11 REASONS WHY EXHIBITORS PAY FOR BOOTHS AT MOBILE AND VIRTUAL EVENTS An IMASTE White Paper

11 reasons why exhibitors pay for booths at Mobile and Virtual Events �1

11 REASONS WHY EXHIBITORS PAY FOR BOOTHS AT MOBILE AND VIRTUAL EVENTS

Selling  booths  for  a  virtual  fair  may  seem  like  a  difficult  task,  but  it  isn’t.    

For  poten=al  exhibitors,  who  might  not  be   familiar  with   the  benefits  of  par=cipa=ng   in  a  virtual  

fair,   it  will  require  hard  work  and  convincing  in  order  to  get  them  on  board.  In  this  Imaste  White  

Paper,  we  are  going   to  highlight  eleven  unique  selling  points   for  virtual  events.  We  hope  these  

selling   points   will   arm   virtual   event   organizers   and   their   sales   teams   with   the   necessary   sales  

arguments  to  get  out  there  and  fill  those  empty  booth  spaces  with  great  exhibitors.  

THE UNIQUE BENEFITS OF VIRTUAL FAIRS

There   are   a   number   of   characteris=cs   unique   to   virtual   fairs   that   make   them   especially  

advantageous  for  exhibitors.  We  will  take  a  look  at  these  features  one  by  one  and  point  out  how  

par=cipa=ng  in  a  virtual  fair  can  provide  poten=al  exhibitors  with  an  effec=ve,  innova=ve  solu=on  

to  their  problem.  The  benefits  can  be  separated  into  two  groups.  

MAXIMIZED ROI ON EVENT ATTENDANCE

The  first  group  of  benefits  of  virtual  events  has  to  do  with  event  ROI  for  concrete  events.  Through  

virtual,   exhibitors   will   have   a   number   of   tools   at   their   disposal   to   get   the   most   out   of   their  

investment  of  =me,  resources  and  money  on  aJendance  at  a  specific  event.  

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1. Global Reach

If   a   company   wants   its   brand   to   reach   globally,   then   it   has   to   go   online.   One   of   the   great  

advantages  of  being  a  virtual  fair  exhibitor  is  that  a  company  can  collect  leads  from  anywhere.  The  

cost  barriers  for  leads  or  candidates  traveling  to  a  live  event  are  nearly  inexistent  -­‐  anyone  with  

an   Internet   connec=on   and   a   mobile   phone   or   PC   can   aJend   a   virtual   fair.     For   companies  

opera=ng  in  niche  markets  or  whose  staff  is  spread  out  over  a  wide  geographic  area,  this  capacity  

for   a   global   reach   to   connect   with   both   internal   and   external   company   stakeholders   is   a   great  

advantage  of  virtual  events.  

2. Company-Wide Involvement

Not  only  do  the  benefits  of  a  global  reach  apply  to  poten=al  visitors  to  a  virtual  stand,  they  also  

apply   internally.  Departments  other   than   just   sales   and  marke=ng   can  get   involved   through   the  

ease  of  online  access  via  chat  or  webcasts.  Imagine  the  engagement  possibili=es  of  having  a   live  

webcast  by  a  C-­‐level  execu;ve  who  otherwise  would  find   it   impossible  to  aJend  the  fair  –  or  a  

live  Q&A  session  with  the  head  of  the  Engineering  Department  who  connects  from  an  offshore  

oil   pla@orm.   The   possibili=es   for   company-­‐wide   involvement   and   innova=on   are   endless   when  

exhibi=ng  at  a  virtual  event.  

3. Low-Cost Exhibiting

In   addi=on   to   the  direct   cost  of  buying  exhibi=on   space  at   a   tradi=onal  exhibi=on,  par=cipa=ng  

companies  have  to  add  in  a  lot  of  extra  expenditures:  travel  costs,  accommoda=ons,  personnel  to  

man  booths,  taxis,  drinks,  snacks.  The  list  goes  on.  With  virtual,  they  can  achieve  that  presence  at  

a  frac;on  of  the  cost  of  aBending  a  tradi;onal  on-­‐site  fair.  

4. Great UX for Visitors

Virtual   events   provide   a   rich   user   experience   (UX)   for   visitors,   with   lots   of   content   and   direct  

interac=on.  Furthermore,  what  makes  them  aJrac=ve  for  exhibitors  and  different  from  a  sta=c  site  

(an   online   job   board,   for   example)   is   their   immediacy   as   events   with   a   specific   calendar   and  

schedule  and  their  capacity  to  engage  in  real  ;me  with  guest  speakers  and  exhibitors  through  the  

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live  chat  func=ons  and  webcasts.  Visitors  who  can’t  connect  in  real  =me  are  not  leZ  out  either  –  

they  can  login  at  a  later  =me  and  access  content  on  demand  and  contact  exhibitors  via  email.  

5. Engagement Tracking

Tracking  of  visitor  ac=vity  is  another  great  element  of  virtual  events.  Exhibitors  can  actually  track  

engagement  sta;s;cs  as  users  move  through  the  content  of  their  virtual  stands.  With  pla\orms  

that  are   integrated  with  Google  Analy=cs,  they  can  see  what  content   is  working  (and  what   isn't)  

and  get  detailed  sta=s=cs  on  users  in  order  to  iden=fy  and  qualify  leads.  By  analyzing  how  much  

=me  visitors  spent  at  the  stand  what  content  they  viewed,  exhibitors  can  draw  conclusions  about  

their  level  of  interest  in  general  and  even  their  specific  interests.    

6. Digitized, Organized Leads

Not  only  will  exhibitors  be  able  to  generate  a  high  volume  of  leads,  they  will  also  be  able  to  keep  

them  organized  easily.  A  virtual  events  pla\orm  will  allow  exhibitors  to  rank  leads  automa;cally  

according   to  a  match-­‐maker   survey   taken  by  prospec=ve   leads,   as  well   as  manually   rank   them  

based  on   live  chat  sessions.   Just  as  with  a   live  event,   the  staff  at  a  booth  plays  an  ac=ve  part   in  

engaging  visitors,  and  by  communica=ng  with  them  correctly  and  asking  the  right  ques=ons,  will  

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be  able  to  qualify  and  categorize  leads  for  future  nurturing.  When  siZing  through  a  global  pool  of  

candidates  or  leads,  the  ability  to  organize  all  the  data  is  extremely  useful.    

7. Database Integration

Whether   it's   a   CRM   or   a   candidate   database,   exhibitors   at   a   virtual   fair   can   integrate   their  

company's   database   directly   into   the   lead   genera=on   tool   provided   by   the   fair   organizer.   For  

example,  exhibitors  at  a  virtual  careers   fair  can   integrate   their  online   job  board  directly   into   the  

fair’s  interface  without  having  to  manually  upload  job  pos=ngs  or  require  current  users  to  register  

separately.   This   allows   them   to   expand   their   database   of   highly   qualified   leads   without   the  

hassle  (and  cost)  of  manual  data  input,  as  well  as  reduce  the  bounce  rate  at  their  stand.    

8. Measurable, Maximized ROI

In  the  end,  every  ac=vity  a  company  is  involved  in—including  event  aJendance—should  be  about  

having  a   good   return  on   investment.   The   costs  of   aJending  an  event   should  be   jus=fied  by   the  

results   obtained.   However,   we   all   know   that   quan=fying   the   ROI   of   event   aJendance   is  

complicated,  and  jus=fying  aJendance  to  events  can  oZen  be  problema=c  and  controversial.  This  

problem   is   due   in   part   to   the   lack   of   a  method   of   tracking   visitor   engagement   and  measuring  

results.    However,  with  the  tracking  capabili=es  of  an  online  events  pla\orm,  exhibitors  can  now  

truly  measure   conversion   rates—and   therefore   ROI—of   event   aBendance.   Furthermore,   given  

the   savings  when   compared   to   the   costs   of   aJending   live   events,   a   company   can  maximize   its  

event  ROI  by  taking  part  in  virtual  events.  

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DIGITAL STRATEGY BENEFITS OF VIRTUAL EVENTS

The  second  group  of  benefits   that  exhibitors   can  obtain  has   to  do  with  marke=ng  and  branding  

opportuni=es  offered  by  virtual  events  in  general.  Virtual  fairs  make  a  great  addi=onal  channel  for  

boos=ng  brand  recogni=on  and  online  presence.  

9. Improved Social Media Presence

Every  company  should  now  be  leveraging  social  media  to  increase  brand  exposure,  nurture  leads,  

and  even  hunt   for   talent.  With  a  virtual   fair,   it   is  easy   to   integrate  the  company’s  stand   into   its  

social  media  strategy,  whether  it  is  for  HR  purposes  or  marke=ng  and  sales.  Virtual  environments  

can  be  fully  customized  and  branded,  even  incorpora=ng  a  virtual  replica  of  a  company’s  offices,  

both  inside  and  out.  Exhibitors  can  upload  content  such  as  corporate  presenta=ons,  brochures  and  

videos  to  their  stand  for  visitors  to  access.    All  of  these  resources  make  for  great,  easy  sharing  on  

social  media.  At  the  same  =me,  exhibitors  can  leverage  their  exis=ng  online  communi=es  to  drive  

traffic  to  the  virtual  stand.  

10. Updated Corporate Image

A  company's  presence  on  a   virtual  pla\orm  will   help  project  a   corporate   image  of  being  up   to  

date   and   tech   savvy.   This   is   great   for   aJrac=ng   both   leads   and   talent.   A   high-­‐quality   pla\orm  

should   have   a   sleek,   aJrac=ve   design.   Most   importantly,   it   should   be   mobile-­‐friendly   and  

responsive,  adap=ng  easily  to  any  size  screen.    

 

11. Wash, Rinse, Repeat

The  last  posi=ve  feature  of  virtual  events  to  highlight  is  their  repeatability  and  scalability.  Once  a  

company   has   the   experience   of   par=cipa=ng   in   an   online   event   and   the   content   has   been  

generated,  it  is  easy  to  repeat  the  experience  with  another  event,  or  perhaps  for  another  division  

or  department  of  the  same  company.  Virtual  pla\orms  can  also  be  easily  scaled  to  different  size  

divisions  or  en=re  companies.  Companies  can  even  build   their  own   internal  virtual  environment  

for  employees.  Some  of  the  typical  applica=ons  for  these  bespoke  virtual  pla\orms  are:  

11 reasons why exhibitors pay for booths at Mobile and Virtual Events �6

  •   Training    

  •   New  Employee  Onboarding  

  •   Talent  Mobility    

Due   to   the   flexibility   and   customiza=on   possibili=es   of   a   virtual   pla\orm,   the   opportuni=es   for  

repea=ng  and  adap=ng  a  pla\orm  to  meet  new  needs  are  endless.    

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THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VIRTUAL FAIRS

A   typical   hurdle   to   gefng   involved   in   virtual   fairs   is   their   effec=veness   in   the   real   world.   The  

theore=cal   benefits   are   clear,   but   do  people   actually   aJend   them?  Based  on   sta=s=cs   gathered  

hos=ng   over   two   hundred   virtual   fairs,   with  more   than   two   thousand   exhibitors   and   over   one  

million  total  visitors,  we  can  see  that  they  DO  work.  Analyzing  the  most  recent  events  hosted  on  

the   Imaste   pla\orm,   we   have   come   up   with   the   following   sta=s=cs   on   the   average   number  

of  visitors,  registra=on,  and  conversion  rates  at  Imaste  events:    

IMASTE VIRTUAL EVENTS AND MOBILE COMMUNITIES

Interested   in   gefng   your   clients   involved   in   an  online   event   or   helping   them   set   up   a   bespoke  

mobile   community   for   their   organiza=on?   Then   let   Imaste   help!   With   our   experience   hos=ng  

virtual  events  of  all  types  on  our  pla\orm,  we  can  provide  you  with  all  of  these  benefits  and  more:  

•   a  customized,  branded  environment  

•   high  user  engagement  

•   detailed  user  interac=on  tracking,  integrated  with  Google  Analy=cs  

•   the  capacity  for  brand  awareness  at  a  global  level  

•   market-­‐tested  solu=on,  used  for  over  two  hundred  virtual  events  

•   reduced  event  aJendance  costs  for  maximum  ROI  

•   sleek,  aJrac=ve  design  

•   intui=ve  interface  

•   experience  project  management  and  support  staff  

     

Contact  Imaste  now  for  a  free  consulta=on  

Read  more  about  Imaste  Virtual  Events  and  Mobile  Communi=es:  

• "What Does Mobilegeddon Mean for Virtual Events?"

• "How to Choose the Best Platform for Your Virtual Event"

• "Goodbye Virtual, Hello Mobile - the New Version of Imaste's Popular Virtual Events Platform"

• "Transform Your Virtual Event into a Mobile Community"

11 reasons why exhibitors pay for booths at Mobile and Virtual Events �8

ABOUT IMASTEImaste is a mobile and virtual events software developer with experience in more than two hundred virtual job fairs worldwide. Our platform is used by over two thousand exhibitors and more than one million users, creating online communities in twenty countries. The Imaste White Paper series is based on this experience and best practices that we have observed, which we are now happy to share with you. We work closely with virtual job fairs organizers (Job Boards, universities, associations) to support their sales and marketing strategies. If you are planning a virtual career fair and want a free consultation, contact us at info@imaste-ips.com .

11 reasons why exhibitors pay for booths at Mobile and Virtual Events �9