?
  • Who is going to share this information and when should it be done?
  • How will you report this information to everyone involved?
  • What do you do if someone tests positive during an event that’s spread over days?

Keep an eye on local vaccination and transmission numbers

COVID tracking websites with infection rates are easily available online. Keep track of them and see if the area where you’re hosting the event is a hot spot. If the transmission rates are low, you can breathe easy. If it’s high then be mindful of your event size and ask your attendees to stay home if they have any COVID symptoms.

Final thoughts

As an event manager, the main goal is to make sure everyone feels included, engaged, and safe during the event. By taking a few extra steps and planning things differently with the pandemic in mind, this roadmap will help you navigate your return better. Ensure you have your safety protocols in place, your community feels comfortable and most importantly, don’t forget to have fun!

Ready to jump back into in-person events? Contact our team to explore Converve’s event platform to host an unforgettable experience.

Event speakers are the stars of the show. The event might have the latest tech and a great venue. But without an engaging speaker, the purpose of the event will miss its mark. A good presenter can make a world of difference in keeping your audience hooked on every word. They set the tone of the event and drive ticket sales.

There is a list of things you need to consider while selecting the right speaker. You have to weigh in factors like the presenter’s ability to inform, entertain, inspire and have chemistry with the audience. You also need to diversify your speaker line-up so everyone in your audience can relate and feel included.

So how do you find a quality speaker for your next event? Let’s start by laying the foundation.

Questions you need to ask before looking for a speaker

A good speaker who is the perfect fit for your event format is a match made in heaven. And before picking a presenter, you need to lay the groundwork and do your research. It is recommended that you start preparing for your event about 6 to 12 months beforehand. This would involve getting to know your audience better, picking the venue, finalising the theme, setting a budget, outlining your event and choosing your speakers.

When you reach out to speakers, it might be tempting to go for experts in your industry. But this might not always work. For example, Dave Ramsey is a popular financial expert. But if your target audience is more inclined towards technology experts, would he be the right fit?

Taking note of this, here are a few questions to consider before kicking off your speaker search:

  1. What is the core objective of your event? Outline your goals and intentions for the conference. This will help you narrow down guest speakers who will be a good match for the event. Do you need a keynote speaker at the beginning and for later, presenters for break-out sessions? With your event needs mapped out, you can go for speakers who’d get the job done.
  2. Who is your audience? If your audience is primarily younger entrepreneurs, an energetic speaker with fresh ideas is a good fit. Someone who pushes boundaries would resonate better with the crowd. If your attendees are more established, then a well-known industry leader would do the trick.
  3. What is your budget? Speakers in the US charge anywhere between 2,000$ to 30,000$ and sometimes more. Celebrities can command over 50,000$. If you’re on a tight budget, getting a celebrity may not be a good idea. However, it would make sense to focus on quality rather than cost as long as you’re able to fit your speaker within the budget. There are a lot of upcoming speakers who charge way less and can have an equally good impact without burning holes in your budget.
  4. What is the purpose of the guest speaker? Do you want someone to get the attendees hyped up for the event? Or are you looking for a speaker who will sit down and do an interview? When you have a specific goal and audience in your mind, picking your guest speaker can be a cakewalk. Your attendees will come in with certain expectations. And you’ll want to match this with your speakers’ abilities. During break-out sessions, it’s recommended to have a variety of speakers so there’s something for everyone.
  5. What are the logistics? What if your event is in London, but the perfect speaker lives in New York? Asking them to make them fly out is not feasible and it comes with a huge price. To make matters worse, last-minute problems can crop up from long-distance flights. There could be great speakers in your country. Ask your business friends or a speakers’ bureau for recommendations. The general rule of thumb is that the speaker should be able to reach the venue within a 3-hour flight.
  6. What type of personality will click with your event? There are a variety of guest speakers with different communication styles. Some are good at storytelling while others are good at making technical content sound interesting. And then some are edgier and can provoke your audience in the right way. Find one that aligns with your crowd.

Once you’ve answered these questions, you should have a clearer picture of which speaker you’d want for the event. The next part is finding them.

Where to find guest speakers

Now we are onto the next step of putting yourself out there and looking for them. Here are 8 tips to snag a stellar event speaker:

  1. Your audience knows best. Ask your guests whose talk they’d love to attend. They may have people in mind you may not have thought of. You can conduct a survey by sending out a form to your attendees or just by asking around.
  2. Go back to the events you attended. Think of an event you enjoyed attending. Chances are there was a speaker who made a pretty strong impression on you. They could be relevant and knowledgeable about the subject of your conference. Reach out to them as they could be a perfect fit.
  3. Networking and referrals are a gold mine. Reach out to your circle and ask them for recommendations. Being specific about what you are looking for would help narrow the search. The best-case scenario would be that your contact had booked the speaker in the past. Or attended an event where they enjoyed the talk. They can let you know how they were to work with and how much they charged.
  4. Look up similar events and conferences. Checking out conferences similar to your event might give you some exciting leads to find your speaker. Get online and take a look at their past or upcoming events. You might even get to see the speaker in action online.
  5. Social media is your search tool. Speakers usually post about the events they attend on their social media profiles. It’s easy to find their profiles and also watch them perform. You can get their contact details, where they live and the types of business events they attend all in one place. On sites like LinkedIn, you get a peek at their work history and the things you have in common.
  6. Agencies and databases are your friends. Organisations that train speakers are often untapped sources with a lot of potential. Get in touch with companies and tell them your requirements. You can request their previous work and see if it matches your events’ needs. The benefit of taking this route is that these companies work with you to find what you’re looking for.
  7. Check out Ted Talks. Ted talks are widely known for their quality speakers. It is a great source to find engaging speakers in almost any area. You can easily find them on YouTube and gauge their performance. Getting to see how the audience reacts to them is a cherry on the cake.
  8. Keep an eye on content creators. Hosts of popular podcasts and authors of well-known blogs are untapped territory. They are often highly knowledgeable in their field and are pretty good entertainers too. Authors and podcasters often double up as speakers. And as their work is easily available online, you can get a glimpse of their presentation style.

A check-list to pick the right guest speaker

After the previous step, you probably have a list of potential speakers. The final step would be narrowing down your speakers and seeing who fits the bill. Here’s what can help you can finalize your speakers:

  1. Watch them in action. Try to attend an event where you can check out the speaker live. You can experience their effect on the crowd first-hand and see if your audience would actually enjoy listening to them. If you can’t catch them live, you can always find their work online.
  2. Go through their online content. Visiting their website and social media content can give you a good insight into the speaker’s expertise and personality. Usually, presenters list the events they’ve performed at. Use this to your advantage. This information could also help you market your event.
  3. Get to know them one-on-one. If possible, meet them in person. If not, the next best thing would be to get on a video call. Apps like Zoom, Google Hangouts and Skype have made online meetings super easy. Speaking with them directly would give you a chance to ask all the big questions. It’ll also make you feel more confident about your decision.
  4. Ask for references. Speakers typically give out references. Prepare a list of what you’d like to know and follow up with them. Also, reach out to event organizers who have worked with the speaker so you know what to expect.

Now over to you

When picking a speaker, it’s not necessary to go with the biggest names in the industry. Upcoming speakers, influencers, and thought leaders are great choices. They can be a breath of fresh air to your audience and at the same time nail your event goals.The important part is that you feel confident that they will deliver results. What you need to keep an eye out for is that your speaker can connect with your audience, engage with them and add value by sharing their knowledge. With this recipe for success, you can be sure your attendees will have a memorable experience. Last but not the least, don’t forget to thank your speaker for doing an amazing job. Being a good speaker is no easy task and your appreciation can go a long way.

More and more events are being moved into the digital space. However, the transformation of the event industry began long before Corona and virtual event formats will continue to grow in importance. We have compiled the ten most popular and well-known virtual event types – from small seminars to 365-day community platforms.

Virtual Event Types

Virtual Hosted Buyer Events

This strategy can easily be implemented for your virtual event by using event tools such as Converve with its matchmaking function. With the help of keywords, interests and AI, you can determine which participants should engage with each other.

The advantages of bringing this format to a virtual context are obvious. You are no longer tied to a specific location or region, but can plan events globally. With the right tools, including matchmaking, you can improve the possibilities for establishing and maintaining connections before and during the event and increase the ROI of your event. To promote targeted interaction, you can also set up virtual 1-to-1 meeting rooms that do not require leaving the event platform.

Have a Hosted Buyer Event planned? Here are the 5 biggest mistakes you should avoid when planning a virtual hosted buyer event.

Virtual Trade Fairs

Although virtual fairs are one of the most challenging virtual event types, they are becoming more common as a result of the pandemic. The experience of wandering through the exhibition halls, talking to exhibitors or making new contacts at the buffet is, of course, difficult to recreate virtually.

But new challenges always bring new opportunities. Through the virtual world, organisers have the opportunity to reach many more interested individuals, save on on-site costs, attract more sponsors and bring together key decision-makers through matchmaking. Presentations of products and services can take place in the form of webinars or virtual keynotes, for example. The virtual booths offer videos, presentations, live chats with the staff or even 1:1 video sessions with the exhibitor.

The effort to organise a trade fair as a virtual event is comparatively high, but software for virtual trade fairs helps you to implement this event type successfully. Exhibition halls, booths and stages are simulated in 2D or 3D worlds, participants register in advance with their data and interests and can use the platform to make contacts in advance and plan their presence at the virtual fair with 1-to-1 meetings. Online you can implement a comparatively structured and more efficient trade fair visit.

When it comes to digitising your trade fair, bear in mind that it also needs an interesting speaker programme so that you can attract participants in the first place.

Virtual Conferences

At a conference, participants gather for one or two days in a location and take part in lectures and workshops that run according to a fixed schedule. This type of event can be converted to virtual format without any problems – especially as far as the lectures and workshops are concerned. Using video calls and software, presentations can easily be broadcast virtually.

For the networking part that goes with it, think about how you can have 1-to-1 conversations at online conferences. For example, set up dedicated rooms for 1:1 video sessions. You should also adjust the concept of your conferences to the virtual format. Spending a day or two in front of the screen is very exhausting for conference participants. Therefore, ensure shorter speeches, breaks, lots of interactivity and sufficient variety. This is the only way you will be able to engage your participants online.

Good to know: Whether online or offline, the choice of speakers is crucial and an important factor of your event. Ensure captivating presentations and exciting online sessions – ideally with speakers who already have experience with virtual event formats.

Virtual Career Fairs

Career fairs are fairs where employers and organisations meet with students, trainees and potential employees. To recruit suitable staff even in pandemic times, many organisers have moved their career fairs into a virtual event format. This virtual solution makes it equally possible for companies to advertise vacancies and put together a programme of informative live presentations and HR keynotes – all with appropriate employer branding.

Interested parties can participate in the fair from home and enter into an exchange with exhibitors via chat messenger or video call. Another highlight are the live or re-live presentations that participants can listen to. Q&A can also take place during the sessions, either via the chat or a moderator takes over the communication between participants and speaker.

365-Day Communities 

365-day communities are virtual event formats where small events take place regularly throughout the year and continuous networking is possible. This allows you to use the momentum after a large virtual or hybrid event to continue the exchange. This means that instead of waiting a year for your company’s annual event, you stay in touch with your community who already like your products or services. Your hard work as a planner pays off even more in this case, because you continually create important touchpoints with your audience and don’t lose sight of them. It will also be enjoyed by your community, who can continue to benefit from the networking platform and your events.

By complementing your events with a year-round online community platform, you can promote products, create new revenue streams through more frequent sponsorships, build brand loyalty and, maybe most important, gain valuable customer feedback.

Virtual Workshops 

The aim of a workshop is to produce work results in a group. A leader or moderator accompanies the creative process. This type of event is more difficult to translate into the virtual world because it involves not only a lecture but also cooperation in small groups. If you do hold a workshop digitally, make sure that the groups are as small as possible and that the moderation is good – after all, you want to involve all participants.

To keep the attention of the participants also in a virtual setting, you can ask your customers in advance about topics of interest. With this event format, you should also plan shorter sessions with breaks. To give participants the opportunity to ask questions during the workshop, we recommend a tool with a chat function.

Tip: Participation in a digital workshop, online conference or meeting can also be documented with a certificate. This provides additional motivation for the participants.

Online Team Building Events

To strengthen the feeling of togetherness in home office times, online team building events have become increasingly important to bring employees together despite contact restrictions. This digital format is all about creating experiences. A little creativity is needed to create this virtually. Online Escape Rooms, Online Event Boxes and Online Games are just a few examples that also provide digital team spirit in companies.

Virtual Seminars / Webinars

In seminars, the focus is usually on continuing education. If a seminar takes place purely virtually, it is called a webinar. Usually, a speaker gives a lecture, which is supplemented with questions from the participants. Webinars may also include tasks for participants to put into practice what they have learned. While a seminar often takes a whole day (or even several), you should make sure that a webinar is much more compact and that the individual presentations are shorter. The best time for a webinar is 20 minutes, followed by a break before moving on to the next presentation.

Digital World Café

Even though this type of event is still relatively new, it is becoming increasingly popular, especially in change management. It is particularly useful for bringing together thoughts, ideas and knowledge from a larger group. Four or five participants sit at small tables – like in a café – and write down their results on paper tablecloths. In a classic World Café, the participants move from table to table, only the moderator remains seated at his or her table. He welcomes newcomers and at every round introduces what the previous group has worked on at that table. At the end, the result of each table is presented.

The “World Café” event format translates well into the digital world. To implement this format virtually, you need to work with different digital rooms that represent the individual tables. Make sure it is easy to switch to the individual rooms and, naturally, the participants should be able to see each other in the rooms. Use an online tool with a video function to set up individual rooms. As an alternative to tablecloths, you can use integrated whiteboards or online programmes such as Google Docs.

In the real world, you can hold a World Café from 12 to 1,600 people. As a virtual format, be sure to keep the setting small so that the event doesn’t drag on too much. After all, the attention span of online events is much shorter than in real life.

Virtual Product Launch

Apple has been showing us for years how to successfully launch a product on the market. And even in pandemic times, the technology company has shown how it’s done with virtual events. Apple CEO Tim Cook’s presentations will be live-streamed to millions of people around the world. Nothing is spared and thousands of Apple fans and tech enthusiasts eagerly await the show every year.

Still missing the event platform that suits your idea?

Are you still looking for the ideal tool for your virtual event? Converve offers you an all-in-one event platform including a networking and community area with which you can inspire your audience with digital events, workshops, seminars, trade fairs and other virtual event formats. Feel free to contact us at any time. We are happy to help.

Your event landing page is one of the first things your attendees get to see before the event. And we believe it’s an important tool for your audience to get a sneak peek at all the amazing things you’ve planned for them. Get them into the door – virtual or physical – by giving out important information so interested visitors can convert into event attendees.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to building your event landing page, and you’ll be well on your way to a successful event on Converve. In this article we’ve covered:

  1. How to build an event landing page with Converve’s page builder
  2. Best practices to sky-rocket registrations with an event landing page
  3. Event landing pages created with Converve

Step 1: Head to the dashboard

Log into your profile and click on the profile icon. Select the “Dashboard” option from the drop-down menu.

event landing page example

Step 2: Add event details

Click on the “Event Settings” option on the dashboard and select “Edit Event”. You can enter information like the event name, date, and location here.

These details appear automatically on your event landing page.

Fill in your event name and duration.

navigate to "edit event" in the backend of converve

Enter the dates of your event.

enter your event dates and choose the format

Update the location and the time zone.

select location of the event

Step 3: Navigate to the “Page Builder”

Click on the option “Event Website Builder” and select “Page Builder”.

click the add page button to navigate to the event page builder

Step 4: Create an Event Landing page

Hover on the “+” symbol at the bottom right of your page and click on “Add Page”.

add a page inside the landing page builder

Step 5: Select a template

Depending on your event needs, select a template that would complement it.

The first option in the pop-up gives you a bigger page banner image. The second one has a relatively smaller banner. While the third option gives you a blank canvas to build your event page from scratch. 

We have selected the first option for this sample event landing page. With this template, the metadata can be clearly seen at the top of the page. This makes it easy for your visitors to get your event’s information at a glance.

choose between three landing page templates

Next, customise your event landing page’s navigation menu. You can choose from having:

  1. A single-page website with no navigation. This option works best when want people to access the site from a link. For example, the link could be shared on social media or through email invites.
  2. A single page with a navigation menu. You may use this when you want people to navigate to the event landing page from your event’s website.
  3. An event website with sub-pages under the navigation menu. If you want to build sub category pages, this template is the perfect fit. An example for sub-categories could be dedicated pages for each sponsor.

We have selected the first option for this example.

single page with navigation item highlited

Step 6: Name your event page

Name your event page in the first field. The second field generates a URL. Enter a short description without spaces and this will create a sample link where you can track your progress live.

You also have language options to pick from.

Once you’ve selected your choices, click on “Save and go on”.

choose link and name for event landing page

Step 7: Start building the event page

Once you’ve completed these steps, you get your Page Builder workspace to create your website.

Click on the “+” option on the bottom right corner of your screen to add website blocks.

click the add page button again to start adding elements to the event landing page

Step 8: Create the first content block of your event landing page

A pop-up menu with content categories appears when you click on the “+” button on the page builder workspace. There are different content formats you can experiment with. 

We have chosen the “Text” option and the “Text” card for this example.

element selection inside of the event landing page builder

Type in the headline in the first field. This is typically the name of your event.

You can enter the description in the second box and format it to your liking.

edit content inside of the text box

Hit “Save Element” once you’re done and you’re taken back to the page builder workspace. Here you can see all the details you’ve entered for the first section of your website.

one text element added to the event landing page

Step 9: Add the second content block

Add more details to your event landing page with other elements from the “+” option. The “Image with text” element has 4 card combinations of photos and written content.

We have chosen the “Image with text in two columns” for this example.

item selection inside the event landing page builder

Here you have three fields where you can enter the title of the section, upload an image, and enter text and format it.

image with text in two columns

An example of what the fields would look like after entering the details. 

image and text added to the landing page element

Once you hit “Save Element”, here’s what your page builder workspace would look like.

Step 10: Build your third content block

We’ve completed the page with the final content element which is the “Venue”. If you’re having a physical event or a hybrid event, it would be a good idea to include details of the location. You can add a map and contact details so your attendees can reach you easily.

We have chosen the option on the second card as an example.

venue box inside the landing page builder

Add the title and contact details. Please note the map is generated from the event address entered in the “Edit event” option under the “Event settings” tab in the dashboard.

edit venue box content inside the landing page builder

A snapshot of what the fields look like after entering the details.

details added to the venue box inside of the event landing page builder

Step 11: Upload a banner image

Under the “Event Website Builder” option in the dashboard, you can find the option “Banner” where you can upload custom images.

If you choose to go for the default banner images available on the platform, you can skip this step.

backend navigation where you can add manage banners

Step 12: Track your progress live

Find out what your event landing page looks like as you are building it. After adding or editing a content block, you can view it live and make desired changes.

The link to check-out your work-in-progress website can be found in the page builder workspace next to the title.

finished event landing page with backend view

Here’s an example of what the website looks like after adding the first content block viewed with the live progress link. 

finished event landing page with frontend view

So we’ve covered the details to build your Converve event page. Now let’s go through some best practices to increase sign-ups on your website.

6 tips to boost registrations with Converve’s Event Landing Page

  1. Give your event a memorable name. Your event name should be easy to remember and give an insight into what it’s about.
  2. Write a short summary of the event. Keep the copy sharp, clear, and to the point so visitors have all the information they need.
  3. Add relevant details. Information like date, time, location, and speakers are vital aspects to drive sign-ups. 
  4. Feature stunning visuals. Colours, pictures and design elements can grab your audience’s attention and create a good impression about your event.
  5. Include a CTA to register for the event. Direct your visitors to take action by asking them to sign-up. 
  6. Promote your event landing page. Make the most of your event page by sharing it on social media, email, Google Ads and word of mouth.

Event landing pages designed using Converve’s page builder

Here is a landing page example you can easily build yourself without any outside assistance.

At Converve we offer full access to the CSS, so you can do additional customizations while still gaining all the benefits of your event platform. We are also happy to help you with that process. Here is an example how a custom event landing page could look like.

Looking to create a custom tailored event experience with Converve?

Get in contact

The digital world is your oyster when it comes to monetizing your virtual event. Since almost everything has moved online, the virtual events industry has been thriving during the pandemic. This has created a lot of new opportunities for sponsors and they see the advantage in investing in virtual events.

With a well-thought-through sponsorship package, you can sit back and let the deals bring in the sponsors. But how do you create a package that does the heavy lifting? What do sponsors really need? And why would they invest in the event? The answer is pretty straightforward. The sponsors get to amplify their presence, generate leads and set themselves up as thought leaders in their industry. 

What would set your sponsorship package apart is competitive pricing and how you push the boundaries of tech creatively. You can easily create a win-win deal for your sponsor, the virtual event and the audience when you know what to offer. Since this is a relatively new way of getting sponsors, it might seem like an uphill battle to get everything right from the get-go. This is why we have put together all the great ingredients to make your virtual event package an irresistible deal. 

In this article, we explore why companies sponsor virtual events, how they can add value to your event and what to consider while creating a powerful sponsorship package.

Let’s start with a simple question. 

Why do companies sponsor virtual events?

The first word that pops in our minds when someone asks why companies sponsor events is “Leads”. And it makes sense. Because of the sea of possibilities, it reels in massive leads in B2B markets.

The second reason why companies would want to sponsor digital event packages is brand awareness. Tools like emails, notifications and advertisements help sponsors be in control of their presence.

How can your virtual event benefit from sponsorship packages?

Sponsorship packages can open new doors and improve the quality of your digital event. A few of the crucial benefits are:

1. Supercharge your credibility

If you want to make your event legit, getting sponsors is the way to go. It validates that sponsors believe in it too and are shelling out the big bucks to back your event. This takes your virtual event’s credibility up a notch and shows that you are hosting an event that delivers results. It would reinforce your virtual event participant’s trust and drive in more sign-ups for the event

2. Multiply your audience 

You can boost your audience numbers exponentially through sponsorship deals. Your event would have many sponsors who’d bring their audience into the mix. A larger number of people can be accommodated with better technology and planning. And this is possible thanks to the support and monetary benefits from sponsorship deals.

3. Boost your budget

Getting sponsored increases your budget and helps you make your event bigger and better. And the best way to get sponsored, you guessed it right, is through sponsorship packages. With a bigger budget, you can organize everything you’d want your audience to experience. From better technology to the very best event entertainment, your attendees can have it all.

7 tips to craft a winning virtual event sponsorship package.

  1. Find Common Ground With Your Sponsor’s Goals 
  2. Establish the Objectives of the Sponsorship
  3. Keep an Eye Out for Branding Opportunities
  4. Give your Mobile Event App a Sponsorship Upgrade 
  5. Design Exclusive Virtual Exhibition Packages
  6. Provide Options to Collaborate and Contribute.
  7. Flexible Pricing is Your Friend

Find Common Ground With Your Sponsor’s Goals

The very first question you should ask yourself is, does the sponsor’s goals fall in line with your event’s. Get sponsors who are relevant to your event and who have a similar or complementary audience as you. The audience should feel like there’s a natural connection between the event and the sponsors. This would make it a cohesive experience for everyone involved.

Here’s a quick rule of thumb: The bigger your event gets, the more you can branch out to sponsors from other industries. For smaller virtual events seek out sponsors based in your industry.

Establish the Objectives of the Sponsorship

It’s important to go down the rabbit hole and understand why you’re doing what you’re doing. This will help you come up with a strategic plan and give you a clear insight into creating different types of sponsorship deals. You can distill this information into tier packages so your sponsors have options to choose from.

If monetizing your event is the top goal, sponsors can play a part in engaging the audience as well. With these sponsors, you might want to consider a long-term partnership. The package for these deals would be more open-ended and centered around retaining sponsors. 

Keep an Eye Out for Branding Opportunities

Many of your sponsors might only be looking for brand exposure. For these sponsors, it would make sense to build packages based on this need. Here are some of the spaces for sponsor branding you can include in packages:

1. Event registration pages

event landing page von der Plattform Converve

Sponsoring possibilities: header image, logo section, dedicated sub-pages, videos

2. Livestreams, Webinars & Workshops

converve livestream inside of their virtual event platform

Sponsoring possibilities: Stage Name, chat, pre- or mid-roll ads, sponsored live polls, logo display

3. Enhanced sponsor profiles

networking profile inside of the converve virtual event platform

Sponsoring possibilities: special badges, better networking visibility, advanced profile customization

4. Sponsored Sessions

manage sessions and speakers inside of convere virtual event platform

Sponsoring possibilities: branded breakout rooms, sponsored webinars & workshops

These are only a few virtual event sponsorship ideas possible with the Converve platform. For more branding ideas, you can check out: Event sponsorship: 37 creative ideas for event managers

The main aim of these packages is to maximize your audience’s awareness of the sponsor. So be on the lookout for branding opportunities your sponsors can use.

Give Your Mobile Event App a Sponsorship Upgrade

Creating an additional sponsorship package for your Mobile Event App can help sponsors expand their reach. Logos, mobile notifications, and commercial videos are some great options your sponsors would love. When done right, the placement of sponsor content can easily draw in the right audience.

Design Exclusive Virtual Exhibition Packages

Virtual exhibitions provide an abundant playing field to experiment with sponsorship content. Generating leads and driving sales are some of the strongest features of this format. A few pointers you can include in your Virtual Exhibition package are:

  • Digital Resources: Sponsors can provide information about their products and services on the platform. The users can have the option of downloading the content too. You can also build awareness by guiding them to their website. 
  • Access to Attendee Directory: Giving the sponsors access to the attendee directory ensures they can network easily. They can also directly reach out to prospective customers and strike a conversation.
  • Virtual Booths: You can offer virtual rooms where sponsors can talk to their prospective leads one at a time. Video calls, instant chat options and waiting rooms can create a strong space for the sponsors to build their presence on.

Provide Options to Collaborate and Contribute

Don’t miss out on the opportunity of getting your sponsors to contribute directly to the event. They can deliver valuable sessions with guest speakers. They can also be featured in exclusive interviews, games and polls that engage the audience. These aspects can be monetized when they are part of the package.

Flexible Pricing is Your Friend

One package may not fit all. Give your sponsors options to choose from so that the package fits their goals. You can do this by giving differently priced packages with a range of branding features. Take your competitor’s price into consideration to get a good estimate of the package’s monetary worth. Talking to your sponsors about their budget and their needs will help you create a tailored fit. Maybe give each sponsor individual consideration and set prices on a per case basis. 

sponsoring package optionssponsoring package options divided into tiers divided into tiers

Example of different Virtual Event Sponsorship Tiers

In a nutshell

Think leads, exposure and competitive pricing while creating an event sponsorship package. Also, include access to event analytics so your sponsors have the numbers to measure their success. Adding different tiered packages with different features ensures your sponsors find their match. An effective deal will not just help you get more sponsorships but also make sure you retain them in the long run.

You might also be interested in:

Event Sponsoring: 37 Creative Ideas for Event Managers

Virtual matchmaking events: why is the 2022 event format so popular?

Event marketing: on which social media platforms should you be represented?

You want to organise an event but are not sure whether it should be a purely virtual event or a hybrid event? To help you make the right decision, we have compiled a series of advantages and disadvantages of hybrid events compared to purely digital events and in-person events.

A hybrid event creates advantages for you such as greater reach and more security in planning, at the cost of organisational effort and technical investment.

To demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of a hybrid event, we contrast them with completely virtual events & face-to-face events.

Which type of event to choose: Virtual event or hybrid event?

The event industry was deeply damaged by the pandemic. Instead of face-to-face events, only purely virtual events could take place for a long time. With the loosening of restrictions, planners and marketeers are consciously asking themselves whether they should plan their upcoming events on-site, hybrid or purely digital

But what is actually the difference?

In contrast to purely digital events, a hybrid event is a combination of a physical presence event (live event) and a virtual event. A limited number of participants can be present on site, while the rest of the participants follow the event online.

Hybrid Events: How many participants attend per event

As tempting as planning a face-to-face event may seem after the relaxation of restrictions, hybrid events have unbeatable advantages. On the other hand, a mix of onsite and offsite event means double the effort and comes with additional challenges to overcome as an event planner. From this perspective, a purely virtual event might be more effective.

Ultimately, you need to look at the advantages, disadvantages and your specific circumstances to find the right solution for your event and your target audience. Read the pros and cons of hybrid events carefully and weigh up which event form best suits your ideas and goals.

Hybrid Events: Advantages

Hybrid events are being hailed as the events of the future. Not entirely without reason, as they offer many advantages. We have listed them for you below.

Largest potential reach

Since hybrid events combine the best of the virtual and physical worlds, you address a significantly larger target group with hybrid formats than with purely virtual or purely physical events. You leave it up to your customers to decide how they prefer to participate in your event. One participant has become accustomed to the conveniences of online events from home, while another prefers face-to-face networking on-site.

You can find the perfect solution for both groups of participants by planning a hybrid event. On the other hand, with a larger number of participants in hybrid events, you increase your reach and maximise the success of your event.

Pros: Hybrid Event vs. Virtual Event → Participants who prefer the face-to-face nature of events will be attracted to your onsite event option.

Pros: Hybrid Event vs. In-Person Event → Attendees who are unable to visit due to travel restrictions or those who value the digital event benefits can purchase a virtual ticket.

No restrictions and greater planning reliability

A purely on-site event often leads to limitations in terms of venue size and number of participants. In times of covid, hybrid formats give more planning security. Consider attendance numbers are suddenly limited or onsite events are banned altogether. With hybrid events, you can reach a large number of participants under all circumstances and, if necessary, have the event take place completely on a digital platform.

Pros: Hybrid Event vs. In-Person Event → Similar to purely virtual events, you do not have to limit your participant numbers due to location or covid measures.

Attract and invite more international speakers

Furthermore, you can have speakers from all over the world participate in your event, which would not be possible with conventional events. The acceptance of speakers participating on stream has also increased considerably among participants. Also consider that in recent years speakers have also become accustomed to not necessarily having to be and site, and familiar with presenting virtually. If you want to attract many well-known and possibly also international speakers, then a hybrid concept will help you.

Pros Hybrid Event vs. In-Person Event → Like a virtual event, more speakers from all over the world are able and willing to speak at your event. Travel restrictions are no longer a barrier.

Gather more marketing data

A more digital event means more online participant behavior. This means that you can collect more data from hybrid and purely virtual events than from physical events. Professional event platforms for hybrid and virtual events offer you reporting and analysis tools that make it possible to identify leads and track what went down particularly well with the audience. You can use this knowledge for your future events and marketing campaigns.

converve misst alle Event KPI

Pros Hybrid Event vs. In-Person Event → More data generation, reporting and analysis opportunities that can be used by marketing.

Since you can only sell a limited number of on-site tickets, the demand is likely to be even higher. Therefore, you can sell scarce on-site tickets at higher prices.

Pros: Hybrid Event vs. In-Person/Virtual Event → With two ticket types, you have virtual tickets as well as the scarce and sought-after on-site tickets that you can price higher.

Better options for sponsorship

Hybrid events also give exhibitors and sponsors greater scope and new opportunities. Sponsors can decide for themselves whether they want to present themselves live on site or digitally. In addition to classic booths, they can set up virtual booths and profiles. You can also offer sponsors more space at hybrid events, as they are not limited in the virtual space. On the other hand, your event will be more attractive to sponsors, as you will most likely reach a larger audience with hybrid event formats than with pure in-person or virtual events. And your participants? They can listen to all sponsored talks & content recorded on video, if they wish, instead of having to choose one session as usual.

You want to involve sponsors in your event but don’t know how? We have put together 37 creative sponsorship ideas for you.

Pros: Hybrid Event vs. In-Person Event → More sponsors and new sponsorship formats are possible as the space is virtually unlimited.

Pros: Hybrid Event vs. Virtual Event → Sponsors can still present themselves on site with a booth if they choose to.

Lower costs and reduced CO₂ footprint

A large face-to-face event is associated with higher costs. By planning a hybrid event, you can minimise costs for room rental, catering and travel – and even save them completely for purely virtual events. Another advantage of hybrid events, where fewer participants travel, is a lower CO₂ footprint. And this is not insignificant when you consider that travel to and from the event accounts for about 70 % of the CO₂ emissions of the entire event.

Pros: Hybrid/Virtual Event vs. In-Person Event → Fewer travel activities lead to lower CO₂ emissions.

Hybrid Events: Disadvantages

Hybrid events offer many advantages, but it is important that you are also aware of the challenges so that you can find the right solutions.

Doubling the effort in planning

Ultimately, you plan two events in one: classic on-site with catering and speakers on one stage and a virtual one. At the same time, you have to ensure interaction and crossovers between virtual spectators and on-site participants. The complexity in planning increases significantly with hybrid events. This starts with the check-in processes, which have to be possible online and offline, up to the timing, where online and offline participants are brought together. Due to the higher complexity, a software for hybrid events is almost indispensable if you want to plan a hybrid event successfully.

Solution: With an all-in-one solution like Converve, you can plan and execute your hybrid event with just one tool. You have all the building blocks for your event at your hand. Whether registration for different participant groups, participant management, event website and event app, matchmaking, networking between the participants or reporting function for success control.

event app von converve

Investment in technology and know-how for high-quality streams

You should expect initial investment costs in order to be able to guarantee streams in good quality. This means your costs, which you save for premises, travel and catering on the one hand through fewer on-site participants, will have to be invested in a suitable tool for hybrid events as well as high-quality technology for your first hybrid event. You should also expect to have to train staff to make sure everything runs smoothly. Train staff to master the technology for live streams, the new workflows and the simultaneous handling of virtual and live communication.

Networking between online and offline participants becomes increasingly challenging

You organise an event so that the participants can network with each other. And that’s not easy when the majority of the audience is participating from behind a screen. With hybrid events, event planners have to think in a whole new way to come up with creative concepts in terms of networking. After all, you want all participants to interact with each other, whether online or on-site. You should answer the following questions for yourself: Are the online participants attending simultaneously or with a delayed? How can you connect all participants via text or video chat? And what ideas can you come up with to keep the attention of online users throughout the event?

Solution: An event app can be the connecting element for both groups and promote networking – whether on or offline.

Choosing the right event location

Choose your event location carefully and make sure that the Wi-Fi is designed for many simultaneous video calls and good transmission quality. Many locations do not yet meet this need, which is why you should definitely find out in advance. It would be a disaster if your event could suddenly no longer be broadcast due to insufficient bandwidth.

Transport of experience and emotion

It is more difficult to design an event for screen viewers as an immersive experience. Conveying emotions and experience in the digital world is a new challenge that you have to take on. Also bear in mind that you cannot transfer the physical concept 1:1 to the virtual world, as fatigue sets in much faster in front of a screen. Therefore, check all the content of your event carefully to see if it is also compatible virtually.

Tip: Short but quality content with lots of variety is best suited virtually to maintain the attention span of online participants. Be sure to leave enough space for networking and interaction for online participants to feel part of the event. 

Conclusion: Hybrid Events Pros and Cons

Hybrid events are the future and rightly so, because they offer unbeatable advantages: greater reach, greater attractiveness for sponsors and more planning security (especially in the current times) and many more. Nevertheless, you should know that planning hybrid events is significantly more complex, as you have to plan two events in one and consider the crossover of both groups of participants. Due to the high effort involved, a hybrid event is only worthwhile once a certain number of participants has been reached. To master the disadvantages of hybrid events and benefit from the many advantages, we recommend that you work with software that supports you in your hybrid concept. Converve offers you exactly the right software solution for your hybrid events.

You want to know more about Converve? Then contact us and we will find a customised solution for planning your hybrid events.

B2B networking, trade fairs and events are not possible in times of contact and travel restrictions? Yes, they are! Move the event into the digital space and organise virtual matchmaking events where business partners of tomorrow can meet and connect. Matchmaking is considered a guarantee of success for your online event 2022.

What are Matchmaking Events?

“It’s a match”! Almost everyone knows this phrase since the advent of dating platforms. Matchmaking describes the process of bringing two or more people together in an organized way. But the term matchmaking is not only used in relation to dating, but also in sporting events, in online video games and also in the business and event sector.

Matchmaking events are events focusing on networking, because matchmaking is an important networking tool. As a matchmaker, you bring the right people together at the right time at your event. There are events where matchmaking is the basis of the event, such as job fairs or events where investors and start-ups meet. So basically, every trade fair is a matchmaking event. But note that not every event is suitable for this. You always need at least two groups that want to connect with each other and a sufficient number of participants.

Why are Virtual Matchmaking Events becoming increasingly important?

Virtual matchmaking events are very popular with organisers. On the one hand, this is due to the Covid restrictions and the increase in hybrid and virtual events. On the other hand, it is due to efficient software solutions that simplify matchmaking and increase the return of investment for participants. Because at the end of the day, every visitor and sponsor only wants one thing: to return from the event with valuable contacts and leads. Matchmaking events are a guarantee for successful lead generation!

While visitors walk the halls at traditional in-person events, supported by trade fair catalogues and event programmes, you can strengthen and simplify networking by working with matchmaking tools and matchmaking apps. These helpers support you in connecting the right people at the right time. Manual matchmaking would be very time-consuming, which is why event matching software and keywords are very popular to successfully implement networking digitally and also on-site.

A survey from the Converve white paper supports this statement: 52 % of organisers of trade fairs, congresses and B2B events consider B2B matchmaking to be a decisive success factor for their events. The participants surveyed at the FAMA trade fair conference in Frankfurt also said that 49 % would expand matchmaking.

Find out about the 18 key ingredients for successful matchmaking events.

How does a Matchmaking Tool work?

Imagine that the perfect conversation partner is somewhere among the thousands of participants. But how do you find it?

There is event matchmaking software that offers targeted matchmaking or random matchmaking or both. In targeted matchmaking, the tool suggests participants to each other and enables chat sessions or meetings.

With Converve, a data-driven algorithm analyses interests and behaviour to connect the perfect participants. With customisable matching rules, you can decide which keywords to match, filter and search for. The tool then suggests the optimal networking partners. You can then request, confirm or reject appointments.

With a matchmaking tool like Converve, participants can make the right contacts even before the event and organise more meetings than ever before – whether online or offline. This way, your participants are quickly connected and ready to network.

Tip: With Converve, you can also implement targeted networking with an Event Matchmaking App – even as speed dating. With an app, you can optimally connect onsite and offsite visitors at hybrid events.

mobile event app von Converve

Advantages and Disadvantages of Event Matchmaking Software?

Software-based matchmaking is more popular than ever. No wonder, because simplifying networking with digital tools is not only contemporary, but also has many advantages for participants, sponsors and event planners. However, anyone planning a matchmaking event should also be aware of the limitations and challenges in order to have the right solutions at hand.

Advantages of Matchmaking Tools

Matchmaking facilitates networking at hybrid events: Bringing the right people together at hybrid events would hardly be feasible without a matchmaking tool and matchmaking app. After all, one group of participants sits at home in front of the screen while the other group is onsite. In order to connect digital participants with onsite participants, a digital solution is needed – preferably in the form of a handy event matchmaking app.

Networking appointments can be planned in advance: Participants can plan their event attendance and make appointments with suitable contacts before the event begins. This also means they don’t have to waste time on the day of the event trying to find the right people to talk to. Visitors can enjoy the event to the fullest and know exactly what to expect on the day.

Networking appointments in full control: With a matchmaking app in which the networking appointments are already set 1 to 4 weeks before the event starts, participants have their appointments on the day of the event clearly laid out and can structure their day in the best possible way.

Make success measurable for sponsors: With the data from the matchmaking software, you can collect all the important key figures in the B2B sector and show your sponsors the value and success of your event. Who met with whom? How many contacts were made? What is the quality of these leads? You can answer all these questions with one look at the platform or app.

Build a community around the event: Even before and after the event, you can use matchmaking & networking to build an engaged event community. You can even host matchmaking platforms that run 365 days a year and create a valuable networking ground for your partners. If you want to find out more about how to build a 365 Day Event Matchmaking Platform with Converve, get in contact with us.

Disadvantages of Matchmaking Tools

Only suitable above a certain number of participants: A certain number of participants and exhibitors is needed to find several adequate meeting partners. Otherwise the chance of finding suitable people to network is too small.

Lack of matchmaking data: The information on interests etc. is often provided by the event participant himself/herself when registering. There is no guarantee that he or she will fill them in or that he or she will not simply skip this point when logging in for the first time. To avoid this, you should always remind and motivate participants to fill out their networking profile completely before the event. Also, keep the registration forms as short as possible and do not ask for too much information in the first step.

Explanations are needed: Those who have only attended analogue events so far will not be familiar with the technology and benefits of matchmaking. Possibilities such as arranging meetings on the event matching software in advance or filling out the profile may not be used. So don’t assume too much knowledge and inform your participants optimally about the advantages and the mechanisms of matchmaking.

Conclusion: Using Matchmaking Software to find the best people to talk to

Matchmaking is the art of making valuable connections, and that’s what events, trade shows and B2B gatherings are largely about. By using software-based matchmaking at your event, you simplify networking for attendees and make your event more successful. Your sponsors and attendees are happier, which ultimately impacts your reputation and ROI. You can use matchmaking tools for onsite, virtual and hybrid events. Especially for hybrid events, a matchmaking app is the perfect solution to connect onsite attendees and online visitors.

Converve has been working on business networking solutions for around 20 years and has already contributed to successful matchmaking at more than 3000 events. How? The event platform has integrated matchmaking as a feature in its software and is also available as an event app. Are you interested in planning your next matchmaking event with Converve? Contact us and tell us about your event!

A couple years into the pandemic, the world has slowly but surely adapted to the digital space. Businesses, networking, and life itself has moved online and the virtual event industry has been a saving grace that kept events afloat. As time goes by, things are starting to revert to the way they were before the pandemic. Restrictions are easing up and businesses are cautiously optimistic about hosting live events again. 

Merging the best of virtual and in-person events, hybrid events,the new kid on the block is disrupting the business world and redefining events as we know it. These events are more flexible and inclusive and are perfect for organizing meetings, conferences, expos, festivals, concerts and more.  

In this article, we will explore what hybrid events are, the difference between hybrid and virtual events, different types and 5 hybrid event examples that’ll prove they are the future.

What does hybrid events mean?

Hybrid events combine the connection of face-to-face interaction and the convenience of virtual audience joining in from anywhere to create a cohesive experience. 

A part of the audience attends the event in person while the other portion participates online and are brought together seamlessly on a hybrid event platform. The biggest challenge a hybrid event faces is blending virtual and in-person audience by merging digital and physical components while airing an event. 

The live audience can go to the workshops, interact with other participants, network with the speakers and be at front and center of all the action. It takes meticulous planning, technical equipment, good internet connection and the right hybrid event software to replicate the same experience in the virtual realm. A successful hybrid event ensures both types of participants benefit from the same experience, especially when it comes to consuming content, networking, activities and discussions.

Virtual vs hybrid events: What’s the difference?

What differentiates a virtual event from a hybrid event is that it is completely online. It could be a livestream coupled with pre-recorded content to engage the online audience. 

When it comes to hybrid events, the event takes place at a physical location and a part of the audience is present at the venue. It is streamed to the online audience and they can interact with the live audience, sponsors, and exhibitors. Hybrid event platforms are highly recommended to integrate the online audience with the live event and make it a cohesive experience.

hybrid event example with in person audience
Hybrid event example

Different types of hybrid events

Hybrid events are quite flexible and can be adapted to different types of meetings, announcements, and events both within and outside the business. Based on the audience it is for, hybrid events can be broken down into two types – internal and external.

Internal Hybrid Events

These events are meant for people who work within the company such as employees, leadership, and other staff. The employees might be scattered across different locations and internal hybrid meetings and events bring them all under one roof. The location of the event is typically the company’s headquarters and is live streamed to members across the globe. Here are some examples of internal hybrid events:

  1. Internal training
  2. Global town halls
  3. Sales meetings
  4. Company spirit weeks

External Hybrid Events

External events are held for customers, prospective leads and clients. Switching live external events to a hybrid one can help you reach a wider, more diverse audience. External events that can be hybridized are:

  1. Conferences 
  2. Trade shows
  3. Concerts
  4. Product product launches and demos
  5. Workshops

5 Hybrid event examples that knocked it out of the park

Now that we’ve covered the basics, we move on to the brands that made the headlines with their hybrid events. Wondering how  to create the same magic? We’ve compiled 5 best in class hybrid event examples to inspire and help you host your very own hybrid event.

Apple Special Events

Source: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rAeqN-Q7x4&t=1s

Apple has always been miles ahead with their technology and their events are at the forefront by setting audience records. Whenever Apple announces a launch, the anticipation among millions of fans, tech enthusiasts and competitors is through the roof. 

The Apple’s Special Events is an undisputed champion among hybrid events. As is tradition, the reigning CEO, Tim Cook announces the product launch and tech innovations which is live streamed to millions of people around the world who hang onto every word. 

No corners are cut for the production and the event manages to blow minds every single time. Not even the pandemic could dampen and bring the spirits down. 1000 people attended Apple’s 2019 event and an audience of two million, which is 99.95% of the audience, showed up virtually. Through hybrid events, Apple has been able to create an immersive and interactive experience, helping the brand hit records with their viewership from a single event.

INBOUND by Hubspot

Source: https://twitter.com/dreamwave/status/1318891462260555776

INBOUND is the annual HubSpot event usually hosted in Boston. Marketeers from different fields come together for a fun and entertaining learning experience. Celebrity speakers like Rand Fishkin and Alex Rodrigeuz headline the event and world-class stand-up comedians are roped in to keep the crowd in splits. 

In 2020, this events got a hybrid treatment that made it bigger and better. The platform created a simple, fun and animated interface to log-in. Each event session had an allocated room that delivered quality content to the users. These sessions were recorded so the participants could relive the experience and learn from it. The event brings learning, convenience and fun to its audience which appears to be INBOUND’s secret sauce.

#FinCon21

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE_7Quz8zEU

#FinCon21 hosted a hybrid event last year for attendees both in Austin, Texas or anywhere in the world. This event was for any personal finance content creators on the internet such as bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers or social media influencers. The top goal for the organizers was to make sure the online audience got the same experience as the in-person attendees. 

What set this event apart from the crowd was the networking opportunities. The offline participants had small group discussions whereas the online participants could effortlessly interact with each other using chat and video call options. The hybrid presentations hit all the right spots and engaged with both the crowds.

TwitchCon

Source: https://twitter.com/Twitch/status/1488573219107975182

The livestreaming giant, Twitch, has a pretty massive user base particularly in the world of gaming and esports. It’s no surprise that at their hybrid conference TwitchCon, they gave their online and in-person audience an event to remember.

The event is held in San Diego and livestreams keynote presentations, panel sessions, meet-and-greets, music and a lot more. In 2019, there were more heavily produced segments like a Blink-182 performance. The event uses its platform to reach their virtual audience and goes all out by driving interaction among its users. 

Social Media Marketing World

Social Media Marketing World 2020 Trailer from Mike Stelzner on Vimeo.

A go-to hybrid event for every social media influencer, the Social Media Marketing World sets the bar high by maximizing their reach and quality content. The virtual users are in for a treat with access to private networking groups and getting to know like-minded participants.

While signing-up for the event, the user gets to choose from different tiers to customize their experience. The tier ranges from 100% virtual, access to recorded content, and all-access passes. The all-access tier is inclusive of attending the event live, access to all keynote presentations, sessions, recordings, and more.

To sum it up

Hybrid events are the gold standard of digital creativity and it’s impressive to witness how far it has come in such a short time. Hosting an event in this format brings the audience closer and helps them build connections from the comfort of their homes. Wrapping up what we’ve covered, the key takeaways to hosting a hybrid event are:

  • Put audience interaction at the heart of every event. Organize activities that engage with the audience and get them to participate so they feel involved
  • Bridge the gap. Participants, especially the ones who are online, should feel confident to reach out and talk to each other like they would if they were in the same room.
  • Play up the physical aspect of the event. Get performers such as comedians and musicians onsite to give the in-person attendees an exclusive in-person experience.
  • Give the attendees the power of choice.  Having multiple ticket options allow the audience to design their experience. They can choose how they’d like to attend and to what extent they’d want to participate.
  • Leave it to the pros. Get a production team and an event agency onboard to give your audience the very best your event has to offer
  • The only rule is there are no rules. Get your hands dirty and experiment with tech to see what works best for the event and your audience.

Are you planning your next hybrid event or just want to know more about us? Contact us now! We look forward to answering your questions

You might also be interested in:

Hybrid events: 9 tips for successful hybrid events!

Event planning: 5 reasons why event program and matchmaking belong together

Terms like ” hybrid event” or “hybrid event platform” are coming up more and more often lately when it comes to planning events. Are they the “new normal” and how can you successfully plan a hybrid event?

Definition: What are hybrid events?

Hybrid events combine the best of two worlds. Hybrid means “mixed” and represents the combination of a physical face-to-face event (live event) and a virtual event.

The most important thing you need for this is a stable internet connection and suitable technical equipment. Both types of events – hybrid or live event – pursue the same goal: people should be able to network with each other.

As a result, a hybrid event is not simply a synonym for a livestream. Online attendees should be an active part of the event. This ranges from interactive live events to the use of event apps, AR or VR applications and formats that are reminiscent of interactive television.

Hybrid event example:

Due to Corona contact restrictions, no large “get-togethers” are allowed. The organiser considers a hybrid version of his event and invites the most important participants on site to listen to interesting speakers. For the rest of the participants, the talks will be simultaneously broadcast online. Afterwards, meeting points and discussion rounds are organised together for online and offline attendees.

Are hybrid events really the future?

“Hybrid events are the future”. This slogan can now be read everywhere in the event industry. But is it really true? The Corona crisis has greatly accelerated the spread of hybrid events. According to the Meeting and Event Barometer 2020/2021, hybrid events increased by 54% in 2020.

But even before the pandemic, events were becoming increasingly digital. According to the GCB, 60% of the suppliers surveyed in March 2020 already considered hybrid or virtual events to be trend-setting.

Corona has therefore not triggered the digitalisation of the event industry, but rather accelerated it. It is clear to most event planners that there will no longer be a return to purely offline structures in event management. Physical B2B event formats will also be increasingly supplemented by digital elements in the future.

Why is that the case? Hybrid events offer many advantages that organisers and participants will not want to miss in the future. Find out what these are in the following.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of hybrid events?

Wouldn’t we all want to attend events much more often? However, it takes a lot of effort to be present at an event. The digital extension in event management is an optimal tool to reach a larger group of participants. And not only that! Hybrid event formats offer completely different advantages. Learn about the new opportunities and challenges, but also the possible disadvantages in an increasingly digital world of event planning.

Advantages of hybrid events

Wider reach and more attendees: A purely in person experience or live event often leads to limitations in terms of venue size and number of attendees. With hybrid events, you can reach a large virtual audience and maximise your reach and the impact and success of your event. Furthermore, you can have speakers from all over the world participate in your event, which would not be possible with physical events.

diagramm zeigt wie viele Menschen an hybriden Veranstaltungen teilnehmen

Lower event costs: Physical events come at a significant cost and the more people that attend your event, the more expensive it becomes. Just think of travel costs, venue costs, catering and much more. With hybrid events, you can keep your costs in check by reducing the number of on-site event attendees.

Higher audience engagement: Another advantage of hybrid events is the more extensive audience engagement. Virtual components not only give you new opportunities to actively engage participants during the event, but also for days and weeks after the event. Virtual attendees can comment, ask questions, share and like, and interact with other participants from their smartphones, tablets or computers. In person attendees can also network with virtual attendees and participate in the online activities. This works best via a hybrid event platform that connects virtual and in person participants.

More sponsorship opportunities: The wider reach of virtual and hybrid events also makes you more attractive to sponsors, as you can reach a larger audience. Sponsors have the opportunity to participate in the event by setting up virtual booths and possibly giving presentations via video conferencing

Lower carbon footprint: According to atmosfair, travelling to and from events causes about 70% of the CO₂ emissions of an entire event. By organising a hybrid event, you can significantly reduce the CO₂ emissions of the event. Take advantage of hybrid events to make your trade fair or event more sustainable and reduce your environmental footprint.

Event Marketing opportunities through reporting and analysis: Data, Data, Data. Hybrid events allow you to better capture, analyse and use data for your event marketing. For example, you can use a professional hybrid event platform to track which aspects of the event particularly impressed the audience and which services they used more of. Use this knowledge to create an effective marketing campaign for your next event.

Democratisation of events: Because participants in hybrid events can also attend from distant regions that would never have been able to attend their live events, access to knowledge and networks is democratised with the help of hybrid events. You also offer acces to more knowledge and contact to virtual attendees who cannot afford to be away for several days, such as parents.

Teilnehmer Übersicht in der Converve App. Zeigt Vorschläge für ideale Meetingpartner

These are the challenges you have to face with hybrid events

Higher organisational effort: You are organising an event on two levels. Of course, in the simplest case you can set up a camera, but in very few cases this meets the requirements of a hybrid event. Event guests and planners know: it can be done much better and tools also help with interaction and networking in the digital space.

Initial investment costs: To hold a hybrid event, you need the right technology and preferably a tool for hybrid events. Therefore, you have to expect some investment costs at the beginning.

Higher demands for creative concepts: The demands on creative concepts double when online and offline worlds merge. You cannot transfer the event plan from the physical 1:1 to the virtual world. New content ideas are needed to keep the attention of virtual audiences.

More Complex Processes : As you are actually planning two events, the complexity of the processes increases. All information needs to be adapted and sent to both groups of participants. Both groups may need a different kind of support. A professional attendee management supports you effectively.

Technical know-how: The staff must be familiar with the technology, e.g. how the live stream is produced and streamed, answer technical system questions and be able to deal with virtual communication and user interaction.

Transporting emotions: As an event manager, you must ensure that the content of your event is designed to create just as much emotion and experience in the virtual space and on the stage. Make sure you leave enough space for networking and interaction. Less but good content will enhance your event format.

9 Hybrid Events Tips: Do’s and Don’ts

If you want to plan hybrid events yourself, then make use of our tips and successfully launch into a new era of event planning.

Do this when planning hybrid events

1. Use the right technology

There are many hybrid event platforms in the market recently. Online & virtual event platforms make your hybrid event more professional and help you with planning, communication and reporting. However, make sure that the selected providers really have experience and ask them to show you reference projects.

2. Provide spaces for interaction

Plan interactions, breakouts and deliberate involvement of participants online as well as offline. Good interactions reinforce the key points of the event programme and create experiences and excitement for the virtual and live audience. You can also create virtual interactivity with quizzes, surveys, matchmaking or chat modules, to name just a few.

3. Make sure there is variety

You don’t want your audience to be bored in front of the screen. Therefore, make your hybrid event as exciting as possible. Interviews, moderated talks, (short) keynotes, videos, quizzes, Q&A sessions are some options. Don’t be afraid to include the virtual participants in front of the screens for the live audience.

4. Onboarding and final rehearsal

Hybrid events are still in their early stages. Make sure that everything works properly before the start of your event. Use the right tools and test them intensively! Not every staff member and participant is familiar with the hybrid event model and technology. This is especially true for speakers and moderators. Before any virtual event, you should not only test the technology together, but also communicate what makes the experience in virtual formats.

5. Presentation

A moderator provides a link between the two worlds and gives a consistent theme that guides the participants across the platform and through the event. Make sure that people that attend in person as well as people attending virtually both get the moderators attention. Your moderator needs to make sure that remote attendees stay engaged with your steam. Interaction with the live stream chat has proven to be incredibly valuable for this purpose.

6. Take time zones into account

Be aware that your participants may come from different time zones. Therefore, it is important that the event platform you use can map this requirement. It is ideal if the participant can set the time zone in which they are attending your event themselves and can also see when, for example, an agreed appointment is taking place in the time zone of the person they are talking to.

Don’t do this when planning hybrid events

7. Transfering a live event to the virtual space

You need to come up with new concepts for online events: snackable content, short thematic blocks and changing impulses extend the attention span. Ask yourself the following question: How can both your in person and virtual attendees be involved in the same way and how can the exchange be organised?

8. Saving on audio and video equipment

Good audio and video equipment for e.g. live streams is essential for virtual and hybrid events. If there is a lack of quality here, you will quickly lose your participants. Use the right tools and be sure to test them beforehand.

9. Tieing the duration to your in person event

Participating with headphones and looking at the screen is tiring and much more exhausting than an on-site event. Therefore, keep an eye on the time and adapt the total duration of the event to the virtual event. Six hours is the upper limit.

converve virtual event live stage

Summary: Hybrid events as an opportunity for new concepts and more reach

Hybrid events will become more and more common in the future, as the advantages of this event form cannot be denied. Use the opportunity to win over an even larger target group with new concepts and content and sophisticated digital marketing strategies.

The challenge of hybrid events is to meet the needs of both online and offline participants and to build bridges between live and digital audiences

This is possible by using professional hybrid event platforms like Converve. Converve is an all-in-one platform: whether it’s an easy-to-create event website, event app, networking, matchmaking or collection valuable data through reporting – everything is combined in just one tool.

Are you planning your next hybrid event or just want to know more about us? Contact us now! We look forward to answering your questions

Social media networks have changed our lives.  Not only do we share and provide insights into our private lives through social media, but these online community platforms have also become important channels to get information and news on various topics and products.   From an event organizer perspective, social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube provide an opportunity to promote an event to a broad and diverse audience. In this article, we have compiled a list to highlight the most important social media platforms for meeting planners and event organizers to increase the visibility of their event.  

Facebook 

Facebook is still the most widely used social media platform despite the emergence of other platforms. The network has 2.8 billion daily active users worldwide, 308 million users are from Europe. Though other social media platforms are gaining more and more influence, Facebook remains the market leader.   As such, it is important that your business has a presence on Facebook by having a company profile.  A Facebook company page is a free and convenient way to make your own brand better known and to gain customers.

Compared to a private profile, a company profile offers various tools – there are functions for content creation, you receive insights from visitor statistics, and of course you have the possibility to place ads – all with the purpose of making it as easy as possible for interested parties and customers to find information about your event and/or company online. Additionally, a presence on Facebook has SEO advantages.  With an up-to-date company page, your business will not only be easier to find within the network, but will also be listed higher on search engines such as Google.

Of course, Facebook also offers the possibility to create events. This tool is particularly attractive in event marketing, as it allows you to advertise events in a very targeted manner and invite interested parties. Administrators have statistics at their disposal that provide information about the reach of their event, and how many guests have accepted. This information can be used to decide whether further marketing measures are necessary.

If you also have an Instagram account, you have the option of conveniently sharing your Instapostings on Facebook, saving you the time and effort of creating separate posts.  Important to note is that a Facebook profile is a prerequisite if you want to place ads on Instagram, as both platform accounts have to be connected.

Instagram

As Instagram user numbers continue to rise (over one billion users worldwide), the platform’s importance in marketing is rapidly growing. Instagram Stories (posts that automatically delete themselves after 24 hours) are increasingly popular among influencers and companies to convey messages. Instagram Stories are viewed daily by over 500 million people. Additionally, 69% of Instagram users are younger than 35, so if you want to appeal to a young audience, this is the place to do it. 

Unlike Facebook, images and videos are the focus of the Instagram platform. For example, the same photo on Facebook is said to bring 23 percent fewer likes and comments compared to Instagram.  In order to be well-received on Instagram and to expand your audience, high-quality images are a must

Some tips on how to find high-qualtity images: https://www.converve.com/event-networking-blog/20-sources-for-free-photos-videos-graphics-and-music/ 

Well-chosen hashtags can also help to position yourself on the market as well as address the right target groups. It is important not to simply add as many hashtags as possible to the caption, but to think about which terms really fit the post or event and how you want to be found. For example, an appropriate use of hashtags would be the event name, the event theme, and the event location. Ideally, you should create your own hashtag for your event, which you can then use to monitor posts and reactions from the community. 

To reiterate, Stories in particular are booming on Instagram and increasingly growing in popularity with users. With a lifespan of 24 hours, Instagram Stories trigger the FOMO effect – the fear of missing out of content that will only be available for a limited time. For event organizers, this is a great opportunity to interact with target groups, regularly promote the event as well as providing insights and updates. Small, but regular, stories and posts build anticipation.

 As Instagram Stories are increasingly establishing themselves as the “place to be” on the internet, this channel is naturally also very attractive for advertisements. Similar to Facebook, the target group of an ad can be defined precisely by specifying age, location and interests. 

LinkedIn

Since its founding in 2002, LinkedIn has continued to grow and gain influence. 94% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn for content marketing – this is not surprising when you note that content on LinkedIn is considered 3 times more trustworthy compared to other social networks. Many features are similar to XING – there are free limited accounts with the option to upgrade to premium paid accounts with more platform functions activated; the “LinkedIn Events” feature offers members an easy way to create and participate in professional events; and members actively exchange information in various groups.

Twitter

Twitter, which is a hybrid of blog and social network, continues to grow in popularity in Germany. It is a popular medium for communicating and commenting on current news and events because of the bite-sized messages, or “tweets”, made for easy and quick digestion. Despite the character limit, which allows only one or two sentences, lively conversations between with many participants often arise on Twitter. 

There are around 330 million monthly active users on Twitter, and 145 million daily active users. While Instagram has secured the younger generations, Twitter has a completely different target group – about six out of ten Twitter users worldwide are between 35 and 65 years old. Moreover, a quarter of all verified accounts are journalists. 

The fundamental principle of Twitter is hashtags, which can be used to assign tweets to specific topics, and to engage in discussions and debates. A popular tool for an event is the so-called “Twitter Wall”, where a separate hashtag is created for an event and communicated to the outside. By using a hashtag, participants of an event can comment live on the event, while giving people who could not actively participate the opportunity to follow the event. The Twitter Wall is ultimately the place where tweets on a specific hashtag are collected and displayed in real time. A Twitter Wall can be broadcast on site via an overhead projector, or digitally embedded on the event platform.

YouTube

Forecasts say that by 2021, 82% of all traffic on the internet will be video. This naturally raises the question of how relevant the leading video platform YouTube is for event organizers. The fact is that video content continues to grow. YouTube has more than two billion registered users per month and is the third most visited site after Google and Facebook. In addition, YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world. This means that the platform offers companies and event organizers a very high-reach advertising environment. For example, the visibility of video ads on YouTube in Germany is 96%. By comparison, the industry average is 66%. 

YouTube is a mix between a social media channel, a search engine, and a classic broadcast medium. Event organizers can let their creative juices flow with event videos, trailers, interviews or movies.    

Summary 

Social media offers event organizers the opportunity to be where their target group is, and to gain more followers and customers with a little effort.  Some level of social media presence is important in order to stay competitive, especially in times of Covid-19, as events and activities are increasingly shifting to the online sphere.  It is up to the individual business to decide which channels to focus on, and the amount of time and effort to invest in a social media strategy.  The process of creating text, image and video content is becoming increasingly easy on all platforms, and the hurdle to stay on the ball is lowered. 

Converve – Your Comprehensive Virtual Event Platform Solution

With Converve’s digital event platform, events can be organized entirely online. Attendees can easily and quickly conduct pre-arranged virtual video appointments and participate in online sessions and meetings from home or the office. Converve’s customizable matchmaking platform can cover all areas of your physical, virtual, or hybrid events. 

Leave us a message – whether you are already planning your next event or just have a question about the platform. We look forward to hearing from you!

Few other professions have had to adapt to new challenges in recent weeks and months as much the event planner. Instead of an exhibition hall, suddenly livestream providers must be hired and instead of a catering service, image and sound technicians are needed.

That’s why many planners come up to us and ask questions like: “How much money should we invest in our streaming?” or “Can’t we just hold our lectures with a zoom and a webcam?

We want to look into this topic and explain what is really important for successful event streaming.

When is my livestream actually good?

This question can’ t be universally answered. It is in the eye of the spectator, i.e. your participant. However, as viewers of a stream or a video we are used to certain quality standards today. Streaming productions on portals like YouTube or Twitch are often barely distinguishable in their level of professionalism from studio productions on TV. So why should we have different expectations from a professional B2B event?

How important is my audio?

Your livestream stands and falls with your audio quality. Viewers are more likely to forgive a slightly distorted picture or a couple of pixels missing than a bad sound. It can become especially critical when different speakers speak at completely varying volumes.

So, it does not help to adjust as a spectator from home. This is where a sound technician can help, who has an eye on all audio sources during the broadcast and can adjust if necessary.

What quality should my recording have?

First of all, it helps to have a good camera and ideally also a good employee behind the camera.  You should at least be able to stream in HD, that is 1280×720 pixels. A Full-HD stream with 1920×1080 pixels would be optimal. This is the most common screen resolution today and is certainly pleasant to the eye.

To keep the attention of the spectator, it is advisable to have several cameras and a regular change of scenes and perspectives. So-called streaming-overlays can also make your stream considerably more attractive and simplify the integration of different cameras and image sizes. For example, you can integrate slides of a presentation directly into the image instead of having them open in the background. This looks professional and makes it much easier to read along.

Especially when watching from the home office, we have a small attention span and are quickly drawn away by smartphones or other distractions. With the methods mentioned above you can tie your audience to the screen.

Do I need someone to take care of the lighting?

When it comes to light, a few small tricks can help to improve the quality of your stream considerably. Be sure that your speakers do not throw shadows. For this purpose, it is helpful if a light source (e.g. a softbox) also lights the stream from the front. If at home, you can place yourself facing to a window and bright up your stream with daylight.

Should I involve the audience in my stream?

Long story short, yeah! There is a reason why videos and streams are on a good way to substitute television. We want to share our thoughts and want to know what other viewers think and interact with them.

This can be a simple chat function, live voting or even a concluding Q&A. Involve your viewers, respond to questions asked or even engage in a dialogue with the chat. After all, this is your audience, only this time they are not sitting directly in front of you.

However, do not forget to also moderate each interaction channel and to provide adequate staff in the backend.

Which service providers do I need now and what will it cost me in the end?

That depends of course very much on your budget. But always keep in mind that with a professional streaming setup you are investing in an important part of your event. You could compare it to the exhibition hall, the stage and the technical equipment of a presence event.

For good image and sound it is worth working with a livestream production company. These people bring the necessary know-how and technology to take your stream to a new level.

In addition, we recommend bringing live support for speakers from your backend. Especially if the speaker is not in the studio, especially if he or she is broadcasting from home. Nothing is more annoying than when the sound suddenly doesn’t work, the camera is switched off or other careless mistakes are made when starting a webinar. The support team can provide brief instructions to your speakers before the performance and take care of all technical problems.

Lastly, you need a livestream provider or host who delivers the stream from his server. We recommend Bigmarker, a service with which we have already streamed many successful events.

Converve itself only offers its own streaming solution for 1:1 meetings and roundtables. Advantage of these solutions: Your participants do not have to go through annoying registration processes and download software. In the Converve platform, your participants are immediately involved and can consume your content, join in and make personal appointments without much effort.

Conclusion

Virtual events have presented us with new challenges that many of us have never dealt with before. If we want to stand out with our events today, we have to adapt to the situation. There is hardly any other way than to invest in a professional streaming setup.

We would be happy to advise you if and to what extent a production is useful for your event. Simply use the form to get in contact with us and we can arrange a personal call or demo. Hope to hear you soon.

The EUvsVirus programme is an initiative of the Hackathon & Matchathon EIC COVID platform organised by the European Commission under the patronage of EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel (Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth).

The EUvsVirus-Hackathon was attended by over 800 innovators who presented their ideas to 1200 partners and 115 investors from all over Europe. The European Commission and a jury of experts selected a total of 120 winning teams with innovative solutions against COVID-19 and the consequences of the pandemic. In a second stage, these solutions then need to be “matched” with elite universities, companies, investors, accelerators, venture capitalists and public authorities. 

The Converve platform was chosen to ensure that this important stage was implemented quickly and efficiently.

“We have pitched several platforms,” says Michael Ionita, one of the main initiators of the project. “We are now very happy to have chosen Converve because it offers us a very flexible solution that can be implemented in a very short time”.

Within a few days and nights our developers customized the platform exactly to the requirements of the Matchathon. Now the innovators on the one hand and the partners on the other hand can be brought together via the platform. In addition, video meetings can be arranged using Converve’s in-house meeting solution.

We are very glad that we can do our part to fight the Covid virus. We hope that our platform will bring together ideas and partners who will develop solutions together to tackle the Covid virus and its effects.

#HackTheCrisis

#StrongerTogether

The development of the Matchathon platform was supported by PWC Luxembourg both in terms of ideas and financially and has enabled an even faster realisation of the platform.

pwc logoStay healthy!

What does an event software company actually do when the world is in lockdown?

Definitely spending less time and resources on creating long blog posts. We’re all working together and trying to deliver the same Converve quality to our customers in these challenging times. Everyone is doing their part – whether from home or from the office.

We would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support, trust and understanding! In these incredible, almost surreal times we have many discussions about new ideas, virtual or hybrid event concepts and are already going live with the first of these projects!

Once again we are struck by how innovative, creative and optimistic our industry, the event industry, is. How it manages to reinvent itself within a very short time. The event planner has become an almost entirely new profession within a few weeks. Every day you face great challenges, requiring you to be creative and take risks to put your new exciting ideas into practice

Of course, not everything always works out exactly as planned.

There is a lot of uncertainty in the events industry these days, but if we  all persevere we will be successful. But now,

THANK YOU!

Virtual events are more than a temporary trend

With the extraordinary circumstances we face in the world today,  quickly adapting to overcome the new challenges facing the events industry has enabled us to realize just how simple and effective online conferences can be. At this point I would like to quote Matthias Horx:

“We will be surprised how quickly cultural techniques of the digital have suddenly proven themselves in practice. Tele- and video-conferencing, which most colleagues had always resisted, turned out to be quite practical and productive. Teachers learned a lot about internet teaching. The home office became a matter of course for many – including the improvising and time juggling that goes with it.”

Of course, this will also have an impact on the event industry, whether we are organizing, hosting or attending events. Some organizers and some participants will experience for the first time how surprisingly well online events already work. After the Corona crisis, there will of course be live events again, but most likely also a significantly higher percentage of virtual events and virtual event participants.

Why you should also consider new business models

As outlined above, we are just getting to know the already existing and functioning solutions for virtual events.

This is a positive development for the future: Participants at on-site events have to think about whether they have enough time and the budget for it. Virtual events eliminates some of these obstacles. Participants save travel time and costs and can still go about their daily business on virtual event days. This means less work for them. Consequently, you reach participants who otherwise would not have been able to come.

For you as an event organizer, virtual events mean significantly lower costs for

  • booking portals
  • conference rooms and exhibition areas
  • hotel rooms
  • catering
  • transport
  • event technology
  • branding and other decorative materials
  • and more

This saving of resources is also much more environmentally friendly than the typical event. Thanks to virtual events, you save valuable resources and costs and can also generate new profits through additional participants.

However, virtual events cannot yet replace valuable networking at events. That’s where Converve’s virtual B2B matchmaking solution can help. Not only does Converve allow you to host virtual networking events all on one platform, but it also allows you utilize this functionality to supplement your on-site events.

What is virtual B2B matchmaking?

Virtual B2B matchmaking closes the gap between virtual events and on-site events.

Discourse with other participants is one of the key components of an on-site event – something that is hard to replicate online (even via solutions such as chat tools or mailing systems). The interactions don’t feel the same as in person, because the participants don’t see each other and only communicate via text (which may lead to misinterpretations!). Communication is more than that just writing text or speaking over an audio connection. Communication becomes much more engaging when you can see the other party as well via video.

On the Converve platform you can finally let your participants talk to each other 1:1 – including video chat.

How does virtual B2B matchmaking work?

Very simple. With Converve’s virtual meeting solution, your participants can start their booked appointments with just one click. All this takes place on the Converve platform on which your virtual event is already running. Your participants no longer have to register with another matchmaking tool or any other video chat service – they don’t need to leave your event platform.

If your participants come from different time zones, Converve’s virtual matchmaking solution takes this into account right from the start. A feature you need less at real events, but which is especially important in the virtual world and with participants from around the world.

There is also a helpful reminder function: Your participants are automatically informed about the (remaining) duration of their meeting. This allows them to keep track of the time and can keep to their schedule for all follow-up meetings and presentations.

What does a virtual program of presentations with Converve look like?

With Converve you can create a complete event program. Your participants can then register for the whole program as well as for single sessions, workshops, trainings or other events.

If you add the links of your webinars or livestreams to these agenda items, they are automatically released for your registered participants. Your speakers will receive the moderation rights for the respective session from you. The virtual presentation will then start at the time you have planned as a webinar or livestream. During the sessions, participants can easily ask the moderator questions from their own computer.

Your participants will also receive a personal agenda/schedule, which includes a complete overview of the virtual sessions and their individual virtual meetings in the correct time zone.

event agenda for virtual events that let's you start meetings and live streams

 

What you should consider when creating a virtual event

Virtual events can be challenging and require a different approach than the classic, on-site events we have grown accustomed to. Converve offers extensive support in facing both technological and organizational challenges. Remember that virtual events will be new to most particpants, so you have to find creative solutions in order to keep them engaged.

How long does it take you to get online?

The onboarding and setup take about 2 to 3 weeks and then you can start marketing and participant registration for your virtual event.

Conclusion

As soon as we can hold live events again, they will most likely have their comeback, because not every event can offer the same things digitally as they can on-site. However, there is a lot of potential for new “hybrid” events which have both on-site and virtual components. For this purpose, the new feature “virtual B2B matchmaking” from Converve can provide you with a solution.

 

Guest post (translated) by Katrin Taepke. First published here: https://www.micestens-digital.de/virtuelles-event-inklusive-b2b-matchmaking-von-converve/ 

Organised and structured matchmaking at B2B events has arrived in a big way in the event industry. Nowadays, exhibitors, sponsors, and participants in business events expect that their networking success will not be left to chance.

They want quantifiable results so that they can justify their participation and evaluate the event’s level of success for them personally. A dedicated matchmaking platform that facilitates software-based networking and appointments will help them.

But: Market demand has led some event organisers to jump the gun and hastily rush into integrating matchmaking features into existing software. This has led to “half-baked” matchmaking solutions, accompanied effectively by the slogan: “Dear participants, here is our cool new app for arranging appointments – make something of it!”.

However, this does harbour a number of pitfalls, which we as a company have unfortunately encountered time and again in the almost 20 years we have been in business as a specialised provider of matchmaking solutions.

In order for matchmaking platforms to be successful at B2B events, you as the organiser should steer clear of these 3 mistakes.

Mistake 1: Not identifying free-riders

If matchmaking and networking are not wholly and completely integrated into the event management process, this may lead to risks for organisers. Without a testing routine, the same issue (unfortunately) continues to come up – potential exhibitors gain access to the event via the matchmaking platform, thus avoiding the need to mark their presence with a trade fair stand.

It goes without saying that this is not beneficial to an event organiser. In this way, the organiser cannibalises their own business model.

Registration and matchmaking for the event should ideally be handled using one tool – as is the case with the Converve platform. This way, free-riders can be easily identified and filtered out.

This might even result in new business models, such as the possibility to access the networking opportunities without a trade fair stand – but at a fee for a certain number of arranged customer meetings.

This is the case at the ABM events that take place in Canada, for example. Here, exhibitors “buy” a certain number of guaranteed one-to-one meetings, which are agreed upon in advance. Those who want more meetings will pay a premium.

Mistake 2: No differentiation according to participant type

It is an incredibly diverse target group that participates in a business event.

Let’s take a trade fair: First of all, there will be exhibitors and sponsors. In turn, on the exhibitor’s side, you will find sales staff and maybe even developers at their trade fair stand. It is becoming more common to also see recruiters at a stand, looking to hire new blood for the company.

Next up are the purchasers who attend the fair as visitors. In turn, there may be other developers who want to inform themselves as visitors about trends in upstream industrial levels, such as automotive developers at a trade show for the supply industry. Then there are bloggers, investors, job seekers, the press – maybe even a B2C crowd on selected days. In the accompanying professional programme, industry experts will make an appearance as speakers.

It quickly becomes clear that all of these target groups have very different needs when it comes to matchmaking:

  • Developers are looking for particular skills and technological know-how.
  • Purchasers are looking specifically for solutions to their procurement challenges.
  • Speakers may want to make only very limited contact with the audience attending their presentation.
  • A B2C crowd may attend just to experience the event.

In addition, there are various levels of hierarchy and decision-making that need to be taken into consideration. Should trainees really be able to meet with executives at an event? How do you deal with VIP purchasers or lead buyers?

Organisers must be able to define different types of participants and use a meeting matrix to determine who is allowed to make appointments with whom. We call this “curated networking”. This is the only way to avoid frustration and maximise the added value for participants.

 

Who can meet whom? A question organizers should keep an eye on

Mistake 3: A lack of tension in communication

In addition to the question of who can contact whom, attention should be paid to the timing, i.e. when they should come into contact with each other. It takes a well-thought-out script, in which the arc of tension for each type of participant must be just right.

The different types of participants do not all engage with an event at the same time. Exhibitors will (hopefully!) begin their invitation management process sooner. Trade visitors will decide relatively late on what their programme will look like at the trade fair.

The organisers themselves can use controlled email campaigns to activate the participants and bring them back to the platform again and again. Automated messages can also be useful, with notifications such as “you have a new contact request – go to your profile now to accept or reject it”. This way, the tone can be set well before the event and the participant experience can be improved.

The concept of gamification can also bring added value, think of awards for the best networkers at an event. We have examined a number of ideas relating to gamification here.

Conclusion

In order to avoid glitches or lack of acceptance when it comes to software-based matchmaking, a good concept is needed. This concept has to answer the questions of how organisers deal with free-riders, what privileges each individual participant type should receive, and the arc which communication should follow.

With our experience with matchmaking platforms, we would be happy to advise you on how to efficiently organise networking at your event. You can get in touch with Converve here.

In the constantly changing landscape of events & conferences, promoting sponsors has risen from being a footnote to being one of the highlights. From offline to virtual to hybrid events, there are a ton of ways your sponsor can gain exposure. Here are 37 compelling sponsorship ideas for any event or conference.

Hosting product launches, conferences or any kind of event always gets people buzzing with excitement. It’s an action-packed time for event managers with heaps of things to get off their to-do lists. And of course, you have sponsorships to get the ball rolling.

Sponsorships are the cornerstone of any successful event. You can make sure they are getting their due by putting them at the centre of the show now and then. It doesn’t matter whether the event is virtual, in-person or hybrid. Regardless of the event format, sponsors can make a strong impression and forge a meaningful connection with the audience. Creating exclusive experiences tailored specially for the attendees does the trick. And adding a dash of creativity surely helps in spicing things up. If you’re wondering how to do that, you’re at the right place.

We originally wrote this article back in June 2014 and it’s been updated from time to time as new trends emerge. With each update, it has received more interest and we want to continue adding value. Given the innovation in the event space, we’re keeping it fresh with some new ideas.

Already got your event format in mind?

We added badges for Hybrid, In-Person and Virtual event sponsoring ideas so you can easily focus on the tips that benefit you the most.

badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea Hybrid

badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea In-Person

badge that indicates a virtual event sponsorship idea Virtual

37 Sponsorship Ideas for your next Event

Here’s an exhaustive list of new and improved event sponsorship examples for in-person, virtual and hybrid events:

1. Make it larger than life badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

Anything can be better when it’s bigger. Well, maybe not always. But when it comes to event sponsorships, it works. Getting your sponsor’s content on big screens, projections or giant interactive versions of a product intrigues the audience and draws them in. Not all events might have the bandwidth to fit-in expensive props but the idea behind it can still be applied. For example, you could have huge balloons or soft toys with the sponsor’s logo. 

hey google sponsores event with giant gumball machine

Google always wins with their fun and innovative products. And the gumball machine equipped with the Google Voice Assistant at the CES lived up to the hype. People got a chance to ask Google a question in exchange for prizes.

2. Branding up to the ceiling badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

giant sponsor booth by polaroid on a tech conference

It’s easy to overlook the ceiling of your booththough it’s right above our heads. This space is particularly valuable because it’s not obstructed by people or any other distractions. Make use of this area with some aesthetic lighting and include your sponsor as well. 

3. Don’t forget to have fun badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a virtual event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

sponsor booth with a stationary e bike that people jump on

Amidst all the action make sure your visitors are letting some steam off. And they will love you for it. Get a smoothie bike and hop on the pedal for the beverage. It’s fun, healthy and makes for a great photo op too. You can get creative with using the space for sponsor brandings like the bike and the mugs.

4. Get behind the filter badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a virtual event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

AR filters make stunning photographs and videos of your audience. Also, it can seamlessly fit in with your social media strategy. Add some fun visual aspects of your sponsor and get your attendees to share their selfies on social media. And don’t forget to create some hashtags to track your success online.

5. Add value with NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) badge that indicates a virtual event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

How about treating your audience to some NFT goodie bags and collectables? You can add your sponsor’s products and brand these collectables with your sponsor’s logo and your attendees can have them forever in the digital universe.

6. Use cooldown zones at your conference badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

sponsored cooldown zone on a b2b networking conference

Hopping from one booth to another can be quite exhausting. Create a space in your event for attendees to cool off courtesy of your sponsor. A seating area with snacks and beverages available would be perfect for your attendees to relax. You can also take this time to get to know your audience better and build your network.

7. Everyone is on Tiktok, and so should your event badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a virtual event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

@niceandgraphic

stationery trade show ???? #stationeryaddict #tradeshows #letterpressprinting #greetingcardshop #businessdesigncentre

♬ Tom Dooley (Country Instrumental) – Terry McMillan & David Briggs & Gary Burnette

Hop on board with the social media app everyone’s talking about. You can document the process of creating the event, sponsors and displaying the products. For your visitors, you can create a TikTok corner, challenge and hashtags and get the conversation started on the platform. You can even include props for your attendees to use in their videos.

8. Go big with a videowall badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

A video wall will make you stand out from your competition. It gives you a huge canvas to display content that can be seen even from a distance. It is also visually stunning and gets your attendee’s attention easily. And customizing the content on the screen is as easy as changing a light bulb.

9. Get your snack game on badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

cupcakes with a sponsors logo on it

Who doesn’t love free food?! Your visitors would appreciate you offering them snacks on the house. You can go the extra mile and give a shout-out to your sponsor by adding their logo on it. Little things like these can make your event a memorable one.

10. Multitask with scannable bracelets badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

scannable bracelets with RFID chips used at a confernce

This tiny bracelet is big on utility. Since the pandemic, RFID bracelets have become more popular because they can be used without physical contact. The attendees can scan it to access exclusive parts of your events, they can also make payments with it and can be branded as well.

11. Take centre stage on social media platforms badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a virtual event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

Social media is one of the best ways to get the word out about your event. Posts have a massive reach and have pretty good recall value. It works flawlessly at every stage of the event. Also, it’s a perfect way to put out branded content about your sponsor too. Create exclusive event hashtags so your efforts are rewarded with increased awareness and traction.

12. Photos frozen in time badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

Your attendees can take home memories of the event with Photobooths. There have been quite a few upgrades with photo booths like the latest 3D version. It’s in MP4 format and captures all the angels and look visually stunning. Throw in some props and your audience will have all the tools to create fun pictures.

photo booth by google with freeze time celebration

13. Gather meaningful insights trough surveys badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a virtual event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

You can easily read the room and get a pulse on what works well with the visitors through surveys. This also helps in understanding which sponsors work best for you and how you can tailor the experience for everyone involved. Sponsors can have the option of integrating their questions into the survey too. This facilitates interesting findings and can increase sales leads considerably.

14. Develop your event personas badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a virtual event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

Creating a realistic representation of your audience is quite helpful because they are your point of reference for everything that goes into the event. These representations can include purchase factors, source of information, and what influences their decision-making process. This would be valuable to sponsors as they can consider the event from the attendee persona’s perspective and fine-tune their experience.

 15. Let your attendees run on a full battery badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

sponsored chargebox that charges phones on a event for free

Nothing annoys event attendees more than empty batteries. You can ensure your visitors never run out of charge by setting up charging stations. ChargeBox did a pretty good job with this. They offered visitors of music festivals lockable mobile charging lockers.

16. Never underestimate the power of a strong internet connection badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

sponsored green and yellow cows that function as wifi hotspots on a outdoor event

Your audience would appreciate a strong internet connection, especially when it’s free. Create wi-fi hot spots in your event and give them fun names and passwords. The Glastonbury Festival provided “Moobile” wi-fi hotspots in the shape of cows around the event. It not only got its visitors online but also started a conversation with a good pun.

17. Make parking a pleasure at your event badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

Finding a good parking space is difficult. Even more so when there are a lot of event attendees. You can provide free parking spaces covered by your sponsors. There are a lot of branding opportunities in this space. And it also makes it easier for your visitors to get to your event easily which leaves a good impression.

18. Go live or go home badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a virtual event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

keynote speach by apples ceo introducing the apple tv+

Livestreaming has swiftly become a vital part of events. Use this to your advantage and get attendees from all over the globe to jump in. All your audience needs is a good internet connection and they are good to go. You can add your sponsor’s logo to the Livestream and invite them to talk to the audience.

19. Short pitch, big impact badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a virtual event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

A person’s attention span is pretty short. Stay on your audience’s mind with short video clips of what you and your sponsors do and play it on loop in your booth. Compile them and put them up on your website too so your online visitors can enjoy them. Here’s an example of how startups were introduced at the Zukunft Personal 2017 trade fair. Companies had small stands in the Startup Village and they created 15-20-second pitch clips on a web-based platform.

sponsors are showcased in small square videos on the startup village website

20. Get your swag on badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

Give your audience something to remember you by. This could be related to your brand and your sponsor or it could be something fun your visitors could use. This is particularly great for recall value as they are reminders of your event. Make sure the goodies are of good quality so they are cherished for a long time.

21. Take your sponsors to the Metaverse and beyond badge that indicates a virtual event sponsorship idea

Sponsorships have evolved from physical, to digital and are now, taking a huge leap, into The Metaverse. Digital replicas of physical events have been created in the Metaverse and a lot of big names have already jumped the wagon. We’ve just scratched the surface of what this could mean to sponsorships. You can submerge your audience in an immersive digital world and integrate your sponsor with virtual event collectables, branding and exclusive VR events. 

22. Interactive walls are conversation starters badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

Your audience can be a mix of outgoing and reserved people. While the social crowd thrives on in-person interaction, the reserved ones might want to explore on their own. An interactive wall is a perfect solution for the latter. An interactive wall is a multi-functional piece that can be an event decor, a source of information and a branding element.

23. Challenge your audience with contests badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a virtual event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

Having a contest is a fun way to get your audience involved in your event. You can get creative with the prizes and give away something your winners would enjoy. At a Dreamforce event, New Voice Media had a contest to spread the message about the amount of time spent on cold calling. They wanted to draw attention to how their service cuts downtime considerably. Attendees had to guess the amount of time it would take to melt a block of ice inside which there was an iPhone. The participants who guessed correctly won a brand new phone.

24. Set the tone of the event with live music badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a virtual event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

Music is a universal language that brings people together. When done right, it can set the perfect mood for your event. Book a band or a DJ whose music your audience would like and create a lively atmosphere. You could also make this part more personal by getting participants to vote for their favorite song and having the band perform it for your audience.

25. Let the event presenters take the lead badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a virtual event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft DLG (EN: German Agricultural Society) set new standards with its exhibitor presentation. Before the event, the presenter, Gesa Dreckmann, and her crew visited the ‘heroes of agricultural tech’ and their development departments. This created a buzz among the trade fair visitors and put the exhibitors in a new light. This event was a special one for us because the matchmaking at AGRITECHNICA was organized using the Converve platform.

26. Give ‘em props! badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

sponsored play side by ADT that people can safely fall into

Oversized props hit two goals with one shot – fun and branding. They bring out the playful side of people and draw attention to your and the sponsor’s brand. This also helps with your social media game as people love taking photos with props and sharing them with their followers. In the photo above, ADT created a working metaphor for their security systems by encouraging the event attendees to jump into their “trust fall” pit.  A slow-motion camera captured the fall and could be shared on their social media handles.

27. Brand your audience badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

Your audience might be your walking and talking ads for your events. Literally. Set up a station and get artists to temporarily paint logos on your visitors. The attendees can have the option of choosing your logo or the sponsors’ to be painted on them. 

28. Show and tell badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a virtual event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

big yellow sponsor booth by ikea that people get a live demo of the product in

Have a demo of your product so your event attendees can get an up-close and personal look at what you’re selling. This attracts attention from the right audience and generates quality leads for you and your sponsor. Also, let your event attendees get their hands on the product and experience it first-hand.

29. Whisk your audience into the VR world badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

people using virtual reality lenses to experience sponsors content and brand

Virtual reality has become a showstopper for events. It can instantly transport your audience into another reality and also gives them confidence that you know how to make use of the latest tech. Branding VR content is an obvious choice and the best part, about 53% of people are more likely to purchase from a brand that uses VR. Worried about how much it costs? There’s no need to. You can buy Google Cardboard for just $10.

30. Create branded hashtags that work badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a virtual event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

Your event can achieve the dream of going viral with hashtags. And not just that, you can also gain extensive user-generated content if every visitor uses your hashtag in their posts. So what do you have to keep in mind while creating hashtags? It’s pretty simple. Include the name of your brand, your sponsors’ and the events’. Dreamforce did a good job at this with the hashtag #DF22 and drummed up a pretty good buzz online.

31. Make art with post-Its badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

post it wall that displays a speech bubble made by a sponsor

Post-its can be a work of art. This is a simple and cost-effective way of creating a colourful visual element for the walls. You can use it to create a giant-sized logo, QR codes, a space where your visitors can leave a message or a vibrant background for photos. And the best part, you can do it yourself!

32. Showcase user-generated content badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

sponsor booth that showcases user generated twitter content

Let’s face it, some of the user-generated content is epic. There’s a whole range of memes, video clips and funny photos that your audience has probably posted online and tagged your or the sponsor’s brand. Why not give them a shout-out? Display their content on posters or screens at your event for some fun decor.

33. Experiment with event apps badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a virtual event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

in der App für Event Vorträge anmelden

Event apps are today’s version of a paper pamphlet. Why not use it to your advantage? You can share the schedule, event map, list of attendees, and update it in real-time. Your audience can also network and connect over calls and messages with you and your sponsors. Why not give them enhanced visibility inside your event app? Linking your sponsor’s social media profiles helps your attendees know them better and makes it easy to give their feedback.

34. Let the product sell itself badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

highly designed sponsor wall with a screen that displays pinterest trends

Put the products on full display and let your audience try them out. You can come up with innovative ways to display them. Just keep in mind that they have to be easily accessible to your visitors. You can also turn your product into a giant prop by scaling it in size and installing them around your event.

35. Game on! Use gamification for a playful experience badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a virtual event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

Encourage your visitors to engage playfully with games at your event. The theme of it can revolve around your sponsor’s product so they learn more about them while playing. Make it simple and easy so anyone can join in. You can give away prizes that are relevant to the brand so it all ties together perfectly.

36. Take the green route with a sustainable event badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

Over the past few years, a great deal of effort has gone into making eco-friendly choices. And it’s for good reason. Why not extend these efforts to your event too? Instead of using installations for just one event and disposing of them, they can be reused or rented out instead. This is better for the planet and doesn’t burn a hole in your budget too.

37. Use nostalgia to your advantage badge that indicates a in-person event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a virtual event sponsorship idea badge that indicates a hybrid event sponsorship idea

Take your event attendees on a trip down memory lane with your products from the past. This helps them get to know you better and shows how far you’ve come. It’ll also bring back memories of simpler times and create a sense of connectedness. Relive the blast from the past with optimism and a warm, fuzzy feeling.

3 Tips to integrate your Event & Conference Sponsorship Ideas

There are plenty of opportunities to get your audience to sit up and take notice of your sponsor. Be it in-person, virtual or hybrid platforms, with the right event idea, your help sponsors achieve their goals and get them to support your event in the first place. But to make everything fall into place, you need to execute ideas that would draw in your audience and make them stay. Here’s a quick rundown of how you can do this:

  1. Keep up with the latest tech. Your audience will trust you and your sponsor a lot more when they know you care about being innovative. 
  2. Be human and have fun with it. Your event might be all about business but there’s no harm in loosening up a little. In the end you are marketing to people and not business entities. You will come across as more approachable and personable.
  3. Find ideas that are a natural fit for your sponsors. Being authentic and finding genuine ways for your sponsors to connect with your audience is a sure way to make your event a game-changing experience.

Planning your next event or conference? Converve is your #1 platform for custom tailored B2B Matchmaking & Networking events. Get in touch with us. We will be happy to hear your ideas.

Anyone still using a desktop computer as their first point of contact for event marketing is making a big mistake. But are (native) event apps the answer? Let’s take a closer look.

The percentage of desktop visitors for websites is steadily decreasing. Many organizers are therefore concerned about the impact of the increased proportion of mobile visitors in relation to the marketing of their events. 

This trend has been taken into account in website development for years: first with responsive web design and the goal of optimally displaying content on as many devices as possible. Later, the focus was on mobile first, which means that the design prioritized is not that for desktop use, but rather that for mobile use. And that makes a lot of sense, as these trends show:

Mobile trends

1. Google search

Over 60% of search queries online are now coming from mobile devices. This prompted Google, the operator of the largest Internet search engine, to make “mobile friendliness” a ranking factor and then make the mobile index its primary index in 2016. 

2. Mobile-only is growing

In the US, 25% of mobile Internet users are “mobile-only”, meaning they no longer use a desktop computer. This trend is clearly growing.

3. Mobile devices continue to diversify further

Trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT), voice control (Alexa etc.) and wearables (e.g. smartwatches) are contributing to a boom in the number and type of mobile devices. Can the function of an app be broken down in such a way that it also works on a smartwatch? Is it possible to book an event ticket via Alexa? The requirements for flexible design are increasing.

What does this mean for the event experience?

An organizer aware of this development is forced to act. Before an event takes place in the real world, your participants will already be gaining various impressions from different sources: social media, the event website, newsletters, print materials, posts on partner websites. 

Things get serious when participants of your event want to get information, register and interact with your content via the event website, whether mobile or via desktop. It is here that the decision is made whether the “user experience” can contribute to the success of the event.

  • How easy is it to sign up and pay?
  • Is all the necessary information easy to understand and accessible without any barriers?
  • How intuitive is the navigation? 
  • How long are the loading times during the registration process?
  • Can payment and ticketing also possible be done on smartphones?
  • Can I already interact with other participants and prepare for my visit?

The “big picture” that your participants gain about your event is composed of these results.

The obvious solution would seem to be an event app that is specifically geared towards mobile users, right? Ok, so we hire an agency that develops an “event app” or use the numerous event app providers that the German and international market offers.

But what exactly is an event app? What exactly should it be able to do? 

Why native event apps are not the answer 

An exact definition of the term appears to be crucial, as it often omits the word native. A native event app is a solution that is made available in the relevant stores (Android, IOS). Features such as registration, event info, event schedule, speaker and sponsor info, live polls and surveys are often part of these solutions. 

At this early stage of the process, event planners already get a bad feeling. First of all, I try to convince the target group to participate in my event with the help of various marketing measures and to bind them with the help of good content. And then I have to “send them away” to a store again? And force them to install “my” app? And then to again find the installed event app on their smartphone among their many other apps? And then to actively use the event app? 

So, I send my participants to a silo (App Store), where I once again have to provide all the content that already took me so much effort to present on my website? Does that really make sense?

There are estimates that with each additional step a participant needs to take in order to install and use an event app, about 25% of the audience will leave. i.e. 

  • Target group event participants: 100 %
  • Sent to the store:  loss 25%, remainder 75%
  • Event app installed:  loss 25%, remainder 50 %
  • Proportion of users actively using the native app: loss 25%, remainder 25 % 

There are 2.2 million different apps in the iOS App Store alone and 2.7 million in the Google Play Store. In fact, the average app user spends 77% of their time on the top 3 apps. These are usually from the areas of games, social media, messaging, maybe also finance. 

A native event app can never win among such competition – with its very special benefit, which is reduced to the period before, during and perhaps just after an event, i.e. a few weeks. And it gets worse.

Long waiting times 

Before event apps can be downloaded by visitors in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, they go through what is called a review process. The app is checked for content and functionality, which can take anything from several days to a few weeks. In the worst case, submissions can also be rejected if certain content does not comply with the guidelines of the respective App store. 

Restrictions on corporate smartphones

Many companies provide their employees with smartphones that frequently have individual software settings. So it is not uncommon for these phones not to allow for additional app to be installed for security reasons. In these cases, the user could not install an event app from the App store and was therefore prevented from using it.

Platform confusion

Event apps have to serve multiple platforms to be able to reach as many users as possible. An app for the Google Play Store on Android, an app for the App Store for iPhones, and to really reach all users, you would have to provide an app for Windows Mobile or Blackberry, too.

But wait a minute, what about any advantages of using native event apps?

Pro argument: Push notifications.

So-called push notifications are special messages displayed directly on the user’s mobile device. This means that you do not have to first open the event app, but you have access to this information with one glance at your device.

Push functionalities are available in both native and web apps. However, Apple with the iOS operating system does not allow web-based pushing on the Safari browser (yet) – that would be an argument for a native event app. However, about 75% of mobile operating systems worldwide are Android-based, the rest is mostly iOS-based. 

In addition, users can unsubscribe from push notifications and they therefore do not guarantee reliable delivery. Participants or groups of participants can also be notified of important updates with notifications displayed in the web app.

Pro argument: Offline use

Years ago, the possibility of being able to use the event app offline was the strongest argument for a native event app. More static content such as the event program could be read even if no internet connection was available. By now, however, that is no longer an argument since web-based event apps have a (limited) possibility of storing data on the local device. This would mean that this information would also be available offline. 

Native vs. web app

Considering the poor usage rates of native event apps and the other drawbacks, a native event app can be a real threat to event planners when they working based on wrong assumptions, fall for false promises, and “rely” on native apps. 

Mobile Experience and the Converve platform

One of the core features of the Converve platform is facilitating and organizing matchmaking and networking among participants for your event. Our data-driven referral tool helps attendees find the most valuable contacts and exciting content at your event. 

Mobile Event Experience – made by Converve

It goes without saying that this is most easily done via the device that your participants always carry with them: their smartphone. Our platform is therefore consistently designed for mobile use. All its key features are easily and intuitively available on mobile for event participants. They can conveniently make appointments, even during the journey e.g. on the train.

At any given time, exhibitors can follow how many and which meeting requests are made through their interface. Organizers can keep track of key KPIs directly from their smartphones.

And all this without the complicated download of a native event app, but quite simply via the mobile browser of their smartphones!

We are constantly developing our mobile solutions, so that users no longer have to worry about which device they use our solution on. That is both the logical and right way for us.

Summary

There are many arguments in favor of communicating with your event participants based on the mobile first principle. Having said that, native event apps do more harm than good.

At Converve, we rely on easy availability of all the information and core features (contact management, event website, registration & payment, agenda management, networking, matchmaking and reporting) via mobile-optimized, fast-loading and user-friendly solutions.

People who visit B2B events want to network with each other and learn new things. The best way to do this is by linking the matchmaking platform and the event programme. Here’s why.

The research project Future Meeting Space carried out by the German Convention Bureau has once again confirmed: “The transfer of knowledge is a key factor in ensuring that participants leave a business event happy”.

At the same time, the experts at the Fraunhofer Institute list networking among the most important success factors for business events – in such a way that even quiet or introverted participants can make new contacts and network at the event.

This clearly demonstrates how closely knowledge transfer and networking are interlinked when it comes to the success of an event. We, at Converve, recognised this and thus focus on integrating business matchmaking and the event programme.

From the participants’ point of view and their “Delegate Experience”, it makes little sense to offer separate platforms that function completely isolated from one another for these essential components of business events.

What exactly are the advantages for participants and organisers, and how exactly does this work on the Converve event management platform?

1. Participant appointments and the event programme on one platform

Participants can make appointments with other participants, as well as “appointments” with the event programme, via the Converve platform. They can request appointments with other participants, exhibitors, and sponsors, confirm or reject received requests, and can keep an eye on their preferred lectures, keynotes, workshops, etc., with the integrated event programme.

2. Personal participant agenda

This gives the participants an effective and comfortable overview of all their relevant appointments. They avoid any overlapping and don’t forget appointments. This is a big step towards event personalisation!

All meetings, lectures, keynotes at a glance on the Converve platform

3. Integrated event programme and reporting for event organisers

Organisers can integrate the event programme and see in the reporting section who has registered for which programme item. This supports event management, spatial and capacity planning, and event marketing in advance. Particularly active participants can already be identified before the event , which in turn provides basic approaches for influencer marketing and gamification elements that are based on participants’ activity levels.

4. Integrated audience response tool

Thanks to our partnership with Slido, Audience Response can be offered directly in the event programme. Slido provides the opportunity to ask the speakers questions, to hold votes, to get feedback from the participants. This type of interaction is becoming increasingly important for business events; our Slido integration makes knowledge transfer, interaction, and networking grow even closer together.

Various interactions can be defined and offered through the same online platform for each session. This eliminates the annoying switching between different services for the participants.

5. Mobile view even for complex event programmes

Mobile first: Complex multitrack event programmes can also be tracked and planned via your smartphone. This is particularly of value for content-heavy events, e.g. in the fields of natural sciences, pharmaceuticals, medicine, and technology.

Session data and speaker pics can be included in the event programme, too

Summary

By integrating business matchmaking and event programme, two essential elements for successful events merge. This provides both an overview and comfort for event visitors and eases event planners’ stress levels and their lives! We are more than happy to chat with you  about how you can merge your event programme and business networking.

Today, exhibitors, sponsors and visitors alike use business events mainly for networking. Here are 10 good reasons why a matchmaking platform makes sense for your B2B.

The profile of business events, conferences and trade fairs has changed dramatically. Once, the focus was on obtaining information  and purchasing (preparation), but today it is very clear that networking is the key.

Because these days you can find both a broad range and in-depth information anywhere. Search engines and the explosion of content marketing mean that there are hardly any blank spots left on the knowledge map for B2B decision-makers – well, actually…

Because decision-makers often don‘t see the wood for the trees. That is why B2B events are helpful – they offer the classification, exchange, and systematisation of knowledge, and, above all: contacts with like-minded people.

What is a business matchmaking platform about?

Matchmaking platforms raise the networking at B2B events to another level entirely.

The concept of a matchmaking platform conceals software that initiates contact between suitable interlocutors. It enables a search for promising contacts based on the user profiles of providers and consumers. But it can do much more. A matchmaking platform can be used to organise communication between event participants before, during, and after a B2B event. Meetings can be arranged, capacities and resources managed.

The matchmaking platform can even handle event marketing and ticketing.

10 reasons to manage your B2B Event with a Matchmaking Platform

Why do your visitors need a business matchmaking platform?

Visitors of a B2B event have always been drawn to networking. Here is why you should do it in a targeted manner with business matchmaking.

1. Better planning

With a matchmaking platform, visitors can plan their visit and make appointments long before the event starts. In this way, visitors come to the event perfectly prepared and don‘t leave networking to chance.

2. Find interesting contacts

Visitors find the contacts that they’re interested in and don’t waste time. They can request appointments, confirm them, but also reject them if they don‘t fit into their plans. By logging in with their social media profiles, they are able to create their profiles quickly and easily.

mobile converve app showing which event attendees you can meet

3. Simple time management

Time management is simplified, because on a platform, visitors have a view of all the dates and the events programme at all times. Of course, via an app on their smartphones as well: Visitors are always fully informed about their appointments at the event.

event agenda inside the converve app

4. Follow up contacts after event

Post-processing is more efficient as well, as visitors can follow up on their appointments and visits via the platform. What was agreed with exhibitor A? Which innovation did exhibitor B offer? Who do I want to know more about? The matchmaking platform makes it possible to collect information and structure your trade fair or congress follow-up.

Why do your exhibitors need a matchmaking platform?

Your exhibitors want and need data from potential visitors even before the event. You can provide this within the platform, so they wont go elsewhere to find this information.

5. Structured data acquisition

Meetings become measurable and success transparent with a matchmaking platform. The success of one’s participation as an exhibitor or sponsor in a business event depends on the number of leads generated at the event. The matchmaking platform provides exhibitors with information on how many contacts were made and the quality of these leads at any time.

6. Improved preparation

Exhibitors already know beforehand who they can expect at the event. They can prepare themselves, plan in and brief the necessary sales staff in a targeted manner. The best example is Meitheal – a hosted buyer event for the Irish tourism industry. Every year, about 700 participants, including 300 event planners from overseas and 400 representatives of Irish tourism, meet in Dublin.

About 26,000 appointment requests are planned and more than 13,000 meetings organized via the matchmaking platform. This video explains how to use the platform:

Why does your business need a matchmaking platform?

Naturally, you already benefit from the matchmaking platform if it brings added value to your visitors and exhibitors. But there is more.

7. Control everything through one software

All the core processes take place on a single platform: from the event website via event marketing to participant matching. No more X different software platforms that are not compatible with each other: with the Converve platform, all the event management processes are managed using one software programme.

8. New monetisation opportunities

Business models in their entirety can be based on the number of meetings that take place at the event. An example: The series of Global Exchange events that deal with topics such as real estate, finance, etc., organised in the US among other destinations. “The Exchange events are the future of how trade fairs should be organised,” says an exhibitor at the Build Exchange (see video statement).

9. Targeted communication

Instead of scattergun mass mailing, the matchmaking platform offers the opportunity to target exhibitors and visitors according to their areas of interest and level of activity. Who is particularly active? VIP customers can be identified by the number and quality of their meetings and committed to the event. Inactive participants can be specifically motivated.

10. Building a community beyond the event

The dream of every event planner is to offer a platform through which participants can get in touch and consolidate their interaction beyond the 2-3 days of the event. Organisers can take a giant step towards making this dream a reality with a matchmaking platform. More and more companies are going one step further by making the platform available to their community all year round.

This offers 3 important advantages:

  • Data & participants remain in the system
  • Many smaller events can be organised throughout the year
  • You build a relationship with your visitors & customers through more frequent touchpoints

Together with LogiMAT, Converve has launched a remote community platform to connect sellers & buyers looking for innovative logistic solutions. The platform makes matchmaking possible 365 days a year.

logimat digital matchmaking platform

We build Your Event, Your Way.

A matchmaking platform for business events offers a win-win situation for event organisers, visitors, exhibitors and sponsors. What opportunities does the Converve platform offer for your event and how can you use it to optimise your networking? We will be happy to answer these questions in a free demo.

He doesn’t do anything, he just wants to play… Does this apply to participants at business events as well? What’s all the rave about the mega trend of gamification and is it even worthwhile when it comes to B2B events?

What is meant by gamification?

Reading the definition of gamification on Wikipedia does not make it sound like a lot of fun: “The application of typical game elements in a non-game context.” Wow…

Gamification is based on humans’ innate instinct to compete with others. We have been carrying this need with us since the age of living in caves, and anyone who’s seen children growing up will know how deeply it is rooted in our genes. A task becomes interesting when there’s something to play for.

Of course, this also applies in a business context. To stay one step ahead of the competition, to achieve better results than the other business operations in the company, to become employee of the month… We’ve all been there.

So why not apply the principle to the most common form of business encounter: business events, conferences, trade shows? This is closer than you might initially think, and many event organisers have already had a shot at gamification experiments.

The typical case: leader boards

An attempt is made to increase the “engagement” of the event attendees by bringing about playful elements and creating small competitions among the participants. Leader boards are frequently seen in action. They are common in golf. These tables show who has achieved the best result according to certain criteria.

Leader boards may also be put to work in the context of an event: for example, when it comes to the most active and influential Twitter users, to the participants with the most interactions with other participants or exhibitors or sponsors.

A leader board can also be used in combination with a quiz. Participants must visit e.g. exhibitors to request information and then enter this information into an app. The person with the most correct answers wins a prize. Or they are asked to scan the badges of other participants and collect points for the leader board. Some apps offer the ability to track current rankings in real time.

This increases the motivation to become even more involved in the event.

Speed camera lottery in Sweden

With “The Fun Theory” competition, Volkswagen rewards playful ideas that make people stick to speed limits. In Sweden, such a model is already in use. Instead of punishing those who speed, it rewards those who stick to the speed limit – by entering them into a speed camera lottery. The exciting thing about this is that the prizes are funded by the fines paid by those caught speeding.

It works, therefore, by promoting positive or desirable behaviour by using playful elements.

LEGO Serious Play

Another example is “serious” play using LEGO bricks. This technology is increasingly being used in corporate strategy processes in order to gain new perspectives on hurdles or challenges and to develop new team solutions. The team members use LEGO bricks to visualise complex issues easily and to make them understandable.

At business events or workshops, this is also an effective way of bringing people into contact with each other in a playful way. It can encourage networking and lighten the mood.

Here’s an example from Rice University in Houston:

At the German Marketing Day 2018 in Hannover, everyone received a small set of LEGO bricks, which the congress participants were instructed to use to build a duck. It’s not as easy as it sounds, and so many came into contact with each other in a playful way.

But who really participates in games at business events?

As you can see in the examples, gamification needs to mean more than a simple leader board for it to really make sense for business events. At many events it has been shown that it is not necessarily the “most important” visitors who take part in such actions – namely, they have no time or use the time at the event they do have to actively pursue their participation goals.

Often it is the not-so-important visitors who use their time for a leader board contest. This may result in more networking – but not necessarily a higher quality of networking.

Generation “Tracking”

On the other hand, there is a generation growing up who are used to measuring their daily footsteps with fitness trackers, whose wellbeing depends on the number of Instagram likes on their photos and who grew up with talent shows and searches for the next big star. This audience expects a somewhat playful approach even where “serious” topics are concerned. Openness to the idea is growing for this reason.

Quora is a nice example. The aim is to share knowledge to “understand the world better” (quote  Quora). The answers to questions asked on Quora can be voted on. The answer with the most likes will be displayed at the top. Product reviews on Amazon or similar work according to a similar principle.

Building such mechanisms into an event makes a lot of sense, whether in evaluating exhibitor innovations at a trade show, using lectures or workshops, or in inquiring about the most important learnings at the end of an event. You can do that smoothly and playfully with a smartphone survey (e.g. using Slido, eventScribe or Glisser).

Conclusion

Gamification can enrich a business event – but the concepts should go well beyond dull leader boards and be embedded in the event’s script. Gamification can then also promote the networking between the participants among other things. We are happy to talk about how this can be done with the Converve Matchmaking Platform.  Contact us, let’s put our heads together and exchange ideas.

Successful matchmaking at business events requires dramaturgy and suspense. The participants came up with great ideas at our workshop that was held in December!

On 4 December, around 150 event professionals met in Ingelheim at TechXperience 2018. Converve was one of the partners and a workshop provider. This allowed us to welcome an interested group of event designers to our “Development of creative match-making formats for events, trade fairs, and conferences” workshop.

In our interactions, several exciting aspects that event managers face time and time again were discussed – or aspects that they would like to see in the matchmaking at their events. This is reason enough for us to publish a review of the workshop here on our blog.

First finding: Successful marketing for match-making requires dramaturgy

Timing is everything in match-making. Suspense is required for match-making to reach its full potential at an event. This starts with the registration for the event and ranges from covering initial details (“There will be matchmaking at the event”, approx. 8 weeks prior to the event) to countdown (approx. 6 weeks prior to the event), the actual launch of the matchmaking event (approx. 4 weeks prior to the event), and a reminder (approx. 2 weeks prior to the event) about the event itself. These are the key milestones.

However, debriefing is no less important: Matchmaking allows you to establish and intensify relationships to valuable contacts, even after the trade fair – this means that the interaction extends beyond the physical event.

Second finding: Who can be matched with whom?

A common concern among many B2B organisers is that matchmaking will attract “free riders”, i.e. potential exhibitors who use the event in order to avoid the expenses of a stand and who are looking to establish direct contact with the visitors.

Therefore, “casting” matchmaking participants is important. There needs to be a selection process for participants of a matchmaking event. For example, matchmaking might only be offered to those who upload a type of applicationor who try to render the event a success in another way. This may require more effort. However, this does ensure higher quality.

It is not acceptable for VIP visitors to be spammed with contact requests. This means that the casting process needs to be able to consider power structures in a business to ensure that the participants that meet at the event are at the same “level of power”.

Third finding: Taking monetisation into account from the very beginning

In order to trigger a discussion in this area in particular, we made the bold suggestion that trade-fair visitors are willing to spend more money to participate in an event if efficient B2B match-making is offered. If need be, even without their own stand at the trade fair!

This, of course, is a way of thinking that is still strange to many trade-fair managers. After all, the lion’s share of their income is derived from renting out square metres.

Event designers discussing successful matchmaking at B2B events in Ingelheim

However, in the framework of the group discussion, many suggestions were in fact made as to how matchmaking can contribute to monetization. For example, exhibitors could pay per lead/match. Entry models could be offered (participation in a match-making area rather than a stall), match-making tables could be sponsored, search results in matchmaking for participants could be monetized by means of ads.

In any case, it is crucial that organizers of B2B events think about how to turn their matchmaking service into a business model.

Forth finding: Why not try gamification?

The communication with participants prior to the event must be well-planned for matchmaking to be a success; a perfect client experience is key: easy exchange of contact details, high-quality meetings, and better planning of the attendance of the event are aspects of interest to the participants.

To make all this fun, some of the participants in our workshops came up with the idea of integrating gamification elements: Who has the highest number of quality meetings? Who is the main contributor to the event by spreading additional links or information and by being particularly active on social-media platforms etc.?

Conclusion

For us at Converve, it was incredibly exciting to examine the aspects of successful matchmaking at this workshop in a direct exchange of ideas with the organizers. The general consensus among participants was that matchmaking is actually a lot of work. However, it is worth the effort since all the participants at a B2B event work more efficiently, achieve better results, and can better justify their expenses. Some event organizers are creating new positions for this very purpose, such as that of a “Matchmaking Manager”.

By the way: In this contribution, we have summarized 18 success factors for fruitful match-making at your B2B events.

In the ever-changing landscape of business events, effective matchmaking has become an essential component of event planning. As events continue to grow in scale and complexity, organizing an effective matchmaking strategy that connects attendees with the right people and content has never been more critical. In this article, we will explore the key components of successful event matchmaking strategies, our 18 best practices, and ways to measure the success of your matchmaking strategy.

52% of trade fair, conference, and B2B event organisers consider B2B matchmaking to be a crucial success factor for their event. This was revealed by a survey that we recently published in a Converve white paper. The publisher m+a Verlag reached a similar conclusion in the run-up to this year’s trade fair symposium in Frankfurt: 49% of participants see a need to expand matchmaking services.

little robot sitting at a desk and acting as the converve matchmaking software mascot

This is Conny. Conny helps event professionals like you facilitate their event matchmaking strategies. In this article, you will learn how to develop your own matchmaking strategy. Why not hop on a demo with Conny afterward?

Of course, more and more B2B event participants expect a measurable return on investment for their attendance – this applies to exhibitors as well as sponsors and visitors. In this context, the focus lies on the kinds of new contacts an event participator manages to acquire.

However, it is often the case that event organisers only start thinking about matchmaking, particularly software-supported matchmaking, at the very end of the planning process. At this point, they attempt to put the cart before the horse – which often fails.

Converve has been providing business networking solutions for 22 years. We asked our project managers, software developers, and communication experts what they consider to be the most important success criteria for matchmaking, and the answers they gave are presented in the list below.

First, we will dive into what successful matchmaking is all about and how you can develop a matchmaking strategy for your event yourself. If you want to skip ahead to our 18 Sucess Factors, you can do so with a link in our summary to the right.

Understanding Event Matchmaking

What is Event Matchmaking?

Event matchmaking refers to the process of connecting attendees at an event with the right people and content. This ensures that attendees maximize their time spent at the event by connecting with relevant content, speakers, and other attendees. Event matchmaking helps to create a more personalized, engaging, and productive event experience for attendees.

map of europe showing two profiles of an event tourism platform

At its core, event matchmaking is about creating connections. It’s about bringing people together in a way that is meaningful and valuable to them. Whether it’s connecting attendees with potential business partners, introducing them to new ideas and perspectives, or helping them find the perfect session to attend, event matchmaking is all about helping attendees make the most of their time at the event

The Importance of Effective Matchmaking in Events

Effective event matchmaking is essential to the success of the event. It creates a more engaging and productive event experience for attendees and ultimately leads to better outcomes for event hosts and sponsors. Effective matchmaking helps attendees to uncover new opportunities, drive collaboration, and build long-lasting relationships. Moreover, it can increase the perceived value of the event and improve attendee satisfaction rates.

One of the key benefits of effective event matchmaking is that it helps attendees to discover new ideas and perspectives. By connecting attendees with like-minded individuals and thought leaders in their industry, event matchmaking can help attendees to expand their horizons and gain new insights into their work. This can be particularly valuable for attendees who are looking to stay ahead of the curve in their field and want to be exposed to the latest trends and ideas.

Another key benefit of effective event matchmaking is that it can help attendees to build long-lasting relationships. By connecting attendees with potential business partners, collaborators, and mentors, event matchmaking can help attendees to build a strong network of contacts that they can rely on for years to come. This can be particularly valuable for attendees who are just starting out in their careers or who are looking to make a career change.

Finally, effective event matchmaking can help to increase the perceived value of the event. When attendees feel that they have been matched with the right people and content, they are more likely to view the event as a valuable investment of their time and resources. This can lead to higher attendee satisfaction rates and increased attendance at future events.

In conclusion, event matchmaking is an essential part of creating a successful event experience for attendees. By connecting attendees with the right people and content, event matchmaking can help to create a more engaging, productive, and valuable event experience for everyone involved.

Key Components of a Successful Matchmaking Strategy

Organizing an event can be a daunting task, but with a successful matchmaking strategy, you can ensure that your attendees have a memorable experience. A matchmaking strategy is a process that helps you connect your attendees with the right people, products, and services at your event. In this article, we will discuss the key components of a successful matchmaking strategy that will help you achieve your event’s goals and objectives.

Defining Your Event’s Goals and Objectives

The first step in developing a successful matchmaking strategy for your event is to define your goals and objectives. Your goals and objectives will shape the entire matchmaking experience and help you set metrics for measuring your strategy’s success. Before building your matchmaking strategy, you need to determine what your event is trying to achieve, what your target audience looks like, and what they hope to get out of the event.

For instance, if your event is a trade show, your goal may be to connect attendees with exhibitors to generate leads and sales. Alternatively, if your event is a conference, your objective may be to facilitate networking opportunities for attendees to learn from industry leaders and peers.

Identifying Your Target Audience

The next critical step in developing an effective matchmaking strategy is to identify your target audience. Who is your event designed for, and what types of attendees are most likely to attend? Knowing your target audience is crucial in building an effective matchmaking strategy, as it will help you tailor your matchmaking experience to their needs and interests.

For example, if your event is a technology conference, your target audience may include software developers, technology executives, and entrepreneurs. Understanding your target audience will help you create a matchmaking experience that is relevant and valuable to them.

Creating a Comprehensive Attendee Profile

Once you understand your target audience, the next step is to create a comprehensive attendee profile. Your attendee profile should capture key information about your attendees, including their interests, job title, industry, and professional background. This information will help you segment your attendees and create more personalized matchmaking experiences.

This is what a typical event matchmaking algorithm looks like. The more you segment keywords for your attendee profiles, the better recommendations our algorithm provides.

For instance, if you have a mix of senior-level executives and entry-level professionals attending your event, you may want to create different matchmaking experiences for each group. Senior-level executives may be interested in attending exclusive networking events, while entry-level professionals may prefer attending educational sessions to learn new skills.

In conclusion, a successful matchmaking strategy is an essential component of any event. By defining your event’s goals and objectives, identifying your target audience, and creating a comprehensive attendee profile, you can create a matchmaking experience that is tailored to your attendees’ needs and interests. With a successful matchmaking strategy, you can ensure that your attendees have a valuable and memorable experience at your event.

Measuring the Success of Your Matchmaking Strategy

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Event Matchmaking

To measure the success of your matchmaking strategy, you need to establish key performance indicators (KPIs). KPIs are metrics that help you measure how well your matchmaking strategy is performing against predetermined goals and objectives. KPIs can include metrics such as the number of successful matches, the number of attendees who attended networking events, and the overall satisfaction rate of your attendees.

Find out how you can track your Event KPIs with our reporting app.

Gathering Attendee Feedback and Testimonials

Gathering feedback and testimonials from your attendees is a crucial step in measuring the effectiveness of your matchmaking strategy. Feedback and testimonials can help you understand what worked well and what can be improved, allowing you to make adjustments for future events. You can use feedback and testimonials to refine your matchmaking strategy and to attract more attendees to your future events.

Analyzing Data and Adjusting Your Strategy for Future Events

Finally, analyzing data and adjusting your strategy for future events is critical in unlocking the value of effective event matchmaking. Analyzing data and attendee feedback will help you spot areas for improvement, refine your strategy, and ultimately, create more successful events. Adjusting your strategy based on data-driven insights will help you unlock the full potential of event matchmaking and drive better outcomes for your attendees and event sponsors.

18 Success Factors for Event Matchmaking

We have been setting up matchmaking platforms for our customers for over 22 years. When we take a look at the best performing events, these are the success defining factors.

The right timing

Make it as easy as possible for participants to register. Lengthy registration forms will scare people off. Not only are B2B event visitors deciding to participate at increasingly later times, they are also starting to prepare for their visit closer and closer to the date of the event.

Based on our experience, we recommend activating software-based matchmaking 2-4 weeks before the event. By then, participants must also have optimised their profiles for matchmaking, e.g. by providing a link to their LinkedIn or XING profile. Start a countdown (e.g. “Only 12 days to go until you can arrange meetings”) to add a level of suspense.

Understand the decision-making and power structures on the market and arrange matchmaking accordingly

Which group of participants should be able to view which other group of participants and be able to request meetings? Should visitors be able to arrange meetings with one another via the platform? Should exhibitors be able to actively contact visitors to arrange a meeting, or should only the reverse apply? These conceptual questions depend on the espective market and must be taken into consideration when planning B2B matchmaking.

Effective use of payment and discount codes

Discount-, VIP- and early-bird schemes can boost registrations many weeks prior to the event. Matchmaking will only work once a relevant number of active participants use the platform in due time before the event.

Bezahlmöglichkeiten auswählen

Active registration for matchmaking

Participants must be able to consciously decide to participate in matchmaking. Data-protection regulations aside: you won’t succeed by simply entering all visitors into the tool, as this will result in too many “inactive” individuals on the platform, which will lead to frustration for “active” participants.

Gatekeepers as a quality guarantor

Similar to a bouncer at a club, the person(s) responsible for the matchmaking platform should examine all registrations and decide who is and who isn’t allowed to participate. This ensures a high quality of participants and prevents misuse or spam. For example, with the Converve platform, you can set up rights management in a granular way, e.g.: “Mr. Schmidt is responsible for all new registrations for the participant group ‘Buyers from Norway and Sweden’.”

Get participants involved and maintain contact

Personalized messages such as “Additional participants have registered who meet your search criteria” encourage matchmaking participants to log into their profile and actively use the platform. Another good practice is to announce suitable event formats – “Further workshops have been added that correspond with your interests”, for example.

Contact inactive participants

If registered participants have not yet arranged any meetings via the platform, send reminder emails to precisely this target group, in line with the motto “Event XY starts in 6 days – arrange your meetings now via the matchmaking platform”. The Converve platform allows you to address such groups of people in a targeted way.

Telephone marketing geared at exhibitors or visitors

We recommend the targeted use of telephone marketing campaigns, in order to inform exhibitors or VIP visitor target groups about the matchmaking service and to conduct a quick phone tutorial. This also allows you to find out whether the stored contacts (e.g. stand constructor or marketing decision-maker) are really the right people for arranging matchmaking meetings, or whether a different company employee might be better suited for this (e.g. a sales representative).

Placing messages from sponsors

Based on certain criteria (e.g. foreign address, job title), you can deduce special needs the participants may have and then place targeted sponsoring messages – e.g. offering a VIP shuttle from the airport, hotel offers, or ads for the International Visitors Lounge.

Initial kick-off email

When addressing (potential) participants of a matchmaking platform for the first time, don’t bombard them. Reaching out to participants in a targeted way – ideally with a personal touch – promises more success than a scattergun approach.

Short and simple registration forms

Keep the registration forms as short as possible and don’t ask for too much information in the first step. A straightforward registration process is crucial for the customer experience. Collect the information required for matchmaking at a later point or have it generated via a social login.

Don’t use too many different platforms

Large trade fairs in particular often experience the phenomenon of a multitude of platforms and providers being involved in the process. One platform to register participation, another for CRM, and a further platform for the event website, plus one for email marketing, the event app, reporting… This increases the level of complexity and makes the exchange of data between systems more difficult.

Avoid the need for different passwords

In relation to this, we should also mention the password issue. Make things as easy as possible for your participants and avoid the requirement of several different passwords for your services. Always consider the customer’s point of view!

Prefilled registrations

In an ideal case, the registration process for the event (ticketing) should be directly connected to the matchmaking service. If this isn’t possible, export the ticketing data and fill it into the matchmaking registration forms. This will make it easier for participants to register.

Less is more

In all your communication with the participants, consider how you can offer the best experience for your customers. What information do the participants really need? What can you leave out?

Communicate via the platform instead of just by email

The Converve platform also allows you to communicate with your participants. This means that all relevant information can always be found in one place and participants don’t need to spend ages searching for details. This makes participation much easier.

Livechat zwischen zwei Event Teilnehmern

Use explanatory videos

Don’t presume that your participants know how everything works – instead, inform them about the advantages and the mechanisms of matchmaking. Here is an example of informative and emotional video communication:

Employ matchmaking managers

The first German trade fair organisation recently established the role of Matchmaking Manager (Reed Exhibitions Deutschland). This shows how important this issue is. Matchmaking is crucial for securing the future success of trade fairs and B2B events.

The Converve team has already supported 3,000 events in setting up and operating successful matchmaking platforms. Get in touch, so that we can discuss a suitable concept for your event!

Conclusion

Effective event matchmaking is critical in creating a productive and engaging event experience for attendees. It helps attendees uncover new opportunities, drive collaboration, and build long-lasting relationships. Building a successful matchmaking strategy requires defining your goals and objectives, identifying your target audience, creating comprehensive attendee profiles, implementing best practices such as using technology and encouraging engagement, and measuring your strategy’s success through data and attendee feedback. By following these key components and best practices, you can unlock the power of effective event matchmaking strategies for your next event.

MICE Club is a community for the MICE and event industry in the German speaking markets. We spoke with the founder, Dominik Deubner, about current trends in event technology and the upcoming TechXperience.

On 4 December, the first hands-on EventTech Conference – TechXperience – will take place in Ingelheim. The event is organised by the MICE Club, an association of approximately 400 event planners from German speaking countries.

The TechXperience was initiated by Dominik Deubner, founder of the MICE Club. Converve is a partner for the event and will be offering a workshop called, “Developing Creative Matchmaking Formats”.

We took the opportunity before the event to talk with Dominik Deubner about current trends in the industry, and to get a first look at the TechXperience.

We ran the interview on Facebook as a live stream. You can find the embedded video below (in German language). Here are a few excerpts translated to English.

Dominik, which EventTech trends do you currently see in particular?

Dominik Deubner: “I find it particularly exciting how today, we can work with digitisation on the one hand and with capturing smart data on the other. The combination of these tools creates added value for event participants. In the future, it will be possible to personalise both event communication and event content even more.

Secondly, there is currently a lot going on in the field of matchmaking. For many, this is the deciding factor for why they attend events at all. These days, it’s more important than ever to meet the right people at events. Matchmaking can be optimised through digitisation and smart data. By evaluating smart data, matchmaking opens up new ways to bring together participants with similar interest profiles.

Thirdly, EventTech provides methods to better evaluate participants’ behaviour at an event, keyword “return on investment”.

How will personalisation in the event sector have a tangible impact?

“Whenever I collect data (keyword DSGVO), I have to inform the participants how they will benefit – for example, by being able to point them to specific sessions that match their profile particularly well. In the same way, recommendations can be made as to which providers or other participants would be interesting. These benefits must be clearly communicated.”

What can participants expect at the TechXperience?

“The time is right to give EventTech its own format. Feedback shows us that we’ve hit a nerve in the industry. There will be a colourful mix of lectures, best practices, interviews and hands-on conveyance of EventTech content. Participants can expect workshops, such as the Converve matchmaking workshop, round-table discussions, a very dialogue-focused format.

The Culture and Congress Centre kING in Ingelheim, provides us with a state-of-the-art facility that opened just a year ago. In addition, Ingelheim is located in central Germany, and is easy to access by train or car.”

We are very excited and are looking forward to the first TechXperience on 4 December 2018 in Ingelheim!

Take a moment to think: when were you last at an event that really impressed you? What made the event so special?

The trade fair, event, and conference industry is currently undergoing a period of reorientation. More and more often, the talk is about experience design, design thinking, and prototyping… CEBIT is becoming a Digital Festival, the fashion fair Bread&Butter by Zalando is positioning itself as a “Pop-Up of Style and Culture”. The Berlin science conference Falling Walls is focusing on the participants’ experience down to the smallest detail.

Organizers keep trying to reinvent the (event) wheel. The online world has already shown the way and the offline world is now following suit: It is the customer experience at all points of contact between a brand and its customers that determines success or failure.

Why does it make sense for trade fair and event organizers to analyze and optimize their customers’ experience? And how can it be done anyway?

One: Stand out from the crowd – it is the special element that counts

Take a moment to search for the term “IT event” on Google. I just did. The result is 4.4 billion hits! A search for “medical congress” still yields 808 million results.

Your participants are spoilt for choice these days. In addition, they can find the information they need at any time on the internet or on their smartphone. They go to trade fairs and events if they can expect to gain inspiration and experience something special. This applies to all points of contact a customer has with you, from the information on the website, registration, pre-event support, the journey to the trade fair, the welcome on site, visitor guidance, thru to the journey home and post-event communication.

The more often you succeed in offering customers something they do not get from the competition at these contact points, the more you will stand out from the crowd.

Two: Create moments to share

It is the echo in the online world that turns an event into THE event. When your customers spread a message like “I’m at an event right now – you can’t even imagine what it’s like!” on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, XING, or LinkedIn, then you have done a lot right. Create perfect photo opportunities. Always bear in mind “shareability” when designing stages and branding. This can be Superman on stilts who strode around the TALENTpro fair in Munich, this can be a photo box with the event logo, or musicians who make the time spent queuing pass more quickly.

Three: Make things as easy as possible for people

It is very simple in the online world. If a page does not load fast enough, potential customers lose interest and leave. Trade fair and conference organizers often still think in terms of processes rather than experiences.

Instead, offer a registration process that also works smoothly, quickly, and easily on cellphones, a matchmaking tool that connects suitable business partners with each other ahead of the event – we know of one, by the way… 😉 – and a website that also loads at lightning speed on a cellphone and provides customers with the most important information without lengthy searches.

That way, customers stay on track and do not give up in frustration.

Four: It is not the best product that wins – it is the best experience

Many smartphones are technically superior to Apple’s extremely expensive iPhones. And they are cheaper anyway. So, how did Apple still manage to become the most valuable company in the world? Because the customer experience takes center stage with them.

Good experiences attract people. That applies to trade fairs and conferences as well. Size is not what matters. For trade fair visitors, it is much more relevant who they can meet at an event, how well these contacts match their requirements – and how much they enjoyed the experience!

Five: A good experience is the best basis for diversification

All companies want to grow. Whatever that means. It could be size, turnover, employees, profit… The same applies to the world of trade fairs and conferences. Be it only because sales have dropped elsewhere, e.g., due to a trade fair being called off. Diversification is therefore the order of the day. And that requires the customers’ trust – which is fueled by positive experiences.

Let us take a look at the example of Online Marketing Rockstars. The starting point was a daily newsletter called “Online Marketing Rockstars Daily”. The content was great, the addressees were enthusiastic. This led to requests for a meeting in the real world – the birth of the Online Marketing Rockstars Festival, which has become one of the most important events in Germany’s digital economy with around 40,000 visitors.

And since that worked so well, how about Online Marketing Rockstars Deep Dives (seminars)? Or Reports (PDF publications)? Or a job exchange for the digital economy? The value chain based on the Online Marketing Rockstars brand is long – a result of the good user experience that fans associate with it.

The bottom line

Trade fairs and conferences that offer their participants unforgettable experiences set themselves apart from the competition and find their way into the hearts and minds of their customers.

Our motto at Converve is: “We work out the complicated stuff to simplify your event management.” We also apply this principle to the design of our business matchmaking software and focus on your customers’ experience. Contact us – or use our Converve bot down here on the right.  Your experience is important to us as well!

Facial recognition technologies are no longer something out of science fiction — they are becoming part of our everyday lives. We use them for unlocking our smartphones or passport control at the airport. What does face detection have to offer the event industry?

Amazon delivers more than just millions of packages every day. The American e-commerce giant is also one of the leading companies in the area of real-time facial recognition. The background? Amazon wants to make it as easy as possible for its users to purchase products online or in brick-and-mortar stores.

So, rather than complicated passwords or login data, why not use the customer’s face? After all, people always have their face with them and, in most cases, there’s only one of each of them in the world! An exception: Tom Cruise in the Mission impossible films. But that’s only in Hollywood…

Entry into daily life

Users of state-of-the-art smartphones have long been used to unlocking their mobile phones with a single glance. The technologies are continually becoming faster and more reliable. Whether at passport control or airport check-in, new areas of use are popping up almost every day.

At this point, facial recognition software can even recognize a hungover, rumpled face with a 3-day stubble.

Good or bad for the event industry?

Naturally, the topic of facial recognition is becoming more and more relevant for trade shows, conferences, and events. But is that absolutely awesome, or are there a few unpleasant aspects as well?

Some things speak for the use of facial recognition software at events:

  • Check-In: Printed tickets were yesterday. Today, there are smartphone tickets, Wallet, QR codes, iBeacons, or RFID. Event check-in is getting faster thanks to new technologies, which in turn leads to a better event experience for the participants. After all, who likes to stand in line? Facial recognition software has the potential to shorten waiting times for check-in even more if no badges at all need to be printed out or presented anymore. That plays a big role at high-traffic trade shows. At the ICE Awards in London, the check-in process could supposedly be completed five times faster than in the past. Requirement: All participants must have a profile photo stored in the data bank.
  • Access control: At times when there is a risk of terror attacks, or for events with special security concerns, facial recognition software has the potential to ensure that really only authorized attendees are allowed to enter the event. The system sounds an alarm if someone who doesn’t belong there tries to sneak in. Then the check-in or security guards can step in.
  • Exchanging contact info: Wouldn’t it be great if you could exchange contact info by just taking a picture of your counterpart? We remember faces better than names anyway. When two conversation partners have checked in at an event with facial recognition and their photos are saved in the participant database, they just need to take a picture of each other with their smartphones and — poof! — they have exchanged contact info.
  • Pay-by-Selfie: This is one of Amazon Web Services’ patents, in which a selfie is taken rather than entering a password. It takes just a moment in front of the camera to trigger the payment process. You don’t even need a credit card anymore — in fact, not even a smartphone — to pay the entry fee at a trade fair or conference!
  • Missing Persons: A nightmare for parents — their child wanders off on a visit to Disneyland or at a music festival. But it’s no problem with facial recognition software and surveillance cameras. In no time flat, the little adventurer is back safe in his parents’ arms. The same technology could be used at trade shows to see what specific visitors are interested, which way they walked, which exhibitors they found most interesting (length of their visit!). This would let creative trade show managers initiate brand new revenue generators: displaying sponsored links to other exhibitors with similar products. But here we can already start to see the disturbing side of facial recognition.

These are the more critical points:

  • Privacy / GDPR: What haven’t we all done to conform to the requirements of the European General Data Protection Regulation? And it’s taught us that, without the express permission of the data subject, nothing can be saved anymore. In the same way, a company needs to be able to prove at any time when and how the data subject gave their permission for the personal data to be saved. Automatic tracking with facial recognition and possibly the storage of movement profiles are the nightmare of every data protector.
  • Mood detection: The newest system for facial recognition doesn’t just identify people. It is even able to recognize moods. A typical usage example: I come home from work; my smart home music system takes one look at my face and already knows what kind of mood I’m in. Like magic, the system plays “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. Or would “Hells Bells” from AC/DC be better? So a photo of the plenum at the medical conference will be enough to tell if the presentation was lousy or Nobel Prize material? And if we want to save all of that and run Big Data analyses, then “loss of privacy” won’t even begin to cover the situation for our customers anymore.

Conclusion

Technology is great. At Converve, we love technology! But only in connection with an active discussion about the impact that new technologies will have and whether they are really for the benefit of visitors and the event industry.

And for that, every single person must consider what and how much they want to reveal about themselves.

Despite the euphoria over the potential for facial recognition, we must exercise great caution.

Time is running out: On the 25th of May, the GDPR European General Data Protection Regulation will be coming into force. What will this really change for event managers? We discussed the matter with an expert.

Is it possible to develop a passion for data protection?

Those of you who refuse to entertain such a notion should take the time to listen to Dr Ralf Schadowski’s take on the matter. An expert in data protection and IT security, he can speak about the GDPR with a passion that has to be heard to be believed!

Whether at the FAMA Trade Fair Symposium, the Eventtech Alliance Symposium or, most recently, at the DLG Marketing Day, he encapsulates his audience with his high level of expertise and entertaining presentation. It truly makes data protection a fun experience!

Against the backdrop of the DLG Marketing Day, we spoke to him about the effects of the GDPR on the event industry, hoping to ease some of the panic surrounding the legislation.

Data is money

Event organisers usually form part of small and medium-sized companies. Even an industry giant such as Messe Frankfurt, with 2,500 employees worldwide and an annual turnover of over 660 million Euros, falls under this category.  Many associations organise business events, but there are very few event organisers who have an extensive team, or even a comprehensive legal department, at their disposal.

It is therefore no surprise that a number of event organisers are only now starting to get into gear when it comes to the new legislation. They are also definitely thinking about what real impact the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will have on them, and what they will need to address first if they want to avoid running into difficulties.

“(Participant) data is money, and we have to think very carefully about what we want to do with this data – and this process starts even before the event,” says Dr Ralf Schadowski. “We need permission, the consent of the participants, so that we may continue working with the data afterwards and effectively reach out and appeal to those participants when it comes to promotions and advertising.

Organisers must, upon request from a participant, be able to verify where they obtained this personal data from and what it will be used for. They must be able to prove the consent of the participants, along with the date that this consent was given. If the organiser is unable to do so, then the participant can bring this to the attention of the data protection supervisory authority.”

This means that each organiser is responsible and liable for what happens to the data they acquire.

Where does the data go?

In the digital world, it is becoming increasingly difficult to efficiently reach the target group for an event. It has been a long time since organisers have been able to rely solely on (expensive) brochures; nowadays, they need to pull out all the digital stops as well. This includes advertising offers like those offered by Google, Facebook, or other service providers under keywords such as Re-Targeting, Facebook Pixel, eTracker, or Webtracker.

All these services are characterised by the fact that they track a customer’s “customer journey”, after which they will then display targeted online advertising. One example of a popular advertising medium used on Facebook are the so-called “custom audiences”. This involves using Facebook advertising to reach out to target groups who either visited the event website earlier or are identified by the process of matching up personal data (e.g. available e-mail addresses) on Facebook.

Dr Ralf Schadowski: “When I collect data on websites using tools such as Google Analytics, eTracker, Facebook Pixel, or similar, there are some things that must be implemented. For one, I need to have implemented order processing contracts with these service providers.

If I haven’t, then I will be at risk of a large fine in the event of a data breach. Also included under this umbrella of service providers are, for example, local service providers who take care of registration or participant management. There are a number of legally sound templates that can be used for such data processing contracts, such as the templates that can be obtained from the German Association for Data Protection and Data security (GDD).

Fundamentally, the participant having their data collected must always know where an organiser is sending their data. This is the data path companies must follow. Unfortunately, many companies do not possess this level of transparency.”

Data processing company or service provider?

In the concrete example of remarketing on Facebook via the use of a Facebook Pixel on the event website, Facebook becomes a data processor – because Facebook will be receiving data from users of the event website.

There are two consequences that arise from this fact: The event organiser must enter into a data processing contract with Facebook (which is thankfully settled online, see details here) AND the organiser must include information in its privacy policy that explains to its customers what happens to their data and for what purpose it is transmitted to Facebook. If you use Google Analytics, for example, you can download the agreement with Google here; print out two copies, sign, and send to Google in Ireland.

Ralf Schadowski defines the requirements of the GDPR as follows: “Organisers do not, however, need a data processing contract with a service provider such as Facebook, XING, or LinkedIn if they are just placing ads without using “custom audiences” or other personal data.”

What to do next?

Don’t worry: all event organisers are feeling the same way as you, so there’s no need to panic. Here is a quick to-do list:

1. Check who is receiving data from you and arrange appropriate contracts.

2. If you are a data processing company, get legal advice and draw up an appropriate contract that includes the TOMs (technical and organisational measures). 

3. Review your privacy policies on your website with regards to the services you use. The following tool allows you to find out which services are currently in use on your website and block services on other websites: https://www.ghostery.com/

4. Start with the CS (Common Sense) method to analyse your internal processes and to create so-called process directories. 

5. Agree on obligations of confidentiality with your employees.

6. Don’t let it drive you crazy. Just get started. 

There are a number of checklists available online that you can use as a guide. 

Converve also acts for you as a data processing company, and we meet the requirements of the GDPR. Your data, and that of your participants and exhibitors, is safe with us.

Many freelancers are involved in the event business today, and that number is expected to keep growing. How can freelancers and mobile employees manage to stay focused, even when working from home?

“New Work” is considered one of the megatrends marking the transformation of society from an industrial economy to one based on knowledge. The lines between one’s professional and personal life are becoming blurred. Many of those working in creative fields are becoming increasingly independent, whether they’re full-time employees working from home or freelancers working for themselves.

This is especially true in the event industry. Whether it’s temporary event managers providing extra support for the team when things get really busy, specialists in technology, graphic design, video, or other fields, or even interim event managers: the event industry is a trendsetter when it comes to what’s been called “liquid work”.

As wonderful as this newfound freedom may sound for many, it’s also very difficult sometimes for creative workers to remain focused on what they need to get done.

Just a quick break to check Facebook, get lost in YouTube, postpone unpleasant tasks, or maybe hang some laundry and do the dishes – there’s a distraction lurking around every corner.

So what can one do to stay motivated? Here are 10 tips from us.

1. Some structure never hurts!

Try using to-do lists to organize your tasks into bite-size morsels, always true to the old saw “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” (Online) mind maps are also really useful, as they can help keep you from getting lost in the details and losing sight of the big picture.

Large projects and unpleasant tasks are often a source of anxiety. The result is that they’re often put off until the very last minute. Easy-to-digest tidbits, on the other hand, are a whole lot easier to tackle.

2. Set aside time slots for checking email and social media

In our hectic day and age, we’re constantly being bombarded with a wide variety of media. A little more time on Twitter, a little Facebook, maybe check and see what’s in your email inbox… We’ll never be able to free ourselves completely from it all, and besides, the benefits of digital communications media are obvious.

Plan specific times for dealing with your emails or for social media activity. This way you’ll never lose sight of the reason you’re using these media channels of in the first place: to network with like-minded folks and to keep improving yourself. Always ask yourself what role cat content really plays in this – even if it is hilarious! 

3. Avoid multi-tasking

One task after another, not three jobs at the same time. More mistakes are made when you attempt to keep five balls up in the air at the same time. Our productivity suffers when we have too many things to do at once. This isn’t always easy for event managers to understand, but the satisfaction that comes when you’ve finished a task is something you’ll achieve a lot sooner if you complete one task after the other.

4. Don’t be too much of a perfectionist

Of course, you can always try to do everything perfectly. But there’s also the well-known 80-20 rule, which says that the last 20% of the outcome takes up 80% of the time. Is that worth it?

If you make the experience of event participants your clear priority, you’ll be able to cut quite a few things out of your to-do list.

5. Use the best tools for you

One person may be more of a visual-tactile type and prefer their old Moleskine notebook, another might be the kind who needs a digital solution for everything and swears by Evernote. Whatever – the only thing that matters is that you find the right tools for you and that you stick with them. Don’t go chasing after every trend that comes along.

6. Change the scenery every now and then

The advantage of being a freelancer – or an employee with the flexibility to work when and where you want – is the mobility, of course. So use it! The best place to do conceptual work might be in the woods, and routine tasks can be taken care of at the café around the corner.

Movement encourages creativity. A change in scenery allows you to see things from a different perspective.

7. Find yourself (a) companion(s)

Some people like to go about things on their own. Others work best as part of a team. In any event, interaction with other people can make you more aware of your goals and priorities and allow you to better pursue them.

Many cities feature “coworking spaces”, some of which have a lounge you can pay to use by the hour or per visit. This is a good opportunity to network with other people, coach one another, or just have a nice chat. And maybe you’ll even get an event job out of it.

8. Reward yourself regularly

When you’ve finished an unpleasant task, that fact alone can be a great source of motivation. Go ahead and treat yourself to something you personally enjoy!

9. Incorporate breaks and rest periods into your work day

When you’re really absorbed in a task, you don’t notice time passing, do you? It’s still important to take breaks, though, if you want to stay productive over the long term. Try to establish a certain regularity when it comes to break times.

Follow the example of the Swedes: the “fika” (coffee break) is a sacred time, and almost every company has set fika routines at ten in the morning and three in the afternoon. And the Swedes aren’t exactly known for their lack of productivity…

10. Get started today!

You’ll never accomplish anything unless you go ahead and do it! So get started on changing your habits today. It won’t take long to see the results!

YouTube: the second largest search engine worldwide behind Google. For event managers, the video network is a source of many pearls of wisdom, “life hacks”, exciting channels and, last but not least, content reach.

 It truly is unbelievable: Over one billion hours’ worth of videos are played on YouTube every single day. This daily total is spread across more than one billion people using the video platform worldwide – that’s almost a third of all internet users.

While “fast” networks such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram play a major role in the live reporting of events, YouTube is used for a somewhat different purpose. The platform is used by people to search for content, tutorials, informative pieces or entertainment, in a similar manner to Google. And this is why YouTube is considered to be the second largest search engine. Users are therefore in a pull position, in that they actively search for content. On Facebook, meanwhile, they are flooded with push-info from the news stream.

For event managers, the video network offers huge potential from a variety of angles:

  • YouTube can be used as a channel for distributing your own content.
  • When it comes to training, education and self-improvement, it is an extremely useful platform.
  • Are you looking for inspiration and creative stimulus? Well YouTube is the ideal place to discover this as well.

A lot can happen in an “internet minute”, and so to avoid getting lost in the vastness of the YouTube universe, we have prepared some tips for you on how to get the most out of YouTube as an event manager.

YouTube as a content platform for event marketing

The first thing you need to do in order to get your content discovered on YouTube is… post videos there!

This means that you need a clear strategy as to what content you want to and can produce when it comes to your event. This can be a post-event video, of course, but you could also include interviews with conference speakers, exhibitors or visitors, further content, streaming whole sessions…

YouTube can also serve as a live-streaming platform.

But what distinguishes the successful YouTube videos from those millions of clips with just 50-100 views? There are, of course, also tips on the channel itself such as advice from “video influencers”:

Tyrone has a number of tips that cover everything you can do when it comes to creating YouTube videos:

One useful piece of advice, by the way: The secret of many YouTube stars is regularity. Many influencers post at a precise time, thereby helping to establish themselves as a brand.

Transferring know-how via YouTube

Started initially as a blog, EventMB has now become one of the leading sources of inspiration and know-how for event managers. YouTube is also used intensively by the team surrounding Julius Solaris. In the following video, Julius gives his own take on what the EventMB channel is all about:

A clear recommendation!

With over half a million views of its channel, EventPlanning BlueprintTV is both exciting and well-structured. Melanie provides expert interviews, tips on budget planning, productivity, event marketing, event technology and much more. How to compile the perfect event planning checklist, for example:

Geared specially for the subject of event technology is the YouTube channel of Event Tech Live, an event in London that revolves around innovations for the event world. Here you can relive the interesting keynotes and sessions from the event.

Inspiration and motivation

It goes without saying that YouTube offers a lot of inspiration and suggestions pertaining to your daily work as an event manager – where it is always about reinventing the wheel and inspiring event audiences anew!

In this regard, TED Talks are the cream of the crop, both in terms of content and layout. In these videos, event managers will not only find inspiration for themselves but also come across the very best speakers, one of whom the event manager might invite to their event to be the next keynote.

Just to give you one example: Josh Kaufman’s wonderful TED Talk on learning:

Taking place recently: the SXSW (South-by-Southwest) in Austin, Texas, one of the absolute event highlights when it comes to digital technologies and visions for the future. On the SXSW video channel on YouTube, you can truly understand and appreciate the versatile spectrum of this top event for yourself.

How does this interactive session with Elon Musk take your fancy?

If you want to garner ideas for your own events, these video channels of top events are also highly recommended:

Dreamforce

World Economic Forum

CEBIT

The Web Summit

Bottomline

YouTube offers unending possibilities for event managers to take their events to new levels. Especially today, when organic reach on Facebook is on the decline, it makes sense to deal intensively with YouTube, not merely as a content channel but also as a “know-how platform”. Our tips will help you with this process – so have fun YouTubing!

Many trade fair companies have noticed that selling m² alone has its limits. What (digital) ways can help realise new revenue?

The global perspectives in international exhibition are very positive, as can be read in the UFI Global Exhibition Barometer Report. In Germany and Great Britain, around 80–90% of trade fair organisers expect revenue increases in 2018.

At the same time, many trade fair companies place strategic priority on exploiting revenue potential with new business models. Almost two-thirds of the companies surveyed by UFI expect the revenue share of new business models to be between 5% and 25% of their total revenue in five years’ time.

This trend is accelerated by digitalisation. Advertising on digital platforms such as GoogleAds or Social Advertising offers the opportunity of real-time monitoring, with optimisation potential geared towards conversion. Of course, (expensive) exhibition stands do not offer the same opportunities.

It’s clear that exhibition companies need to work out new models to ensure future success. And some companies are already leading the pack.

However, what do these new, often digital business models look like?

Organised networking and matchmaking

Converve’s key business activities focus on enabling business matchmaking through digital platforms. Trade fair organisers – ranging from the Deutsche Messe and Bilbao Exhibition Centre to UBM and DLG – strive to establish direct contacts between exhibitors and visitors during their events. And they use the Converve platform to do so.

Some exhibitors, such as ABM in Canada, even bank completely on matchmaking as their business model. In these cases, exhibitors “buy” a certain amount of guaranteed one-on-one meetings, which are scheduled in advance. More meetings can be organised at an additional charge.

An increasing number of exhibitors expect trade fair organisers to facilitate business matchmaking, as it significantly increases the measurability and efficiency of trade fairs and exhibitions. Matchmaking can either be used as an additional offer, or as a stand-alone business model.

The Amazon principle

We all know and love the Amazon principles: “Customers who bought this item also bought …”, “Frequently bought together…”, “Customers who viewed this item also viewed”.

This type of recommendation marketing made Amazon the undisputed number 1 in international E-commerce.

Compare this to the online shops of many exhibition companies, which still closely resemble a mishmash of order forms! It’s clear that exhibition companies now realise that customer experience is key, also in the exhibition industry, and adapt their online shops to the changes in customer behaviour accordingly.

Upselling is successful with the right systems and shopping experience, in B2C as well as B2B.

Festivals and ConFex models

Trade fairs and conferences are increasingly merging into ConFex models. These hybrid events require from the exhibition companies that they build up contentual competences, through partnerships or procurement. Strong content components, supporting programmes, or accompanying conferences are vital to trade fairs in almost all industries.

CEBIT 2018 is a trailblazing event, repositioning itself as a digital street festival, expo, and conference.

The new TALENTpro, an event for recruiting professionals in Munich, follows the same path by presenting itself as an exposition festival.

Many organisers are faced with the challenge of ensuring seamless integration of trade fair, festival, and content.

Platforms and market places

Whenever the most important providers and buyers of a certain industry meet, it makes sense to move some of the interaction to the digital realm. The necessary technologies are already available, with pilot projects up and running (e.g. ShopToys365 or UBM’s ShopTheFloor).

The online exhibitor directories have always been the sections of trade fair websites with the highest click rates. Why not use this potential to allow for online business dealings as well?

Actually, this trend also flows in the opposite direction: The online retailer Zalando has been organising the fashion fair Bread & Butter since 2016, as a “Festival of Style and Culture”. A combination of shopping platform, event, and experience, with a completely different approach to presenting an exhibition – also online:

I consider the so-called “verticalisation of exhibition formats” the most serious threat to the classic trade fair organisers. Producers who used to present their goods on one of the IT fairs now simply work out their own events.

A good example can be found in the ECD event by software provider Tradebyte. They manage to bring together their own partners, customers, and other players from E-commerce with an annual event. Here too, they use the help of the Converve networking solution.

Become a provider as well?

In the current platform economy, the most-successful companies possess data sovereignty. Exhibition companies have accrued a plethora of data over the years, which paints a detailed picture of the providers, buyers, and media of a certain – often international – market.

The Mayor of Frankfurt Peter Feldmann has suggested that the trade-fair Frankfurt should get involved with the bankrupt “Höchster Porzellan-Manufaktur”. Is this just political talk inspired by the upcoming mayoral election in Frankfurt, or would this strategy make sense for a trade fair with a wealth of expertise in dining, giving, and living (Ambiente)?

Here too, it makes sense to find inspiration at the king of the online hill, Amazon. The E-commerce behemoth offers its own products under the Amazon Basics brand, which are highly sought-after on its own platforms. Why can’t exhibition companies do the same?

Bottom Line

Trade fairs need to work out new business model to sustain their positive development. This allows them to also consolidate their digital position.

One of the most important tools is the targeted establishment of business contacts, as we offer through our Converve platform. However, there are also other strategies available that allow exhibition companies to utilise their strengths and expertise in new business models.

The Event Manager job is one of the most stressful jobs out there – but also one of the most interesting. What does a typical event manager day look like?

An event manager has a lot of strings to their bow. This is what makes the job one of the most popular, diverse jobs going, but it is also makes it very challenging.

What does a typical working day in the life of an event manager actually look like? We’re going to follow Julia, an event manager at a large firm, through her day! She has the annual customer event on the doorstep and is already whirling around!

09.00 am: Julia, Finance Manager

Each event has goals and a budget, regardless whether it is a company event, a pharmaceuticals conference, an Adele concert or a motorcycle fair.

Julia is responsible for balancing out income and expenditure at the desired ratio and that financial goals are achieved. She needs to keep an eye on costs and generate income from sponsoring, ticket sales, and fair stands. Events also have a lot of costs, from catering and transport to room booking, advertising, artists service providers etc…

No problem for Julia, as she has her numbers in check!

10.00 am: Julia, Creative Director and Experience Designer

As we are on the subject, events are experiences. This is applicable for B2B events as much as for public events. Julia is expected to create an unforgettable experience.

It is her job to bring the company message to life and make it an experience, conveying the ‘wow-factor’ to customers.

She has thought up several unique features for the customer event, from personal invitations to catering. The customers are bound to be impressed!

11.00 am: Julia, Human Resource Manager

Event management is teamwork. The cooperation of colleagues and team members with service providers, hosting personnel, assistants and freelancers is a challenge that requires a substantial amount of tact.

Julia manages this fine as she is open and generates a lot of empathy. She lives for the project and manages to drive her colleagues too. Together we can do it!

12.00 pm: Julia, Process Manager

Event managers have a table full of tasks. Multitasking is part of Julia’s daily business. As a result, she is good at structuring processes and organizing recurring tasks.

Julia, the perfectionist, can get on her colleagues’ nerves, but she doesn’t miss a trick!

13.00 pm: Julia, IT Specialist

Digitalization has also turned the events industry on its head. Earlier you wrote lists, these days we use ticketing, entry management and matchmaking systems (e.g. such as those by Converve!). Julia manages, using digital systems and project planning tools to always keep an overview of the project status and be on standby on the go from anywhere.

frau steht in der stadt und ballt lachend die faust

14.00 pm: Julia, Sales Manager

A large portion of Julia’s area of tasks is enthusing people for her events and to convert these into paying customers. For her customer event, she has also won sponsors. This still needs to be celebrated today!

15.00 pm: Julia, Networker

The Events department in a company is often an interface and central staff function. Julia also frequently works for other company areas. She is a good networker and has contacts throughout the company. A chat over a cup of coffee always helps!

16.00 pm: Julia, Customer Care Specialist

Somebody has a headache, someone else has missed their flight, another has forgotten his mobile phone. Event managers are well practiced to help with even the smallest of things and to be the perfect host. Julia does this gladly and knows this is why her customers and colleagues appreciate her.

As she works in an international environment, she also needs extensive intercultural competence. Foreign language knowledge is a part of this package.

17.00 pm: Julia, Marketing and Social Media Manager

Julia masters the keyboard of social media instruments such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter etc and sends off a couple of posts and tweets. She also manages to encourage her participants to diligently report about the event.

She also knows the classic marketing channels and knows how to use posters, banners, print material, flyers, websites, e-mail marketing and much more to put her events in the right spotlight.

Bottom Line

Even though it can get stressful at times – almost no other job is as exciting and diverse as that of an event manager. If you manage to position yourself in event management, most stick with it. Job perspectives in light of the digitalization ages also look good, as, amongst others, the United States Department of Labor finds.

Event Newsletter are an important tool in online marketing to generate registrations for your event – if it is well planned. But also after the event, Post Event Newsletters can be used to stay in contact with your target group for as long as possible and to inform them about further events from your company.

From a well-maintained email list to an appealing design: there are many factors that can influence the success of your event newsletter.

In this article, we provide you with valuable tips that you can use to launch even more effective event newsletters and thus attract even more attention to your event.

10 key steps for improving your Event Newsletter performance

Good things take time: This also applies to the creation of an appealing event newsletter. After all, you should leave nothing to chance when it comes to addressing your target group and attracting participants to your events. With our following tips & tricks for your next event newsletter campaign, you will get even more performance out of your mailings.

Step #1: Use a professional newsletter tool

As an event planner, you should work with a newsletter tool that offers you the features and functions that are essential for a professional mailing. Because using a conventional email programme for sending out event newsletters means accepting a high potential for errors and also not being able to create reports, which are absolutely key to monitoring the success of events.

Converve provides you with an all-in-one solution that allows you to create, save and send as many email campaigns as you like, plus a wide range of other features and functions.

Step #2: Make people curious with the subject line 

The subject line is your personal advertisement and the first thing the recipient notices about your event newsletter. The more convincing the subject of your email, the higher the probability that your newsletter will be opened. Easy as that. The subject line must therefore convince the recipient and spark curiosity for more. To ensure that the subject line drives up the open rate of your email campaign, you should therefore put extra effort into the wording.

This is how you get to the heart of the subject line:

  • For optimal visibility on desktop, smartphone or tablet, a subject length of approximately 50 characters is recommended
  • First Things First: The core messages belong at the beginning of the subject line. Relevant hooks for your subject line are:
    • Event announcement
    • Registration deadline
    • Early-bird tickets / last-minute tickets
    • Top speakers at the event
    • Further event highlights
  • You can increase the opening rate with a personalised addressing
  • Beware of spam filters: To ensure that your event newsletter does not end up directly in the spam folder, overly promotional phrases such as “free”, “free of charge” or “urgent” should be avoided. You can also fall into the spam trap with special characters and emojis
connys ideas for a newsletter subject line

Step #3: Use the preheader

Today, e-mail preheaders are displayed in almost all mailboxes of the major e-mail providers, both on the PC screen and on the smartphone or tablet. They give your subscribers a taste of the content of your newsletter. Do not leave this short preview unused, instead use this space to briefly hint at relevant content and get the reader curious.

Step #4: Create intimacy with a personalised event newsletter

Even if your event newsletter is sent to many recipients, the medium of e-mail is always directed at one person and therefore always has a personal touch. That is why we recommend that you use a direct approach when formulating your mailings. The subject line already shows the effect that the personalised salutation has on the recipients. Therefore, you should also focus on this practice as the email progresses.

Depending on the target group, use the first name or surname form of salutation and choose something more general if you do not know the name, for example “Dear Event Friends”. But that’s not all – the following e-mail elements can also be personalised.

1. The salutation

Open your event newsletter with a personal salutation to break the ice with the very first line.

2. The sender

Create more of a sense of intimacy by showing the recipient that there are real people behind your event newsletter:

  • Julia from Converve
  • Your event planner Ben
  • Kai, Marketing Manager from Company XY

3. Images and graphic elements

Collected data can be used to find out a lot about the interests and preferences of the recipients. The age or gender can also be helpful to tailor the visual material to your subscribers and possibly even individualise it with the recipient’s name.

4. The mailing body

To give the message in your event newsletter a personal touch, you can work with placeholders in the text that are later replaced by the name of the recipient.

5. The Link or Call-to-Action

Would you like to stage a link or a call-to-action in a particularly attention-grabbing way? Then you can also choose a personalised approach here and increase your click through rates.

  • Secure your ticket now, Mr Meier.
  • Our recommendations for you, Simone.

Add-on tip: If you have saved the information about previous visits to your events, you can of course also use this info for personalisation. For example, you could say: “You liked event X? Then you’ll love event Y!”

Step #5: Pay attention to the image size

Images add emotion to your event newsletter – no question asked. But keep in mind that more and more people open their emails via smartphone. Therefore, look very carefully at the amount of data you send. To be efficient with the data volume, keep the size of your pictures and attachments as small as possible. Also add ALT texts to the images. Because the automatic loading of images in the browser or in the email client can be suppressed. All recipients who read mobile will thank you.

Step #6: Generate leads with a call-to-action

What should your customer do after opening your event newsletter? Don’t miss out on inviting the reader to take action with a call-to-action (CTA). Because the touch point between your subscribers and participation in your event is the call-to-action. You should place it prominently in your event newsletter with an eye-catching and clearly worded CTA button. The first call-to-action should appear directly in the first 20 per cent of the email, so that it is also immediately noticeable via mobile.

Also increase the click-through rate of your call-to-action button by:

  • clear and high-contrast colour
  • a clear button text, for example “Book event ticket”.
  • a white background
  • a rectangular button shape
  • a complementary border

We recommend using A/B tests to find out what is performing best.

Step #7: Automate event newsletters and increase effectiveness

Automated e-mails or trigger e-mails are mailings that are sent on a trigger-related basis. The trigger is a predefined event, for example the birthday of a recipient and the participation in or registration for an event. Trigger Event Newsletters can increase awareness of your events, increase attendance or increase the number of newsletter subscribers.

An example of trigger newsletters are so-called post event newsletters, which can be used in the form of customer surveys and customer reviews. Also very popular are thank-you mailings that are sent, for example, after registration for an event and contain a discount code for the next event.

Step #8: Choose the perfect time to send your email

Distribution times are usually paid little attention to, but they have a significant influence on the opening rates of newsletters. Because you tend to reach your potential event attendees best when they are online and engaged with their inbox. Depending on the target group, you should assume different user behaviour: Recipients from the B2C sector are more likely to open your event newsletter in the morning and evening hours, while recipients from the B2B sector are best reached during working hours.

B2B Marketing experts believe that Newsletters sent in the evening at around 8pm achieve the best open rates.

3 reasons that your event newsletter should be sent out in the evening

Step #9: A simple unsubscribe option

Every event planner knows that the success of your event newsletter campaign stands and falls with a well-maintained email distribution list. This makes it all the more important that you are familiar with the legal regulations of email marketing campaigns. For example, your event newsletter must have an unsubscribe function and you may also only write to people who have already attended your event or have personally signed up to your mailing list.

Nobody wants to lose their valuable subscribers – but you should still make it as easy as possible for recipients to unsubscribe from your mailing list – preferably with just one click.

This has another advantage. You reduce the number of recipients who don’t read your newsletter anyway. This increases the quality of your campaigns and makes them less likely to end up in spam folders.

Step #10: Careful quality control

Not only are faulty event newsletters annoying, they also look unprofessional and cast a bad light on your events. Therefore, check your content before sending it for typing errors, spelling, correct links, a flawless newsletter sign-off function and, above all, the correct key data about your event.

Fehlerhafte Event Newsletter sind nicht nur ärgerlich, sie wirken auch unprofessionell und werfen ein schlechtes Licht auf Ihre Veranstaltungen. Überprüfen Sie daher Ihren Content vor dem Versand auf Tippfehler, Rechtschreibung, korrekte Verlinkungen, eine einwandfreie Newsletterabmeldefunktion und vor allem auch auf die richtigen Eckdaten zu Ihrem Event. 

Final thoughts: Invest time in your Event Newsletter

Newsletters are an important part of event marketing to reach, inform and attract your target group to your events. To ensure that your event newsletter performs as well as possible, you have a wide range of design options at your disposal, but you should use them in a measured and well-thought-out manner. To ensure that your newsletter brings the desired success, you’d better take a little more time – it’s worth it. Our ten steps will help you to sustainably increase the effectiveness of your newsletter campaigns.

Trade fair and B2B exhibitors and sponsors are demanding more and more measurable success indicators. Matchmaking helps decisively in realizing this. In doing so however, make sure you avoid these mistakes.

Often at business events it is all about bringing together offer and demand. The better this works, the more successful the event is – this applies to trade fairs, conferences and company-own events, as well as for events that live entirely from matchmaking (here is an example, Co-Brands).

If you are planning to use business matchmaking at your next event, you should definitely be interested in avoiding these five, popular mistakes.

Mistake 1: No clear goals set

The decisive question is right at the beginning – how important is matchmaking to the success of your event? What do you want to achieve by using it? Are you in a position that you exhibitors and sponsors demand measurable results? Are you planning your event for the very first time or is it already well-established?

These points are enormously important and influence how business matchmaking should benefit your target audience. The more specific you formulate these goals, the better you can measure the success of business matchmaking, e.g. we want to achieve an 80% exhibitor matchmaking participation rate, or we want at least 1,000 scheduled meetings.

Agree on goals with your exhibitors when organizing a trade event. The more you get them on board, the better.

A decisive question is whether business matchmaking should be enabled exclusively between exhibitors and visitors or also amongst the visitors themselves. This is a fundamental decision that needs to be made right at the beginning.

Mistake 2: Wrong timing

Clear planning of communication measures in the direction of providers and visitors is essential.  If you start too soon with communication, your target audience’s minds are still too far away from the event. If you start too late, you may in turn not reach them at all.

Linda Hull, event organizer of the TC3 Summit in Mountain View, California lists her advice and tips regarding this topic here.

Mistake 3: Not enough communication

If business matchmaking should become an important element of your event, sufficient space to this topic should be dedicated in your communication plan. This depends initially on convincing the target audience of business matchmaking users, ideally with short, user-oriented content.

You then need to explain as clearly as possible how the matchmaking service works and what needs to be done to profit best from using it. Useful tools would be to offer explanatory how-to videos – something we provide our customers with in their own branding. Here is an example from the recent World Export Development Forum 2017 in Budapest:

World Export Development Forum 2017 from converve.com on Vimeo.

Mistake 4: Underestimate software requirements

The importance of user experience should not be underestimated these days if software projects are supposed to be successful. Whether a business matchmaking platform is accepted by a customer or not depends decisively on how easy the software is to use.

By the way, this was also the result of a Survey of event planners we conducted in 2017.

User experience needs to be present on desktop, laptop and mobile devices. At the very latest at your event, visitors and exhibitors will access the business matchmaking platform countless times on their mobile devices.

Mistake 5: Matchmaking not sufficiently networked with other measures

In the best-case scenario, network visitor registrations and exhibitor management from the offset intensively with the business matchmaking platform. By doing so, you ensure the customer’s perspective of one complete process, as opposed to the customer having to manage several parallel logins and platforms.

Bottom Line

A business matchmaking program can raise your events to the next level and offer a substantial added value to your exhibitors, visitors and sponsors. If you avoid these typical mistakes, success is as good as guaranteed!!

Sometimes it does you good to simply put your smartphone, laptop and tablet to one side and grab something printed, right? For example, one of our offline reading tips for event managers!

Do you ever feel the same? Of course, these days we’re all super digital and always ‘on’. No doubt, many of you also have an e-reader as well as your smartphone and tablet. Nonetheless, however practical these things may be, at one point or another you need a good old (printed) book or magazine.

It is simply a different reading experience, nothing better, nothing worse than the digital experience, but still really relaxing.

Particularly now in the darker months of the year, amid the cozy, homey atmosphere where there’s nothing more comfortable than tucking in under a warm cover with a cup of tea and a good book.

Why not then with one of these reading tips for event managers?!

X: The Experience When Business Meets Design / Brian Solis

What accounts for the success of many strong brands these days? It is often not the well thought out product quality, rather more the experience that customers connect to the brand and its products. This can be seen clearly with such examples as Apple, Disney or LEGO. Behind exceptional experience design you’ll find technologies that can also be used at events.

These technologies are presented by Brian Solis, an internationally recognized expert for digital business and experience design. His book design alone is worth taking a closer look. As Brian Solis puts it, “the future is experience”.

Link: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00JZOZDUO/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_i0-gAbJ6FMG8M

Into the Heart of Meetings / Eric de Groot, Mike Van der Vijver

Eric de Groot and Mike Van der Vijver have a background in the theater and so to say lateral entrants to the world of conferences, trade fairs and business meetings. However, it is exactly this that makes this book so charming; it helps you to see event design from a completely different perspective and ‘reinvent the wheel’.

Eric and Mike present in this book that most meetings are purely looked at from a logistics perspective and not from human dynamics that trigger meetings. The book has a wealth of practical tips and inspiration on how to utilize this point.

Link:  https://www.amazon.de/dp/1482553945/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_l2-gAbZR46375

Trending Topic / Gerrit Heijkoop, Paula Vos

An event that doesn’t also take place in the social web these days effectively didn’t ‘happen’ at all – or so they say. Social media are perfectly suited to increase the effect of events and to fuel the experience.

Gerrit Heijkoop accompanies a wealth of B2B conferences and trade fairs in their social media presentation, including the IMEX. Using humorous and likeable campaigns, he ensures that events resonate online as well. The book, published together with Paula Vos, is a management novel. Follow Victor VanWely, a fictional director of the “National Society of Rodent Professionals” as he makes his conference a success using the power of social media!

Link: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01N3SJQ46/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_62-gAb60HXTBT

Event Design Handbook / Roel Frissen, Ruud Janssen

Design thinking as a concept is the basis of many successful startups. Based on prototypes, creative minds develop new products and business models and test them before they enter the market.

Roel Frissen and Ruud Janssen used this principle in the events industry. They developed the Event Canvas; a graphical approach to event design. It analyses the expectations of different stakeholders at an event, the initial situation and the desired behavioral changes, which then flow into an overall concept.

Although it sounds very theoretical, it has in the meantime developed into a very successful method to perceive and design events holistically. Highly recommended!

Link: https://www.amazon.de/dp/9063694342/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_M3-gAbHFEG15J

Bottom Line

It is highly enjoyable to immerse yourself in a good book. Our offline reading tips are not only well written, but also help event managers to progress and broaden their horizons. Enjoy!

Not too expensive, but also not too cheap… Perfect participant pricing for B2B events is very hard to find. Digitalization is another point as well. Which models are there at all?

The equation is, in principle, simple:

Number of paying guests x average ticket price = total turnover

In addition to this is ideally income from sponsoring (here are our tips regarding this point) and exhibition. And that’s that. Unfortunately, it naturally isn’t as easy as that! Determining the perfect participant pricing structure is a science in its own right.

Particularly for new events, prices can be very off – and such errors are very hard to correct in subsequent years. Digitalization enables people to compare prices of different events with very little effort, at the click of a button.

New options are opening up – several of which we’ll have a closer look at now from an event organizer’s perspective.

The Classic

What doesn’t cost anything isn’t worth it! This is an old principle that can still often be valid. This is the reason why two days at the German Trade Congress (German: Deutscher Handelskongress) in Berlin can cost you 1,490 EUR plus VAT. But costs can be a lot higher.

Participants of the World Economic Forums in Davos pay first an annual membership fee and then roughly around 29,000 EUR (per person!) to rub shoulders with the likes of Leonardo di Caprio, David Cameron, Christine Lagard, Sheryl Sandberg, Matt Damon, Joe Biden and many more.

Diverse Super Early-, Early-, Crazy-, Regular-, Late-, Late Late-Bird options, 2-for-1 and a range of discount models causing deviations at any B2B event. The MoneyConf in Dublin, participants pay e.g. 495 EUR for Super Early Bird, and 1,995 EUR for Late Late Bird.

Free Entry!

Many B2B trade fairs have in the meantime gone for not charging for entry at all – providing participants register in advance. Those who don’t, pay.

All others also pay indirectly, as event organizers obviously want to earn revenue on registered visitor data. Google, Facebook etc. don’t do it any differently. Obviously, such a model only works when revenue flow can be generated 100% from sponsoring, exhibition and advertising income. This requires the event organizer to have established a respectively sustainable business model.

Pay what you want (PWYW)

Radiohead led the way with this almost exactly 10 years ago. Fans could download their album “In Rainbows” directly from their website and pay what they wanted to. It was an absolute success for the band: they not only received worldwide attention, but also a higher average revenue per album in comparison to conventional sales channels!

Trade fairs have also already gone down this road. The Lehmbruck museum in Duisburg hosts a guided tour with art historians once per month. Visitors determine the price themselves.

So, is this also an option for B2B events? I think that many managing directors and CFOs of conference and trade fairs could be breaking into a sweat…

Freemium

A popular model in the online world: a service is first offered free of charge to reach a critical user mass. Then come the additional costs. At a trade fair, entry for example could be free of charge, the participation in the rest of the program however has to be paid for, as well as access to the networking lounge, evening events etc.

This is all good, as long as pricing doesn’t get too complicated. If no one understands it, no one will buy it.

That’s another way of doing it…

Matchmaking-based pricing

A lot of our customers take the approach that the participation in an event includes a particular number of arranged 1 to 1 meetings. They count consequently on business matchmaking. Suppliers at the Multifamily Exchange Event in New Orleans pay for 16 meetings, e.g. 8,500 USD, each additional meeting costs 400 USD. This is a valid model for the real estate industry, as suppliers know in advance who they are expecting and how much these contacts are worth to them.

Invitation-only and hosted buyer concepts

It’s not a big leap from the previous model to hosted buyer concepts. Participants apply for slots. If they match a particular profile, the event organizer frequently assumes all costs for travel, accommodation and board. The one condition is that participants commit to completing a certain amount of supplier appointments.

We have dealt with hosted buyer concepts and their pitfalls already.

Online price – offline price

In an age when live-streaming is ever more affordable and hybrid online and offline events are popping up all over the place, online participation in events suggests itself to complement offline tickets. Video recordings and slides are often streamed together, which can be viewed on purchase of a pass (example: Social Media Conference New Zealand, stream access costs 100 Dollars).

Bottom line

Digitalization is turning the events industry upside down. This doesn’t stop when it comes to pricing models. The value that participants connect with the event is totally in focus. The Converve platform counts on business matchmaking, something that is gaining ever more importance for event participants. This will enable pricing models in the future that are directly linked to the event experience of the participants.

Event videos communicate impressions of the event, transport emotions and whet the appetite for the following year. Here are 9 examples where this has been achieved particularly well.

No Video, No Way

Most event organizers have recognized how important video content is in making people aware of an event. This is why more than 8 billion videos are watched on Facebook per day. On YouTube, more than 500 million hours of video content are consumed – per day! P.S, you can find more interesting video statistics here.

News streams jump between content as it wants – in order to grab their attention, event organizers need to have attractive moving-image content. 

The classic is of course the picture or video diary of the event. Although it isn’t enough these days just to place one clip per year. The fast-paced social media world demands a much higher frequency of digital ‘feeding’.

We have selected several really well done event videos, from B2C music festivals to B2B corporate events. Enjoy watching and gathering inspiration!

Short and Sweet: TOA Festival, Berlin

Current statistics show, the shorter the video, the more likely it is that it will be viewed completely and then shared. The TOA Festival in Berlin combine technology, music, art and science and manages in under 40 seconds to communicate the most important elements of the event.

TOA’s recap video is also nice because it uses a wealth of super-short interview clips to summarize the mood and topics of the event. 

A Good Rhythm: Web Summit, Lisbon

The Web Summit Lisbon event video is crunchy and only 36 seconds in length. Almost like a music soundbite, it combines short statements and pictures to the beat. 

Voices Speak for Themselves: Bits and Pretzels, Munich

From Kevin Spacey, Stefan Raab and Philipp Lahm to Richard Branson – all have been to Bits and Pretzels in Munich. Most of them in traditional German Lederhosen and Bavarian dress. That obviously leads to great pictures! And the event organizers are happy to show them too.

How Close Can You Be? Lollapalooza Festival, Chicago

This music festival is highly emotional, as are the clips that the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago present. There’s a recap video every day. 

Cool B2B: Dreamforce, San Francisco

An unbelievable 170,000 people travel to be there when the software provider Salesforce holds its Dreamforce event. This year in San Francisco – the bad news however is that it is already sold out! It’s particularly a shame when you see this video – no doubt you would have also liked to have gone. 

Stylish: Dmexco, Cologne

Now one of the most important B2B events for digital marketing is the Dmexco in Cologne. It has top speakers and is growing both in the number of exhibitors and visitors every year.

Whet the Appetite with Live Videos: IMEX, Frankfurt

A great example of how live broadcasts can be used to attract visitors in the run-up to an event, without too much effort involved. To do so, the IMEX Frankfurt social media team with Gerrit Heijkoop used the platform belive.tv. 

This kind of makes the choice of where to go first pretty hard, right?

Some good news for all event organizers that use the Converve platform to organize business networking at your B2B events – we are happy to provide you with a how-to video that explains to visitors and exhibitors how to use the platform. Here’s an example from this year’s AGRITECHNICA:

Coen de Jong is the Project Lead Manager at Converve and an enthusiastic fan of Iceland! Why? Coen reveals all in today’s article.

It has been known long before the Brazilian World Cup in 2014 that there is a nice people living in the rugged nature of the North. For those of us who like unconventional music (e.g. Björk or Sigur Rós), Iceland is already a household name. With the Iceland Academy, the Iceland Tourism Office has initiated an award-winning campaign showing the unique ways of Icelanders in a quirky and heart-warming manner.

It’s therefore not a surprise that there are burning admirers of this chilly region – one of which being our own Coen de Jong. We spoke to him about what fascinates him about the country of glaciers and geysers so much.

Coen, what attracts you time and again to Iceland?

Coen de Jong: “It is unfortunately not as regularly as I would like to go, as Iceland is pretty expensive. Nonetheless I travel there now and again and every time Iceland manages to fascinate me again. It’s not so easy to explain what the reason for that is, because, at face value, Iceland is a large, sparsely populated island with a lot of surreal nature between small villages. But then you look again and then it’s a trip through huge layers moss-covered lava stones where you only now and again meet other people, somewhere that gives you peace and a feeling of calmness starts to grow inside.

Of course, you can also do a lot of cool things in Iceland. Ride snowmobiles on glaciers, go hiking in ice caves or cruise inland in huge 4x4s. So far that hasn’t really taken my fancy, though”.

The country apparently has its curious side too. What things come particularly to your mind?

Coen: “One of the unique experiences that Iceland offers you is how suddenly, in the middle of a field to stumble on a monument. A ship and a woman with a child on her shoulder. Icelanders are nice and helpful and like to erect info boards. The memorial is located where in earlier times, since the colonization until roughly the mid 19th century, the Laugarbrekka courtyard used to be. Shortly after colonization, this was the place where Guðriður Þorbjarnardóttir was born. Guðriður moved with her husband in around the year 1000 to America and was the first white woman to give birth to a child there. Sounds like a good reason to erect a statue!

It is exactly these types of stories that you find in almost every street that attract you act of the face-pace life of today and commit your thoughts to things far away from the usual working sphere”.

What does it feel like to travel through Iceland?

Coen: “Traveling on gravel roads over plateaus on which a fair amount snow can still lie at the end of May and again at the beginning of September doesn’t make you an Icelander or a Viking, but the attraction of walking through one or the other passages and enjoying the serenity and vast expanse is still growing for me. For me, it is my own personal escape”.

It is probably the contrast between the seemingly ancient, rugged nature and the comfortable life of a well-upholstered office chair that draws me, unfortunately not regularly, but again and again, back to Iceland”.

If you would like to find out more about Iceland, Coen is happy to reveal more tips and experiences! You can find his contact info here.

Do the new Apple App Store rules mean the end of white label event apps? There will definitely be a lot of changes for event and trade fair managers!

No mobile, no chance

The spread of smartphones is still growing. Forecasts project that in Germany in 2018 over 70% of the population will use a  smartphone, and in countries like South Korea it is already almost 90%. An event or trade fair organizer can therefore not do without having a mobile strategy to reach their customers. 

Particularly at events, interaction via smartphones and mobile end devices, offering information about speakers, content, exhibitors via mobile end devices is simply indispensable. As well as responsive web pages, many count on event apps that conference, trade fair and event participants need to download from the respective app stores. 

What is Apple doing?

At the start of the app economy, such apps were individually programmed at great cost, typically with 5-figure budgets to do so.

Then came white label event apps, that allowed event managers to design their own apps based on a template. This reduced event app costs considerably and the boom began for such providers. 

Apple however doesn’t like white label event apps at all. Why?

Cupertino would like to increase the quality of App Store offerings and therefore no longer want to publish apps that don’t have a considerable added value over other apps, with particular focus on app clones or app spam – so-called me-too apps that are only focused on generating a quick buck. 

Unfortunately, white label event apps also fall into this category, as, apart from their branding, the apps are identical on a functionality level. 

There is therefore a risk that event organizers that have otherwise worked with white label solutions won’t be able to do so in the future. 

A big issue for you as an event organizer?

Good question!

Here at Converve, we have been of the opinion for a while now that event apps only then make sense is they offer a clear added value for participants. Nobody wants to stuff their smartphone full of countless individual event apps for every conference or trade fair they are visiting! 

Current studies have found out that the average smartphone user uses 30 different apps per month, 10 of which daily. It’s therefore a real challenge for an event organizer to make the cut. 

Research shows that the download and (more importantly) usage rates of native event apps is increasingly falling and in the meantime, is around 20-30%, meaning that only 20-30% of event visitors actually use the offered event app. IF you consider how much effort is spent on planning, creation and marketing of such an event app, the ROI is indeed questionable.

More important from our point of view is to offer a mobile-optimized (responsive) version of your web page for mobile devices. This is also what Google thinks too, with mobile-optimized websites ranking higher than non-responsive websites. 

Which way for event app providers now?

In response to the changed App Store regulations, event app providers are now trying to design a universal event app, incorporating all possible events into one app.

The idea is that users download just one app, regardless of whether they want to go to a craft show, business conference for the pharmaceutical industry or IT exhibition. 

It kind of reminds you of Lord of The Rings – ‘one app to rule them all, one app to find them, one app to bring them all and in the darkness bind them…’!

Apart from the fact that it’s going to be interesting if and which universal app prevails, there is the question how much sense one universal app for all branches, target audiences, topics and event formats actually makes.

One size fits all? We’re actually heading towards 1:1 marketing, so the exact opposite. 

What can event organizers do?

  1. First of all – keep calm. If you already have a white label app in the App Store that is updated every year, this can continue to be offered.
  2. But then – analyze precisely is your own website is mobile-optimized and whether all features and functionalities are mobile user-friendly. There is a Mobile Friendly Test by Google, that helps you find out how the search engine giant sees your site.
  3. If you’re planning to launch a new white label app – leave it! The signals from Apple are clear and it doesn’t make much sense anymore. 

By the way: if you use the Converve Platform for matchmaking at your event, you can breathe easy! The platform is optimized for mobile devices and we are constantly working on a seamless user experience. 

Feel free to contact us if you’re not sure whether you are following the right mobile strategy at your event. We are always at your service to exchange ideas.

There is a lot of talk about what effects artificial intelligence, bots and voice recognition have on the events industry. What’s behind all the hype?

The topic of AI and bots isn’t just the current focus topic at the German Marketing Day in Frankfurt in November 2017 – the rapid development of voice activated assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home or Apple’s Siri shows just how much importance these developments have for marketing, customer relations and communication. 

Already as of June this year, Amazon had already sold an unbelievable 18.8 million Echo devices. The ‘smart speaker’ has only been on the market since June 2015 in the USA and here in Germany since October 2016. 

The Internet of things has now become integral to the industry and is gaining more and more of a foothold in the consumer market. This is the latest point at which the events industry should start thinking about how relevant this topic area is for event management. 

Chatbots for Customer and Visitor Contact

The first pilots were tested at IMEX 2017: visitor surveys about the fair, opening times, schedule etc. were automatically answered via Facebook Messenger chat. The chatbot was aptly called Frank, as the IMEX took place in Frankfurt 🙂

The underlying service was the chat engine by Sciensio, an AI app provider from Salt Lake City / USA. 

The dialogues are currently kept quite simple, as the bot isn’t immensely ‘intelligent’ yet. But you can already see in which direction the development is moving. Here is an example chat with the IMEX bot: 

A chatbot was also used by BizBash for their conference in Fort Lauderdale . Uber lets you organize your complete journey process via Messenger. Several airlines also offer flight booking via WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. 

The idea is of course to address visitors where they are. When you think about the fact that messenger services such as WhatsApp (with over 1 billion users worldwide) and Facebook Messenger have virtually replaced text messaging and partially e-mail traffic, it obviously lends itself to implement such channels into your communication strategy. 

Ticket Purchasing via Alexa Skill?

The Internet of things will also strongly influence the way in which we shop. Amazon already offers the possibility via Dash Buttons to order everyday things such as washing powder, dishwasher tabs and similar items at the click of a button. The purchasing process is thereby uncoupled from having to visit a website or use an app. 

So, will we soon be able to buy congress or trade fair tickets via voice command? The first instances already exist. Alexa Skill (this is the name of Amazon’s voice assistant) Fandango informs you about the local cinema schedule and enables you to buy tickets via voice command. 

The Skill EventGuru currently enables you to view current pending concerts in your city – cleverly enough with a short sample of the band who will be performing! Purchasing tickets currently isn’t possible, but this is merely a question of time until this feature is also available. 

Matchmaking with Algorithms and Artificial Intelligence

The matchmaking features of the Converve software are based on algorithms which compare the preferences and wishes of congress and trade fair visitors, as well as with exhibitors and makes suggestions who could meet whom at an event.

By doing so, this no longer leaves event networking up to chance – technology increases the ROI of an event for visitors and exhibitors. 

Bottom Line

The potential for AI, bots and voice recognition for events is enormous. Interesting application examples can already be seen in B2C events such as concerts, cinemas etc. from event recommendations to customer services and ticketing.

Also, B2B event application of such solutions isn’t far behind, in light of the swift spread of smart speakers and enormous use of messenger services. 

Interview with Bernd Fritzges, Initiator of WerteEvents, about ethics, morals – and his tips for event planners.

Bernd Fritzges came to the events industry through less conventional channels. Growing up in a culinary environment in Berlin, Bernd Fritzges still lives according to the motto “the more complex the challenge is, the simpler the solution needs to be.”

Perhaps this is what drove him in 2015 to take over the “WerteEvent” (English: ValuesEvent) event and to further develop its sustainable format. In this interview, he explains the idea behind WerteEvent and offers advice to event organizers who would like to offer matchmaking at their events.

What is the “WerteEvent” concept? Who does it address?

Bernd Fritzges: “Our event builds the bridge between topic-complex values, ethics and morals and the German event industry. We are targeted primarily at event planners from companies and agencies, as well as further industry representatives.

It is a charity event for the benefit of RTL – We Help Children foundation. In the past few years, we have managed to raise over 60,000 Euro. It is a meeting place for people of the events industry who concern themselves especially with values and have often already committed themselves to the value code of the events.”

How important is efficient matchmaking to the success of your event?

Bernd Fritzges: “An essential part of our event is matchmaking. Already during the registration process, you have the possibility to enter your fields of interest and the topics that you would like to concern yourself with during the course of the value event.

The system suggests suitable conversation partners, or you can search directly for colleagues that you would like to meet up and converse with during pre-scheduled networking breaks. This is more informal but also targeted and creates a large added value for our event.”

What role does the Converve Platform play?

Bernd Fritzges: “Converve is a partner of our event and provides us with the matchmaking platform and registration process. Converve has been doing this for the past 2 years.

Also, based on the feedback from our participants, I can state that the Converve software is a very good solution for matchmaking for finding the right partner at you’re your event.”

What advice do you have for event managers wanting to professionalize networking at their events? Which mistakes should they avoid?

Bernd Fritzges: “Be careful not to use too many ‘islands’ in your system landscape. The registration process, participant registration, correspondence, communication and matchmaking should all take place on one platform. Isolated solutions overwhelm participants. Keep all communication and participant data in one system. This will then lead to matchmaking being of added value at your next event.”

#Hashtags have been around for almost exactly 10 years. How can event managers use them to keep up to date and best spread information about their events?

Internet activist Chris Messina had an idea – let’s use the # symbol for groups!

This was back on August 23rd, 2007 at a time when Twitter was the super innovative network and many influential internet personalities were rising to fame. A long, long time ago…

One thing is certain – #hashtags brought a system to chaotic social worlds. A never-ending river of news, sometimes also fake news, important information, exciting, funny, weird and often unbelievable content gained structure. #Hashtags are something like an instruction manual, the GPS of the social web!

These obviously play a big role not only in marketing campaigns, but also for event marketing.

Difference on Diverse Social Networks

#Hashtags however don’t work in the same way on all social networks. Twitter started with them and Facebook followed suit in 2013.

As far as Twitter goes, it is still the rule that #hashtags increase the chance of being found and re-tweeted. In doing so, a maximum of 1-2 hashtags should be used so as not to disrupt the interaction.

It hard to say whether it’s because of the different clientele on Facebook, but #hashtags in Facebook posts actually lead to a fall in interaction. You can even see it here in this scientific research.

This is very different with Mark Zuckerberg’s other product, Instagram. You can’t get enough #hashtags here. Posts that receive the highest amount of interaction traffic are those with more than 11 hashtags! It seems like the sky is the limit. Bizarre hashtags such as #emptychairsproject, #fromwhereistand or #jumpstagram are very popular.

Why not capture a popular #hashtag like #fromwhereistand for your event from time to time…?

Google+ (yes, it still exists!) also works with hashtags.

Event managers are able to considerably extend the reach of their content using clever implementation of keywords and hashtags in their posts.

Event Hashtags

For real-time communication and networking of likeminded people, #hashtags are simply perfect. They are used often at events, regardless of whether a music festival or business conferences.

The general rule for event managers is establish a hashtag for the relevant event that is:

  • intuitive
  • unique
  • not too long
  • clearly communicated

Encourage participants to use the event hashtag in social posts and present these posts on a social wall (e.g. using www.walls.io). Why not show a leader board with the most active and eager social media users surrounding your event!

Hashtags: Infotainment for Event Managers

#Hashtags not only play a big role at events. For some, they have replaced print or online magazines as the primary source of information. Almost all of the most influential event bloggers can also be found on Twitter or other social media channels and they promote their blog posts there using suitable #hashtags.

It definitely makes sense for event managers to imprint several #hashtags and bookmark them or follow them using a service such as Hootsuite, Buffer etc. These include:

  • #eventprofs
  • #meetingprofs
  • #meetingplanners
  • #eventdesign
  • #eventmanagement
  • #eventplanning
  • #eventmarketing
  • #eventtech

Bottom Line

#Hashtags are long in the tooth, but are definitely not out! This is proved time and time again by #hashtag campaigns that successfully count on the interaction with social media users. 

Keep in mind how social networks differ and how you should respectively use #hashtags. By doing so, the social web can also increase the relevance and reach of your event.

Phew, I’m sure you know the feeling: Event managers are often juggling so many tasks at once that they hardly get time for a breather! Here is some advice on how to stay centered – even in the biggest chaos!

Forbes magazine confirmed again – the Event Manager job is one of the top 10 most stressful job in the world in 2017, shortly after police officer and pilot and even ahead of the managing director of a large corporation. 

Deadlines are a part of the events business. This includes contact to customers, visitors, exhibitors and service providers and it’s not always the case that they are all happy! Conflicts are part of daily business.

Multitasking is a good description of an event manager’s daily work – feeding social media channels in the morning, then on bargaining prices with caterers, checking graphics, briefing fair constructors, answering visitor questions in between and managing the finances and billing on the side. Jeez…

Positive and Negative Stress

It goes well enough for a while, but when projects start to mount up, as is often the case in spring and fall, things start to get uncomfortable. Stress definitely has positive components, as it enables us to be more alert and performance-driven – the so-called Eustress. 

But it can get uncomfortable, over-demanding and threatening – then we’re talking more about Distress. In the worst case, this type of stress in the long run can make you sick and leads to burnout and depression. 

Stress Relief Strategies

As a result, strategies to calm back down are an integral part of a stressful job.

A managing director of a large events agency told his staff once “do something on the weekend that you have never done before! “. Obviously, sleep in! 😉

But seriously though, what contributes to stress relief can differ from person to person. For one person, its contact to family and friends to keep them ‘grounded’, for others it’s having fun in the stadium at the local football match, or partying to electro beats at the club.

The important thing is to have activities that have absolutely nothing to do with work, to make sure that your thoughts are completely elsewhere.

Fidget spinners are all the rage in school playgrounds at the moment. This is a good solution for ‘restless leg’ sufferers and can lead to relaxation. 

Strengthening your Back

You spend a lot of your time at events on your feet, often late into the evening or even night. In the time leading up to the event however there are a lot of stressful days on the phone and laptop, involving a lot of time sitting down. 

Pilates comes highly recommended to avoid the negative results of a tight back. Prophylactic Pilates exercises strengthen your core, lower back and help strengthen you during longer stints in the office. It also helps to combat the more physically demanding time spent at fairs. 

Corporate Health: What Can I Do at Work?

The topic of sport and movement is generally important as a remedy for a wide range of job-related malaise. It comes therefore as no surprise that a new ‘corporate health’ branch established itself over the past few years. 

This includes financial support for company bikes, a weekly fruit basket as well as special deals for fitness clubs and ergonomic design for workspaces. 

At the publishing house, t3n, staff members can get moving, using the provided facilities such as table tennis, fascia massages using the black roll, table football, chin-up bars, yoga areas, stretch bands, or simply by doing chair gymnastics using the office chair. Here is a  link to the relevant workout – please do try this at home!

Nowadays, in an environment where it is getting harder to hire and retain specialist staff, such initiatives are often decisive in measuring the attractiveness of an employer.

Get More Done Using the Tomato Technique

Another good approach to not getting caught up in the stress of work is the ‘Pomodoro technique’. Set a stopwatch to 25 minutes, in which time you work as concentrated as possible. This is followed by a five-minute break, then another 25 minutes’ work. After three repetitions, take a longer break. It is amazing how much more work you’ll manage to chomp through using this technique!

Harmony of Body, Mind and Soul

There is a wealth of advice on the topic of stress relief and burnout prophylaxis. They all have one thing in common – it is all about the harmony of body, mind and soul.

None of these factors should be overlooked – sport and movement for the body, change and good work organization for the mind and the balance through friends, family and social contact for the soul!

With this in mind, the Converve team wishes you a stress-free working day!

What were the most interesting topics in the event blogosphere in the first half of 2017? From live streaming and virtual reality to terror threats and mega Oscar fails!

There is a wide selection of interesting blogs for the events industry. From the excellent Event Manager Blog from Julius Solaris and his team, to blogs by Slido, Gallus Events, Bizbash, Velvet Chainsaw, Techsytalk, Meeting Pool and Eventplanner.tv.  

These bloggers produce a flood of top content for our industry – sometimes it hard to see the wood for the trees.

We have put together several links to articles that we find particularly informative, useful or entertaining; so to say, a small reading and link list for the summer time!

Live stream becomes mainstream!

One of the biggest topic in the first half of this year was the possibility to present yourself, via live stream on Facebook, Periscope, YouTube or other platforms, for events.

In earlier times, what you needed a truck load of equipment to do, event managers can now do with the least amount of effort, sharing individual sessions, interviews or other live impressions of their events with the world. 

Depeche Mode in 360-degree live stream? Pretty cool! 

The Slido-Blog concerns itself particularly with the possibilities for Corporate Communications, Bizbash considers some of the still limiting factors – such as bandwidth. Betsy Bar from Velvet Chainsaw asks the question, what still holds event managers back from live streaming!

Catherine Reed from The Meeting Pool offers valuable tips on what you can do with live footage from an event. 

Terror Threats and Security Requirements Influence Event Planning

Not only first since the tragic events at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester has it been clear that consumer events, as well as business events, need to be prepared for a different level of security. 

Julius Solaris addresses this topic in his event manager blog and asks the question of how we can be prepared for this new situation as event planners. This is obviously not light content, but of growing importance. 

The example of Rock am Ring 2017 shows us how important live communication via blogs and social media has become for events. The Rock am Ring festival was completely evacuated on the Friday night of the event due to security reasons – fortunately, nothing serious happened.

Event managers informed everyone via social media about the current situation so that festival visitors were kept in the picture. 

The Oscar Fail

An incident in February didn’t just shake the events world! As well as the Nobel prize awards, the Oscars belong to one of the most renowned award ceremonies worldwide. 

Remembering back: Warren Beatty was given the wrong envelope, mistakenly awarding LaLaLand, and not actual winner Moonlight, the Oscar for best film.

An embarrassing beginner’s mistake…

Jimmy Kimmel also didn’t avoid making fun of the Oscar mishap

The Event Manager Blog was also the fastest here and wrote five tips for envelope management at award events, and that not without a little jibe here or there as well!

Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR / AR)

A big topic in the event technology segment is the developments of VR/AR. Particularly augmented reality allows creative event managers dream of fascinating scenarios! And with the latest generation of smartphones, AR has access to virtually every household. 

The Meeting Pool had a look at diverse technical solutions. On the Event Manager Blog you can find the most important trends in VR/AR for events. Socialtables concerns itself with which chances VR particularly offers for venues. 

Sparks also points out that you can go over the top with AR/VR, as well as gives several examples of how events can integrate VR well, without overloading participants. 

This is how much fun VR can be at a concert!

Bottom Line

The best thing about the event blogosphere is that current topics can be looked at from diverse angles. This enables event managers to get a better perspective of current trends and to discern what these mean for their daily business. 

We also contribute our part to this on the Converve Blog, focusing on all topics surrounding networking and matchmaking at business events. Keep up to date – we wish you a great summer and time off!

Paper is so out – that’s what you think! Business cards are still all the rage. What should you think about at your next business event in order to collect as many new business cards as you can and thereby establish valuable contacts?

A quick Google search gives you a clear result – the search term “print business cards online” offers a whopping 3.3 million results! Obviously not a niche topic.

The apparent origins of the business card date back to Nefertiti and Tutankhamun – the Egyptians are said to have given each other pieces of papyrus with proverbs written on them!

One thing that is certain is that during the Regency era of the French Sun King Louis XIV, “Visiting Cards” became customary. They were left when the host was not available personally and therefore a ‘visit’ card was left.

How important are business cards in the digital age?

Something with such a long history is not so easily washed away by the digital storm. It comes as no surprise that even digital startups try and make their mark with as creative business card designs as possible.

When you receive a business card, you find out a lot about your potential business partner. You not only receive their personal contact details, but also a lot of further information such as their professional title, corporate identity of the company, up to how carefully your conversation partner handles their business card!

So which points should you consider before, during and after your business appointment, such as at a conference or trade fair, in order to take as many business cards home as possible and thereby extend your personal network?

Checklist: Before the event

The collection of business cards is not a one-way street. First and foremost, make sure you have good supply of business cards. Have spares in your car or suitcase, just in case your supply you have on you runs out.

Think about how you can make your business card stand out. Guidelines in bigger companies are quite strict, but perhaps you have the possibility to add a personal touch.

Providers such as www.Moo.com offer high-quality paper, diverse formats, as well as varying pictures on each of your business cards. This obviously comes at a price, but guarantees a perfect first impression.

How do you store your business cards? A big stack shoved into your jeans is obviously not the right place for them! Your own business card should be in perfect condition, regardless whether you are a banker or a startup founder.

Checklist: During the event

Be generous with your own cards. No-one will deny you their card if you make the first step. Should this however be the case, this tells you a lot about your potential business partner.

In China and Japan it is a no-go, and also it is seen as extremely impolite here too: simply tucking a received business card away without having looked at it properly. This reduces the business card to a simple form of address storage, thereby circumventing the ideal, actual meaning of a business card.

Perhaps your counterpart has just received a promotion and is proud of their position that is documented on their business card.

A few words of recognition regarding the title or design, some brief small talk about the company’s location will certainly break the ice.

Some people like to make notes on business cards. You can see this one way or another, but think about how you would find someone scribbling on your business card. Not ideal, is it? If you don’t want or can’t avoid this, make your noted when your contact partner isn’t nearby.

Checklist: After the business event

We are making broad steps towards the paperless office… a likely story!

Even if we aren’t far away from it though, it is a good idea to make a digital copy of received business cards after an event.

There are of course apps for that – and not just a few. Even the popular Evernote app (the ‘virtual memory’) can scan business cards. If you compare scanned data with LinkedIn or XING and directly add the new contact, this achieves a considerable jump in the direction of sustainability.

Nonetheless, it is good taste to follow up on collected business contacts after an event. The least would be to extend the mutual basis by sending contacts a link to an article about the event you both visited.

Or simply a nice thank you for having the opportunity to get to know each other would suffice!

We have put together an interesting Pinterest board offering you some inspiration regarding business cards!

Have fun networking!

Software-based business networking at events is a hot topic. A current Converve survey of trade fair, congress and event planners show what is particularly important for event organizers.

The main target of many business events today is networking. Of course, event organizers consider how to best organize business networking and matchmaking at their trade fair, congress or event.

More than 60 responsible meeting planners from around the globe took part in the survey between March and May 2017, giving an insight into their business matchmaking strategies.

The most important results from the study are summarized here. A whitepaper with the detailed results, further links and comments from trade fair, congress and event organizers will be released shortly.

Almost Half of Those Surveyed Plan to Use Business Matchmaking Tools

A quarter of the surveyed trade fair, congress and event managers have already implemented matchmaking software. 46% of those surveyed don’t use any software yet, but are planning to at one of their next events.

Question: “Have you already used software for business matchmaking at your event(s)?”

About 30% are not planning to use software for business matchmaking. The reasons for this obviously interested us a lot. As a result, we asked what a matchmaking platform needs to offer for these event managers to consider implementing it. The dominating topics here are visitor acquisition for and image improvement of the event, which were equally mentioned – clearly ahead of generating additional exhibitor income.

Great Importance for the Success of Business Events

The event managers who already use matchmaking software, or are planning to, consider the service to be very important with regards to the success of their business event.

On a scale of 1 (= absolutely unimportant for the success of my event) to 5 (= significant), they evaluated B2B matchmaking with an average of 4.

Targeting User Experience

The US business innovation expert, Brian Solis, put it concisely in his book ‘X – The Experience When Business Meets Design’, as follows: “Experiences are more important than products now. In fact, experiences are products.”

This is also clear from the feedback gained from the survey, pinpointing which B2B matchmaking features or services are particularly important. The first three most important are user experience, especially from a visitor’s perspective in the frontend, as well as for the exhibitors and event organizers in the backend

A business matchmaking platform above all needs to be easy to use and set up. This is closely followed in our survey by the factor of responsive design, which also pays into user experience. The platform needs to work just as smoothly on mobile devices as on the desktop.

Question:”Which features of a business matchmaking platform are most important for your event(s)?

Another important factor for event organizers is that users of a business matchmaking platform should have a direct overview of available meeting slots – this simplifies visitor planning considerably.

70% of Event Organizers Use Special Marketing Measures to Advertise the Matchmaking Service

A great matchmaking platform is not enough by itself. Event organizers know that the success of a platform ultimately depends on how many visitors and exhibitors can be motivated to actively use the platform.

This requires special marketing measures, meaning that it comes as no surprise that the large majority of those surveyed (70%) plan special measures to point exhibitors and visitors in the direction of the matchmaking platform and to convince them of the benefit of its use.

Among the individual measures, the instrument of online marketing clearly dominates, above all the use of e-mail newsletters and special landing pages. Call centers are used more seldom to e.g. support exhibitors in setting up their matchmaking platforms.

We have already been concerning ourselves here on the Converve Blog with which arguments visitors and exhibitors can be convinced of the use of such a business matchmaking platform.

Investment in Business Matchmaking Offers are Expanding

Of the surveyed event managers already using business matchmaking, or those planning to in the near future, 86% intend to expand and professionalize their offers in this sector. 14% want to keep their B2B matchmaking offers at their events at the same level – no one however is planning on reducing their B2B matchmaking offers.

Question: “For the future, we plan…”

This is a clear signal that event organizers no longer leave their networking success up to chance, rather actively want to be hands on and take action in contact initiation.

If you would like to receive a detailed version of the study results, please send an e-mail to info(at)converve.com and we will happily send you a publication.

Participative event formats and meeting design are hot topics. Even B2B events can no longer do without a fair amount of interactive elements. What effects does this trends have on business networking?

(updated 18 July 2022) 

For some time, more and more event managers have been concerning themselves with the topic of meeting design. There is still however no clear description of what meeting design actually means. In any case, it means to design meetings, conferences and events in such a way that they reach clearly defined goals and to be designed toward the requirements of the target group(s).

It’s also important to familiarize yourself with meeting design trends in the B2B segment and also consider to what extent contact initiation between service/product providers and their interested parties can be improved using meeting design technologies. 

The German Convention Bureau, in cooperation with Fraunhofer Institute and further partners, has started an interesting, broad project that concerns itself with what the Future Meeting Space will look like. It tries to research the influences of technology on event design.

Based on diverse social and technological trends that will influence meetings, the research team has developed 6 scenarios of what events will look like in the future.

So where do business networking and matchmaking fit in to these scenarios? Let’s see which event formats GCB believe will be probable in the future. 

Interactive Forum

“An event with 50-200 guests starts with a collective presentation, following which individual topics will be discussed in small groups. The interaction of participants is of primary focus.” This is the scenario that we already experience at a lot of conferences. It can also be a combination of short impulses with table sessions in small break-out-groups.

Using targeted, software-supported matchmaking, events of this type can be prepared efficiently as it allows contacts and combinations that make sense for both parties to be found prior to the event.

Spatially Distributed Congress

“Several regional events take place simultaneously and equally at several locations. The events are broadcasted and thereby communication is achieved by doing so. This scenario is particularly beneficial regarding time efficiency, safety and the creation of an experience/adventure.”

There are also examples of this already, including the FRESH Conference, an event geared towards event planners. This solution obviously leads to savings on travel and accommodation costs. Facilitator Roy Sheppard describes the specific challenges to moderate such an event in this video: 

For many participants, business networking is one of the most important goals of the event. This is easy to solve at each of the individual locations, however event organizers of a spatially distributed congress would need to think of a good concept to enable overall networking between locations. Technology could of course help to do so.

Co-Working Congress

“An event that lasts several days offers enough time and space to construct and maintain a sustainable network, as well as allows enough time to complete the usual daily work tasks. The short-term design and time efficiency make this scenario particularly attractive.”

Briefly put: you meet and work together (or separated from each other) at one location. This would be an ideal case for business networking and matchmaking, as how else would you get to know potential business partners more intensively? This already happens today in the form of barcamps. Not just around IT-topics, but ranging from Human Resources barcamps in Vienna, Berlin, Zurich to the Diabetes Barcamps (in Frankfurt/Germany)!

Totally Analogue

“The analogue event deliberately takes place somewhere remote. The goal is the focus on content where a connection to the world outside plays no role whatsoever. A scenario that particularly covers requirements regarding safety and an extraordinary experience.”

Each trend creates a new anti-trend and this is how this event format can be considered as a continuation of closed meetings in the digital age. Definitely an interesting format that is rather geared towards existing communities (e.g. business clubs, leadership teams etc.). 

Hybrid Event 

“A real event is also placed in a virtual room. The existence of a parallel, digital world enables participants to be both physically and digitally present. The scenario is therefore time efficient and experience-rich. ”

This is exactly the approach of business matchmaking offers such as Converve. Using defined parameters and interests, you can find suitable business contacts in both the real and virtual world. 

Here are 5 hybrid event examples that revolutionized events as we now it in 2021 and 2022.

Virtual Goes Real

“A community that exists exclusively in social media meets outside of the networks to get in contact personally. A scenario that unites interaction elements with a short-term nature and experience value”.

What can develop out of such a concept can be seen at the Online Marketing Rockstars event in Hamburg: A festival that was created out of an online community and in the meantime draws 40,000 visitors annually to Hamburg. Matchmaking takes place online in this event format, but the real meetings deepens contacts and relationships!

Bottom Line

Event formats in the future will focus considerably stronger on interaction rather than on information. Information is everywhere and accessible around the clock, whereby interaction and networking are the major disciplines of events. 

If it is your job to unite providers and potential consumers, projects such as Future Meeting Space help to keep an eye on trends and relevant developments. It does not always take much to add interactive elements to your event, as Juraj Holub describes in this post.

Networking is one of the main reasons exhibitors and visitors take part in and go to fairs. Here are some valuable tips on how you can convince your fair visitors of the use of your matchmaking platform.

The more exhibitors and visitors participate on your matchmaking platform, the more effective and exact the B2B matchmaking will be. Your goal as a fair organizer must therefore be to inform as many partners as possible about the matchmaking service and to motivate them to participate.

The argument for exhibitors is obviously different than for fair visitors. While exhibitors target high-quality leads, visitors aim to use their time as efficiently as possible during the event.

Fair and congress visitors usually first inform themselves relatively last minute about the details of the event. This is what the user statistics of the Converve platform also show. Therefore, not only optimal timing of your communication measures towards visitors is essential, but also to promote it with the right use of beneficial arguments.

Here are 7 key arguments that you can adapt and implement similarly for your visitor communications for your trade fair:

“Register yourself quickly and simply on your business social networking profile for B2B matchmaking “

By registering for our trade fair, you have already completed the most important step. Extend your profile very simply using the data from your LinkedIn or XING profile. This will save you filling out any lengthy registration forms and allows you to fully concentrate on your fair visit.

“Identify interesting contacts via B2B matchmaking platform – and don’t lose any time”

Losing time at a trade fair having to wait for the desired contact partner is annoying. No-one has time to spare! By using our matchmaking platform, you can find your important contact partners from sales, management or product development already before your trade fair visit and also find appointments where all parties involved have time.

“Our platform enables you to simply arrange appointments long before the trade fair begins “

Don’t waste your time with lengthy telephone calls or inefficient e-mails. Using our B2B matchmaking platform you can already organize your appointments long before the trade fair even begins. This lets you concentrate on the most important aspect – meeting your business partners face to face at the fair. 

Busy, busy… Today’s trade show visitors have no time to waste

“Request, confirm or decline appointments “

In order to optimally plan your appointments at the trade fair, it is important that you can request appointments yourself. It also means that you can confirm or decline other requests to meet with you. This allows you e.g. to dedicate time to further education events or presentations and you only need one tool to manage your trade fair appointments. 

“Have all appointments and program elements in one overview “

You can not only arrange appointments with other participants but also book further scheduled program elements such as workshops, specialist presentations and so on. This gives you a perfect overview of all activities related to your trade fair visit and ensures you don’t miss any important to-dos.

“The platform works on your desktop as well as on your mobile “

You can access and operate the B2B matchmaking platform both from your office and from your mobile. This enables comfortable planning on the go, as soon as you have some free time available. This saves you time and money in preparing your trade fair visit. 

“Optimal follow-up after your trade fair visit “

You can also use your B2B matchmaking platform after the event to follow up on visits and appointments. The notification feature enables you to have an overview of all relevant information.

Bottom Line

For a B2B matchmaking platform to be successful, it is important that both exhibitors and visitors understand the service and participate in using it actively. Converve not only offers you an optimally working matchmaking software, we also support you in the planning and implementation of suitable communication measures prior to your event. Feel free to contact us, we look forward to hearing from you!

Trade fairs, congresses and events are top occasions to expand your business network. But be careful! The following mistakes definitely need to be avoided.

A well-developed business network helps immensely! Not only to do your job optimally, but also to remain attractive to the employment market. So off you go to the next business event to get to know new people, as there is no easier place to do so!

This being said, a lot of people make fundamental mistakes when networking and then wonder why they’re not getting anywhere.

Perhaps several of the following slips could be responsible for this?

Turning up to the Event Unprepared

Who am I going to meet there? Who has already signed up? What’s the event about? Who is organizing it? Do I have enough business cards? Which icebreakers can I prepare to get into conversation?

Which services does the event organizer offer to do some matchmaking before the event to network participants with each other? What is being posted on social networks about the event in the run-up and who’s saying what?

Create your own personal checklist and prepare well for the event. This will help you to already get in touch with interesting people prior to the event.

Judging, and Underestimating People by their First Impression!

It’s easy to let your first impression decide whether someone is interesting for you or not. But how often have you turned out to be wrong!

Psychologist and Nobel prize winner Daniel Kahneman knows and comments that “if your first impression is a mistake, it can take a while to realise this, as your expectations tend to be self-fulfilling“.  

Try to approach people as impartial as possible and don’t let yourself be deceived. Someone can be an introvert or not feel comfortable at events, however could still be a very important contact for you.

First impressions can often be misleading…

Treating the Business Card You Have Just Received Disrespectfully

In Japan, it is an absolute no-go, but also in the Western world the rule is: if someone gives you their business card, then it is a present. They are not only giving you personal contact details, but also something that a lot of people are very proud of. 

It is therefore bad manners to not look at the business card properly, or simply stick it in your pocket. Look at the business card and maybe you can think of a question or a comment regarding the company location etc. This solidifies your newly won business relationship contact tremendously!

Just Talking about Yourself

You also don’t like listening to someone constantly talking about themselves, do you? Even Voltaire knew to “judge a person by their questions rather than their answers “.

Open questions and active listening is the key to good small talk – and your conversation partner will receive you far more positively. 

Barging into Conversations

The general rule is: if two people are talking to each other at an event, it’s best not to butt in. It will be received as being very impolite. As soon as at least three people are involved, you can ask modestly if you can join. 

Remember to be a good host yourself and introduce people. Good networkers can be recognized in that they not only generate new contacts themselves, rather also actively network others with each other.

Lying

Aristoteles put it in a nutshell: “Covering a mistake with a lie is like replacing a stain with a hole.”

Even in times of “alternative facts”, where the truth doesn’t seem to be so trendy anymore, it doesn’t make a good impression if you falsely take credit, regurgitate solid half or quarter-knowledge and to say you know people you have never met. 

That doesn’t happen? Oh, yes it does, constantly! Honesty and authenticity is the way forward. Keep to the recommendation “if you don’t know something, it’s best to keep your mouth shut!” or ask about it – that’s even better.

Stealing Time

You’re not the only person at a B2B event who is networking. This is also the case for your conversation partner. Even if it is a nice, comfortable conversation, after a certain amount of time you should pay your conversation the respect due, exchange business cards, thank them for the conversation and move on. 

That isn’t impolite, rather highly professional. 

No Follow-Up

A good conversation at a B2B event doesn’t help at all if you don’t make the effort to follow up.

A nice e-mail or a call after the event helps to keep you in mend and solidify the contact. Who knows what it could lead to later…

No Addressing Your Conversation Partner by Name

Okay, some do it very well, others don’t – remembering names. If you know however, that you belong to the latter, practice! Or ask again. It isn’t a shame to admit that you have a bad memory when it comes to names and you have to ask a second time what someone is called.

That Is far better and more authentic than not addressing the person by name at all. Our names have been with us since birth. Being addressed by name is a sign of appreciation of an individual. 

Being Vague When Asked about Yourself

A while ago it was hip to say “I do something in media”. Whatever. When doing B2B networking, this is not in at all. Be clear when describing what you do. In particular, make it understandable for your conversation partner.

Don’t bore with too many details, rather be to the point when saying what you do. This helps you to avoid being secretive. As Einstein put it, “if you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it well enough”.

Wearing Inappropriate Clothing

Your clothing is an expression of your personality. You must feel comfortable in your own skin. Still, the rule is, find out before an event which formal or informal dress codes there are. A lot of events have photos or videos on their website which can give you an impression.

You’ll probably dress differently for the Online Marketing Rockstars Festival or the SXSW as for an official reception at the Chamber of Commerce, right?

Bottom Line

Networking decides these days more and more how much success you have in your career. If you avoid these mistakes and stay authentic, you are sure to make progress!

Increasingly, event participants, exhibitors and sponsors measure the ROI of their participation by the number of relevant contacts they made at the event. Participate in our survey for event planners!

How far have event, congress and trade show planners come implementing B2B matchmaking services at their events? How do they use such services and how important are they for the success of their events?

We’d like to know a little bit more about this from you! Please take the time to fill this survey – it won’t take more than 5-7 minutes. If you like, we’ll be happy to share the results with you by email after the survey will be finished. 

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Trade fairs and congresses are all about creating new contacts and expanding on existing contacts. However, for lots of people this isn’t easy to do. Here are 5 ‘hot’ tips for warming up!

Networking software such as the Converve platform makes contact initiation for a lot of people at trade fairs and congresses easier. However, the actual contact establishing takes place ‘live’ between two or more people – and that’s a good thing!

Some people seem to be natural born networkers and seamlessly move around the floor. They seem to simply attract new contacts. Many however are more introvert and often don’t trust themselves to approach others openly and uninhibited. “So you’re also here!” is pretty much the most creative thing they can come up with! Some of you surely know what this is like…

What am I to say…? Networking gives some people serious headaches.

Professional networking is nowadays a core competency in business life. And it isn’t all that complicated if you keep the basics in mind and manage to overcome yourself and jump over your own shadow. You will notice with a little time, practice and lightness that your networking becomes easier and more comfortable. 

The shortest distance between two people is a smile – this old wisdom is particularly relevant for business networking! Add this to a sturdy handshake and the sentence “Hello, I’m Joe Bloggs with whom do I have the pleasure?” and the basis is already set. 

But what now? Basically, networking depends more on letting your counterpart look good and at the same time finding out more about him/her. He/she who asks, leads the conversation. He/she who only speaks about themselves won’t get far at all.

Try these five icebreaker questions out at your next business event!

1. “Do you come from ABC (where the event is currently located) or are you here on business? “

This is a question that anyone can answer. And, although it is a closed question, it offers plenty of starting points for furthering the conversation. The question is also not too direct; more’s the point does not demand a sales pitch. A good start!

2. “What inspired you to visit the ABC trade fair / congress?”

This way you will find out which goals your counterpart links the event to – thereby where potential points of reference for mutual business offer themselves. Try and avoid the little word ‘why’ as much as possible. This always puts people on the defensive, feeling they have to justify themselves for what they are doing. This would be a conceivably bad start to a new relationship!

3. “How did you find the speaker?”

If the event you are at is a trade fair or congress, the event program obviously offers a lot of starting points for conversation. But be careful: don’t be too negative in your own evaluation of a speaker, as you never know if you might be standing in front of the speaker’s colleague! You never know…

4. “Is it your first time here? “

Even if this question at first glance falls a bit flat, it offers a fantastic springboard to get the conversation in gear. If the answer is “yes” and you are also at the event for the first time, you already have something in common and can exchange your initial experiences.

If the answer is “no, I’ve been here often” you can ask your counterpart about their expertise and ask for advice/pointers regarding things that shouldn’t be missed. So, in both cases you have a good opportunity to let your counterpart look good!

A nice smile is a good starting point!

5. “How well do you know the host/event organizer?”

The ‘classic’ for private parties also works of course for business events. How is your conversation partner connected to the event organizer, has your conversation partner already been to other events organized by the event organizer and so on and so forth. This generates starting points that allow you to present your own business. At the same time, you find out whether you have any mutual contacts – this very quickly assists you in expanding your mutual basis. 

Bottom Line

The personal contact is a chance you can’t afford to miss. Converve software supports you in doing so electronically. And if you arm yourself with several icebreakers when going to business events, you are sure to have a lot of success – and a lot of fun in the process too!

Career fairs are perfect platforms for establishing contacts with potential employers. How does the TALENT DAY Media + IT in Hamburg use matchmaking technology to do it? 

Getting to know each other personally is still very important even in the internet age, especially when it is your future employer. Young people want to first orient themselves before applying. Do I rather fit in a dynamic but sometimes chaotic startup? Or am I more suited to a more classic career?

Competition for the smartest minds is well underway. Where can young people better orient themselves than at a career orientation event where companies present themselves and make themselves more tangible?

The annual TALENT DAY Media + IT in Hamburg takes a very special approach. It is specifically directed at school pupils in 10th-13th grade, as well as media and IT colleges and is meeting for its ninth round in 2017. 

Matchmaking plays a large role at TALENT DAY Media + IT. Last year, the event organizer, KWB e.V. brought 850 school pupils and 50 companies together.

How did that work?

Trendy Kick-Off Event at CinemaxX

Choosing a career doesn’t always have to be deadly serious! TALENT DAY Media + IT proved that with its kick-off event that took place on 9th November 2016 in CinemaxX cinema complex in Hamburg. 

Twitter TALENT DAY

As well as the really cool dance performance of hip-hop group “One Step Closer”, there were impulse presentations by, amongst others, Google manager Antonia Wälzholz and Thomas Mickeleit, executive board member of Microsoft Germany.

With her question “What would you do if you weren’t scared?”, software developer Catharina Kenklies from customQuake motivated her audience to free themselves from clichés and prejudices in career selection.

So, no standard, conventional company presentations, rather very personal stories and anecdotes from people that really have something to say!

But that of course isn’t everything that distinguishes TALENT DAY Media + IT.

Have a Nose around the Company Directly

The event organizers greatly value talents being able to have a look behind the scenes, directly at the company in question. Companies register on the event website and offer an amount of company visit spaces; as many as they want. After the warm-up at the mutual kick-off event, the talents can then visit their selected companies.

Tweet von TALENT DAY

The pupil-company meetings are coordinated via the Converve software. This enables both companies and talents to find the best matches.

Pupils then register and enter their areas of interest, desired occupational profile, as well as their special talents and capabilities. The software then recommends suitable companies that fit to their desired profile.

This enables companies to prepare themselves for visits in advance and are made aware of particularly suitable candidates.

This ensures perfect matchmaking for both sides. The success of TALENT DAY Media + IT offers event organizers a great confirmation of their concept!

Twitter Hanse Ventures
Twitter moebel.de

Matchmaking plays an important role for Hansjörg Lüttke, executive board director at KWB Coordination cCenter for Further Education and Careers (German “Koordinierungsstelle Weiterbildung und Beschäftigung e.V.“) : “We were able to connect 850 young people with 50 companies. Both talents and companies were excited to establish suitable contacts at TALENT DAY Media + IT.”

The initiators of TALENT DAY Media + IT are the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and Hamburg Chamber of Commerce. The coordinator and event organizer is KWB Koordinierungsstelle Weiterbildung und Beschäftigung e.V.

Bottom Line

When it comes to targeted mediation of contacts and efficient networking, matchmaking software is in demand. Career fairs such as TALENT DAY Media + IT show how it’s done.

They use the possibilities of the software to register companies and talents, as well as for matchmaking, appointment coordination and follow-ups. 

B2B Matchmaking professionalizes the exchange between exhibitors and trade fair visitors. Why should an exhibitor take part? How can you as an event organizer best motivate your exhibitors to do so?

Exhibitors always need to justify their participation in trade fairs with facts and figures. It is decisive how many leads are generated and their respective quality – as it is here that trade fairs are in direct competition with a wide range of other marketing tools. 

If you have therefore decided to offer your trade fair exhibitors a B2B matchmaking tool, it is key to motivate as many exhibitors and visitors as possible to actively use the tool. While some events already rely completely on matchmaking technology (like e.g. CO-BRANDS in Hamburg or ABM Events in Canada), other trade fairs are gathering their first experiences with professional networking tools like Converve. 

Exhibitors have a ton of tasks to complete prior to a trade fair. How can you support your exhibitors in getting the best out of matchmaking? How do you motivate them to take advantage of the tool’s possibilities?

We have collected 8 usage arguments that you can gladly copy and use for your exhibitor customers.

___________________________

Why you as an exhibitor should use our matchmaking tool at (add your trade fair name here)

1. Benefit: By using the B2B Matchmaking Tool you are not leaving your trade fair success up to chance

By using our matchmaking tool and maintaining your profile completely, you can already make new contacts and generate leads before the trade fair itself. This means you already have a full schedule for the trade fair and thereby are not leaving your success up to chance!

By using matchmaking tools, trade fair participation is no longer a game of luck

2. Benefit: Separate the wheat from the chaff

In the hectic trade fair period, it is of particular importance to make quick decisions on which customers have the most sale potential and which are just there to browse. The matchmaking tool helps you to optimally implement your sales capacities and focus your sales staff on relevant customers. You’re not only able to confirm meeting requests, but also decline them, should the visitor profile not be suitable.

Cavin Domitter, exhibitor at the ABM in Canada, summarized it as follows: “The matchmaking tool enables us to concentrate on customers who we believe are the best fit.”

3. Benefit: It is very simple to maintain and optimally present your profile

You only need to add the profile information that is of particular interest to your visitors: your company, product, personnel or service profile(s). Thanks to the simple integration of your social media profile, you are able to simply and effortlessly make your company more tangible and better to experience. Using explanatory videos, we as your event organizer make data entry child’s play. 

4. Benefit: You maintain control of your trade fair appointments

The B2B matchmaking tool allows you to plan diverse appointments in parallel so that you can optimally utilize your time at your stand. Export your dates via iCal or Outlook integration and compare appointments during the trade fair.

5. Benefit: You offer your potential customers a clear added value and service

Make it as easy as possible for your potential stand visitors and customers to plan their trade fair visit by providing them with relevant and current information via your matchmaking profile. This increases your chances that customers are made aware of you via the matchmaking tool and get in contact with you.

6. Benefit: Matchmaking is like SEO marketing (SEO, SEM)

We all know how important it is nowadays for companies to be easily and well found in search engines like Google. The best place to bury a body is on the second page of a Google search, or so they say! This is similar with matchmaking tools: You reach your trade fair goals when you are easy to find and appear in relevant search queries.

7. Benefit: You make your trade fair participation measurable

Often, the subjective estimates of the sales team are the basis for the measurement of trade fair success.  If you use the B2B matchmaking tool, you receive valid data, facts and figures to evaluate the results of your trade fair presence. 

8. Benefit: You fuel your post-trade fair business with generated leads

Arranged meetings via the matchmaking tool are a perfect basis for you to target post-trade fair revenue, as well as coordinate follow-ups. Use the matchmaking tool’s messaging services to contact suitable customers – also after the fair!

___________________________

Bottom Line

Equipped with these arguments, your service staff and project leadership can perfectly convey the use of matchmaking to exhibitors. Don’t underestimate this task, as many exhibitors are in the process of getting a grasp of this and need to juggle a lot of balls prior to a trade fair.

The easier you make it for your exhibitors to use matching and networking services, the bigger the success of the trade fair – thereby then also your own success.

The Converve platform for B2B matchmaking is designed to organize matching as simply and as efficiently as possible for visitors and exhibitors. This increases exhibitors’ fair ROI and your customer loyalty!

Events, trade fairs and conferences are fast-paced, high-pressure environments. It’s quite common for emotions to run high when situations escalate resulting in customers getting frustrated. So how do event managers handle conflicts with customers?

Whether we like it or not, people who work in the service industry have to deal with difficult or upset customers at some point. This is particularly true in the events world.

It could be an exhibitor whose internet connection doesn’t work. Or a conference visitor that had to wait too long at the registration desk. It could even be a visitor who would like a refund of his entry fee. There’s nothing that can’t happen.

It doesn’t matter if the customer is in the right or not. As the event manager, you have to resolve the issue with care.

There are very different reasons why the customer has to let off some steam. Sigmund Freud is spot on with his iceberg theory: only a fraction of feelings, motivations and decisions are made consciously, and a large part has to do with the unconscious.

conscious and unconscious mind iceberg theory

For those of you who have been in the events business a little longer, seeing a fuming customer ready to explode is nothing new. Event managers who are new to the game are often overwhelmed by such challenges. They might take the criticism personally, or react emotionally, which makes the situation worse.

In the social media world, an angry customer can very quickly spread negativity and multiply. Particularly when other customers experience their reaction, they can further spread their discontent on social channels.

What advice can we give event managers who have newly started out so they deal with upset customers effectively?

First, stay calm

The first reflex when attacked personally, is to justify oneself.
This reaction can backfire. The first rule is to stay calm, even when you want to retaliate.

man pushing against a giant finger that points at him

Don’t take it personally

This is the hardest thing to do. We tend to take things from our work lives to heart. However, it’s important to remember that the customer is unsatisfied with the event, trade fair, or something else entirely. Not with you as a person.

lots of people shouting at a meditating woman under a glass

Try to see your role only as a service provider: Your customer has a problem and you are solving it.

De-escalate the situation with active listening

The first step toward the solution is to listen to the customer carefully. Try not to rush to conclusions or stifle the customer along the lines of “I know exactly what your problem is”. The customer definitely wants to feel heard when they are angry.

Ask the customer to elaborate on their problem and focus on what they say. Ask questions to be sure you’ve understood correctly. Give the customer your undivided attention.

Understand where the customer is coming from and apologize

After your customer has explained their problem, say something along the lines of: “I understand that you are annoyed, I would be too”, “I’m sorry that you have had this experience”, “I understand that you are angry that your internet connection still isn’t working”.

business man helping another man to get up

By doing so, you are assuring the customer that you are on their side, which will take a fair amount of wind out of their sails. Pay attention to your body language. Make sure your arms are not crossed and your body has a more welcoming posture. This will make the customer feel you want to understand where they are coming from.

Find a solution or compromise

Now it is time to offer a solution. Ask the customer what should be done in their opinion or offer a solution.

Explain to the customer what exactly you are going to do to solve the problem and be binding: “I’ll inform our exhibitor service personally and the technician, Mr Smith, will be at your stand within the next half hour”.

man drawing solving a labyrinth

Give the customer your name and your contact details too. Create a digital business card to make this even simpler and smoother.

This can succeed in the customer getting to know you personally as an efficient service provider and you This will reassure the customer that you are an efficient service provider. It’ll also make them reframe their opinion about your event and services positively.

Take a step back and regroup

A stressful situation like handling a difficult customer demands your full attention and a lot of energy. Even if you managed to stay calm, dealt with the customer professionally and found a solution, it’s still a stressful experience for you.

woman alone under a glass with her laptop

If possible, take some time for yourself and recuperate so you can give your 100% to the next customer.

Evaluate if it is a flaw in the system or the processes

Each customer feedback is helpful if it uncovers deficits in your service or processes. Everything might seem fine from your perspective, but customers might have an issue that you didn’t see coming.

people helping each other climbing a big mountain

This is ‘Customer Experience’ and this makes or breaks the long-term success of your event. Address these incidents at the debriefing session and think of how you can reshape your event planning to meet your customers’ needs better.

Bottom line

Though we hope to avoid stressful situations, they are bound to happen. Don’t let this get the best of you. It helps to see such circumstances as a chance to prove yourself as a professional service provider and improve customer service in the future.

The good news is that with software solutions from Converve, you can definitely avoid the stress of planning, organizing, matchmaking and networking at events!

You might also find this post helpful: Work-Life Balance Tips – Especially for Event Managers Plagues by Stress

E-mails and Excel no longer suffice in managing event team collaboration. Here at Converve we use the Podio tool – find out here why and how.

There are many possibilities to organize communication in event organizing teams. E-mail is still far from dead, with some companies increasingly moving more towards messenger services like e.g. WhatsApp.

However, e-mail and messenger services have clear disadvantages:

  • Different versions of documents are in circulation
  • If someone isn’t copied in, they’re not informed
  • The inbox is difficult to search through
  • The topic of data protection with regards to messenger services is still unclear
  • Event planners are literally battered with an endless influx of e-mails and important information gets lost.

It is therefore no surprise that there is a wealth of web-based services offering better event team cooperation organization. Offers from Trello and Slack, 5PM, Basecamp, Yammer, to Evernote @Business are being used more and more frequently in event planning. Mark Zuckerberg also focusses on this topic and has recently started offering the social intranet service Facebook Workplace. 

Here at Converve, we have been using the Podio online platform for a long time for our internal communication and exchange with our customers. We searched long and hard for the right tool and we’re very happy with Podio.

Why?

First: Flexibility through Workspaces

When we offer our customers event matchmaking services, each project has its own characteristics. Of course there are standard elements, but the integration into existing systems, the customer’s project management structures or project scope often vary. 

Podio allows us to set up an individual workspace for each project. Each contains all the exact features required for the respective task(s) – and nothing else! This also means that customers that haven’t yet worked with a project management tool can be introduced to the online platform very easily and don’t need a long training/familiarization period to get to grips with the tool.

Suitable workspaces can also be set up to meet the demands of event teams.

Second: All Documents in One Location

The time-consuming search for version 13.5.6.7 of a particular document is completely eliminated. Podio ensures that our customers, as well as we ourselves, have access to the current version of important documents, artwork or pictures at any time.  

Podio seamlessly integrates other file sharing or collaboration services such as Evernote, Dropbox or Google Drive. The system works effortlessly with good old e-mail too, allowing documents to be uploaded simply by e-mail that are then available for all project participants. 

Third: Easy to Use Social Intranet

Communication, chats and comments are indispensable in event project management. Podio offers all these features in one, clean, clear design. That way, all project staff members and customers are always up to date with the latest information and can exchange about drafts.

Even for those that still swear by e-mail are well satisfied: you are informed via e-mail about new developments, even if you are not logged in to Podio at that time.

In the personal profiles you can save a social media profile, giving you another way to network with each other.

Fourth: Expandability through Apps

Podio offers its own market place for apps . This allows you to add any applications to your workspace in the event of a particular assignment. The spectrum spans from Gantt diagrams (chronological presentation of project steps) and time planning tools, backup apps, to the integration of Google Maps. This is an exciting feature when you use Podio for the planning of event locations. 

Should the searched app actually not be there, you can also create your own apps without much effort required. We did this in our “Converve Online Marketing” web space in order to display our Personas and content planning in Podio.

Fifth: Works on all Platforms, Online and Mobile

These days, a project management tool needs to be able to work both on Windows and on macOS. You also need to enable access to the most important features at any time via a mobile device – event planners are after all often on the move and expect to be kept updated on their smartphones.

This works on Podio flawlessly and, due to the mobile app being so clearly designed, you are able to enjoy collaborating in the team on the go – you have your open-plan office with you at all times in your pocket!

Bottom Line

We love Podio! The mixture of flexibility, security and, last but not least, value for money has made Podio an important tool for Converve in collaborating with colleagues, customers and freelancers.

The company, an established startup from Denmark (Podio was taken over by Citrix in 2012) constantly thinks how to ease collaboration in teams and easily keep up with solutions from providers such as Salesforce or SAP. 

These days, when you are running online marketing for fairs, conferences and events, you need a large amount of audio-visual content. It isn’t always so easy to find. Here are 20 sources where you can find (free) music, video material, pictures and graphics.

 The competition for attention is merciless. Your customers are inundated with an enormous amount of content. Per day, roughly 300 million photos are uploaded to Facebook, and roughly 300 hours of video material is uploaded to YouTube per minute!

In order to get your message across here, you don’t just need relevant content for your target groups, rather also good audio-visual material to transport your story.

That’s easier said than done, as often the existing material from your own events is good, but somehow expendable. Or it is too expensive to have attractive content produced.

There is a large amount of material that is available (almost) free of charge. In the following section you will find several good sources for music, videos, photos and graphics that you can use in your online marketing.

One more tip: make sure you definitely pay attention to the rights and licenses. It is recommendable to take a screenshot of the picture and the licenses in order to prove in case of doubt that the content at the time of download was license-free. You’ll find important Copyright info here.

Setting the tone – create the atmosphere with sound

Regardless of whether you add music to a slideshow and add it to your website or you want to show an image clip from your last event, you won’t be able to get by without music! 

  • At Freemusicarchive.org you’ll be able to find music completely free of charge. Have a look through the charts or genres to find the suitable soundtrack. The license you need to keep an eye out for is Creative Commons BY. This license allows you to use audio content for commercial projects as long as you name the author of the music piece.
  • It’s a similar setup at Noisetrade. You can also search this musician platform for CC BY Licenses, and if you like, the musicians appreciate any donation you would like to make.
  • Not completely free of charge, however still very cheap is Audiojungle. You can get soundtracks already as of 1 US Dollar that can be used for your online marketing projects. The quality is very high. The pieces are mostly especially produced for commercial use and the search feature is excellent. On average you should calculate costs somewhere between 15 and 20 US Dollars per music title, depending on how the song is intended to be implemented.
  • Further useful sources to try out once: ccMixter, Jamendo, Magnatune or Beatpick.

Nothing’s possible without pictures – sources for free stock pictures

The algorithms of social networks are trimmed to prioritize posts with pictures and many studies show that good pictures are shared more often. Searching for pictures can however sometimes take a lot of effort. Have a look here: 

Man with small head, transporting parcels on his bike. If that is what you’ve been looking for, then Gratisography will be your choice!

  • At Pixabay you’ll find over 770,000 free pictures, vector graphics and illustrations. This type of content depends on the Creative Commons License CC0 . If the pictures were published with this license, they can be used in your creative project and can be changed without having to name the photographer.
  • The photos at Gratisography are a bit strange, but perhaps that is sometimes exactly what you are looking for your project!
  • Very stylish photos include those on Death to the Stock Photo – as the name already suggests. When you sign up to the newsletter, you’ll receive a monthly free selection of high quality photos with CC0 licensing.
  • The photos at Unsplash are very attractive, as they offer themselves well for use on blogs or online magazines.
  • Canva is actually an online graphics service, but Canva can also be used for picture research. For 1 US Dollar you can add pictures directly to your creative projects. You’ll find the advantages and disadvantages of Canva listed here on the Converve blog. 
  • A further graphics tool that integrates a direct search for free pictures is Adobe Spark. Initially, it was only available as an app, however Adobe now also offers the freemium service as a web application. Similar to Canva, this allows free pictures to be included directly in graphics projects without even having to leave the program. 

Say it with signs – free icons and vector graphics

The simpler the symbol, the better the message is transported. Something that icons and graphics convey well. If you don’t want to get an agency involved every time you need to do so, it’s worth having a look at these online resources: 

Donald Trump as a Mexican? Such graphics (and many more) can be found at Vector4Free

  • You’ll find over 1000,000 icons and vector graphics at Flaticon.  Many of these are free of charge, for others there are cheap flat rates for project use.  
  • There are considerably less graphics available at Vectors4free, however the quality of them is really good. 
  • Vector.me is a type of search machine for graphics and symbols. With over 200,000 elements, there’s a lot of junk, however it is definitely still worth a look.  

Moving moving images – sources for free video material

Yes, this also exists: sources for high quality video material that you can use for your online marketing. A story cannot be told more emotionally than through good video content!

A sample clip from Coverr, can be used without name mention and totally free, e.g. as a backdrop for animated graphics

  • A good source for stock videos is Dissolve. There is a free downloadable clip every month, so it’s worth following the site. 
  • Mazwai offers video clips in HD quality that can be downloaded straight away without having to sign up. The clips are licensed with Creative Commons CC 3.0 , meaning that they can be used for commercial projects, as long as the name of the author is stated.
  • The video portal Videohive is from the makers of Audiojungle. Similar to Audiojungle, you can pay to download video material, but there are also free clips every month here.
  • You’ll find some great material on Coverr – completely free of charge, even without naming the author (Creative Commons 1.0). 

Bottom line

If you know what you’re looking for, the search for attractive audio-visual content isn’t that hard at all. The quality of your online content is noticeably improved and you can better reach your online marketing targets!