Newfound event flexibility and a collective pivot to virtual exhibitions has led to major growth at Cambridge-based event tech company ExpoPlatform.
The paralysis brought by the coronavirus pandemic created a widespread need for organisers to quickly shift their shows online. ExpoPlatform sensed this changing event engagement patterns and augmented their event platform with functionalities for virtual events, prompting fresh strategic partnerships.
In March, CloserStill Media’s London Tech Show was the first event to use ExpoPlatform’s suite of online tools. ExpoPlatform followed this by supporting events including WeCosmoprof 2020 (BolognaFiere), The Big 5 Digital Africa (DMG), ITW 2020 (Euromoney), Digital transformation Week (TMForum) and Clarion Events’ Home & Gift Virtual 2020.
ExpoPlatform also collaborated with Reed Exhibitions this year to give the organiser’s flagship luxury event JCK a digital makeover. The success of this virtual event prompted Reed to select ExpoPlatform as their official digital platform for MadconNYC 2020 in December. The partnership will continue for Reed UK’s premium event ILTM in November; Reed Midem’s show Propel NYC in December; and Reed Exhibitions US’ event, the PGA Merchandise Show in January 2021.
These business events enabled attendees to resume their interactions online and clock more than two million video minutes in just 36 virtual events. More than 150,000 participants attended the virtual and hybrid events powered by ExpoPlatform in the last five months, resulting in 50,000 video meeting requests. These events engaged the attendees with their online meetings and sessions, networking opportunities and insightful content, driving the average engagement rate to an impressive 64 per cent.
ExpoPlatform gives organisers not only an easy solution to keep their event programme on track but the ability to turn a profit using the platform’s virtual sponsorship capabilities. This additional revenue stream has been activated by clients including Reed Exhibitions, DMG Events, Tarsus, Euromoney, Informa Markets, NAPCO, Astana Expo, CloserStill Media, Bologna Fiere, MCI, ASTM International, The Union and TRBusiness.
To cater for the increased demand in its products, ExpoPlatform has expanded its team across three different global regions with new team members in marketing, customer success and quality analysis. This has helped in scaling processes, streamlining workflows and providing high-quality customer experiences.
ExpoPlatform also ramped up its partner program this year, joining forces with event management and consulting firms to provide support in the local markets of the UK, Australia, Portugal, India, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Russia. The company has been part of several knowledge-sharing initiatives such as MBB’s Exhibitions Think Tank initiative and webinars hosted by Expomap, EVNTech, Virtual Summit, AAE and EMA.
A new partnership with EVNTech also sees its upcoming ‘Engage Virtual’ event hosted on a virtual event platform powered by ExpoPlatform on 29 October 2020.
This high-level engagement, primarily driven by ExpoPlatform’s AI-powered matchmaking services and extensive networking capabilities, has given businesses the tools they need to stay connected and derive greater returns, both financially and operationally, from the virtual and hybrid experiences. The enhanced technology platform also serves as a form of event insurance for equipping organisers to tackle unforeseen scenarios that put their physical events at risk.
ExpoPlatform’s insights also enable the organisers to build suitable monetisation packages for exhibitors and sponsors, and discover untapped monetisation opportunities in their online and hybrid events.
Sponsored Content
Author: Adam Parry
Adam is the co-founder and editor of www.eventindustrynews.com Adam, a technology evangelist also organises Event Tech Live, Europe’s only show dedicated to event technology and the Event Technology Awards. Both events take place in November, London.
