WORLD - Virtual events provide middling effectiveness, and are best used to complement rather than replace face-to-face events, according to a survey of exhibition organisers and promoters.
The research by the Centre for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) and George P Johnson Experience Marketing (GJP), published in Digital and Exhibiting Marketing Insights 2010, suggests exhibition organisers are also using a broader array of digital media to add value to their exhibition marketing investments and enrich audience experience.
Of all the exhibition management and production respondents, 70 per cent use virtual events to complement face-to-face events, while only five per cent replace face-to-face events with virtual versions. Seventy-five per cent said virtual events were “somewhat effective” at engaging audiences, while only 14 per cent said they are “very effective”.
Of all respondents, 72 per cent expect to have digital event strategies in place by the end of the year. Email was identified by 85 per cent of respondents as the tactic that provides the greatest ROI in the marketing of an event.
