The event tech market has been booming during the pandemic, with existing companies launching virtual platforms and a whole host of new offerings emerging as well. The proliferation of platforms has presented a sometimes overwhelming choice for planners exploring digital options for the first time, but by now, most organizations have settled on their preferred platform and have the advantage of being able to train on and master a single platform.
Sponsors and exhibitors, on the other hand, have no control over which platform is used for the virtual trade shows and conferences that they attend. It’s no secret that many exhibitors have struggled when it comes to ROI at digital events, and the sheer number of available platforms hasn’t made things easier.
The way exhibitors engage and connect with prospects in person is the same from event to event, but that’s not the case online. Although many platforms now offer the same basic capabilities, they still provide different experiences and have different interfaces, features, etc.
“Every show is using a different platform,” explains Pamela McCracken, Director of Marketing Communications at STMicroelectronics, which has sponsored and exhibited at many virtual events over the past 18 months. “This leads to lots of extra work for exhibitors since we need to learn the platform, resize graphics, attend trainings and then also train our staff who will be supporting the shows. It is a lot of work for every event. And often, we never really feel like we have taken full advantage of the space since we don’t have time to become experts on the platform.”
Swapcard’s research from earlier this year provides evidence of this issue — the report found that nearly 45 percent of exhibitors missed networking requests at virtual trade shows, and almost 40 percent missed requests at virtual conferences. It notes that “careless exhibitors constantly miss business,” but this may be a somewhat unfair characterization, as it may largely be down to lack of proper training.
The report suggests that organizers should allocate resources to help train exhibitors on the platform, which is certainly helpful, but doesn’t address the core issue of exhibitors simply not having the time — or in some cases the financial justification — to master platform after platform, particularly for hybrid events where they also need to focus on organizing the in-person component.
To make matters more challenging, the industry is still in a period of rapid innovation, which is making it difficult for exhibitors to keep up. “Even when it’s a platform you have used before, there are new updates constantly being made, so it can be like learning all over again from scratch sometimes,” says McCracken. “Or at least you might miss some new features. And that’s not even mentioning the acquisitions and consolidation that is already starting and bound to happen more in the coming years.”
UFI and Explori’s most recent Global Recovery Insights report found that exhibitors are not diverting significant percentages of their budgets to digital, and they had previously found that exhibitors prefer the live experience in all areas. While many factors are to blame for this, virtual platform fragmentation is often overlooked, and we can expect it to be an issue at least until platform updates and consolidations start to slow. In the meantime, exhibitors may simply not be able to make the most of all of the features that the different platforms have to offer, or they may choose to participate in digital components only when they are already familiar with the platform.
It’s reasonable to assume that over the next few years, most companies will feel more comfortable engaging on some of the biggest platforms. UFI CEO and Managing Director Kai Hattendorf also notes that “a new emphasis will be put on connecting the physical trade shows and business events with year-long offers to support the business success of the communities that a trade show is serving,” which will largely be digital, and are starting to be supported through offerings like the new “Glisser Elements.”
Similar products will likely become more widespread and will be an appealing option for companies that prefer to curate their own customized experience for their audience rather than rely on external platforms.