Swapcard, the leading AI-powered engagement and matchmaking platform for premium events, has experienced unprecedented growth over the last few months. Although the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent ban on physical gatherings have wreaked havoc on the events industry, Swapcard made the move towards virtual events earlier this year and has managed not only to stay afloat but to increase their business in the first 9 months of 2020.
Several prominent deals in 2020 have boosted the company’s growth, including the 2020 version of the largest world fair dating back to 1851, which notably showcased the then-brand-new Eiffel Tower in Paris in 1889. Swapcard was awarded the tender to become the official business matchmaking platform of this event and is currently building the app that will be used by a projected 1,5 million business attendees and over 190 exhibiting countries. Swapcard’s networking and matchmaking features will be front and center with visitors relying on artificial intelligence to match them up with potential business connections.
Swapcard’s team has recruited 17 new employees in the Seattle, Montreal, London, Paris, and Dubai offices since June 2020, in teams varying from event support to marketing to product design and tech. The client base has expanded across all regions, including the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Clients such as Informa, Clarion Events, Emerald, Closer Still Media, Easyfair, Kortrijk, GL Events, Verona Fiere, DMG Events, and Messe Frankfurt have partnered with Swapcard and are making use of the new features, spurring growth.
Examples of events that have moved 100% online in the face of COVID with the virtual features on the platform include Black Hat, the largest U.S. cybersecurity show, London Tech Week, and Global Industrie, France’s largest industry trade show. Swapcard also won RFPs for International Confex in London and IAEE’s Expo! Expo!, a hybrid event in Las Vegas, where its platform will be used for networking, matchmaking, virtual content, and more. Swapcard will also be exhibiting at these events. Expo! Expo! will be using Swapcard to launch their 365 platform on January 1st, where attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors can exchange, buy, sell and promote throughout the year, making for a very valuable investment for everyone.
Future of hybrid events and 24/7 online platforms
Before the COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm, events were mostly in-person, booth size was the determining factor for sponsors and leads were generated the old-fashioned way. Post-COVID, events will become increasingly online-centric as companies will likely decrease travel budgets after months of efficient remote work, proving deals can be done through a screen. However, this does not take away from the power of face-to-face meetings, so hybrid events bring together the best of both worlds – in-person networking with the power to meet people across time zones.
The industry is moving towards a hybrid model with an online community that interacts all year long. Swapcard’s event platforms can remain open for attendee networking, new content, and sales in the exhibitor marketplace. The 24/7 online community model increases the ROI for exhibitors and optimizes revenue streams for organizers.
Swapcard is looking ahead, leading the transition in the industry and responding to clients’ most urgent needs with innovative new features. This innovation is based on years of experience in physical events – such as GITEX, OECD conference, and Who’s Next – with a platform made for in-person meetings and adapted to bring the online world to attendees’ fingertips. This adaptability has paid off and propelled the company to become a frontrunner in the industry.
Swapcard is an AI-powered event and matchmaking platform that runs successful in-person, virtual, and hybrid events. AI is used to boost matchmaking, connecting users with the most relevant people based on their profiles, and custom event journeys. With live exhibitor dashboards to track ROI, real-time event programs, audience engagement features and video calling options, Swapcard delivers valuable user experiences for all types of events.
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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.
