Understanding attendee profiles is crucial for improving the effectiveness of exhibitors’ booths and sponsors’ banners and unlocking new channels of revenue.
Underpinning CTI’s virtual platform are analytics that track remote attendees individually throughout their interactions with all-conference elements. This data has given our clients special insight into the effectiveness of their exhibitors’ booths and sponsors’ banners. This summer CTI held a webinar to share findings across all of its virtual and hybrid meetings to help with industry best practices. Here are some key takeaways:
1. Target the right attendees
As CTI research has shown, some 20% of remote attendees account for 75% of the content watched at a conference across all meetings. We call this segment Power Users. Their behavior and use of tools are dramatically different of Regular Users. Identifying these individuals can be crucial for meeting organizers in scheduling exclusively virtual meetings or crafting a virtual component for onsite meetings. Understanding Regular Users is equally important because they still account for most visits. Exhibitors and sponsors want to take full advantage of the time they do spend at an event.
2. Power Users are less likely to visit exhibitors’ booths
When they do they focus on quick interaction, and product info. Given their dedication to education and the time they spend watching content, it makes sense that they account for just 5% of Expo visitors. When they do visit, they don’t linger long and are four times more likely than a Regular User to click on a vCard to contact the booth rep at a time of their choosing. They are also more like to look at product and resource information, but just as likely as others to click social media.
3. Regular Users 95% of exhibitor booth visitors want interaction
They are willing to take the time to browse and are nearly three times more likely than Power Users to chat. They are also more likely to click on more links and visit an exhibitor’s website. Given their desire for 1-to-1 engagement with booth reps, they could be even more attracted by video chat.
4. Banners work well for both user profiles
One-third of Regular Users click banners, but so do Power Users – who account for 39% of banner clickers – nearly double their typical percentage of attendees. Industry looking to target dedicated researchers and influencers could reach the Power User with sponsor banners for ePosters or On-demand content.
5. Premium revenue opportunity
The Networking Lounge. The analytics show that industry investments in Networking Lounges for Sponsored/Satellite Sessions pay off in reaching both profiles—with the Power User more likely to watch the complete session and take advantage of clicking the added PDF and video resources that the lounge can provide. CTI’s new lounge option for Video Chat should prove a draw for Regular Users.
6. Low-cost, high-return opportunity for organizers—post-meeting access
CTI analytics show both profiles are interested in returning to the virtual site after the meeting—Power Users in particular. The “long tail” phenomenon that’s so essential in e-commerce applies to virtual meetings as well—although daily visits may not be as high as those during the meeting, over time, the total post-meeting visits can equal or exceed those of the meeting. Why not let the industry benefit as well by providing opportunities for booths, lounges, and banners along with the on-demand content.
