E-congress, e-learning, e-seminars, videoconferences, e-meetings… Is it even still necessary to travel to congresses and how is it possible the meetings industry market is still growing? Based on what I experienced in mid September in Budapest, which hosted 6,000 neurologists from around the world, the need for top notch and modern capacities at congresses has never been greater, despite the seeming competition of e-meetings. As we have to go into details to understand the e-phenomenon and to recognize key signals of change, which became a part of the field along the way or entered into this field through new applications over all kinds of mobile devices, from notebooks, to tablet computers to mobile phones. At the same time we need to “catch” the understanding of key changes which captured the meetings industry through internet and digital platforms.
With this we actually highlighted the first quality of the meetings industry in the modern network ecosystem of the World Wide Web: omnipresence. Actually, I would ask a different question. Can a modern congress participant even take part in a meeting without “leaning” on the internet or similar technologies? Does it pay off to steer clear of the use of advanced technologies? Or better yet – who dares take the risk to not at least study what is available and find oneself among meetings industry dinosaurs, with two projection canvases, a lap top on your knees and two computers with an internet connection – that’s so passé…. Congress organizers, it’s time for a “reality check”. It’s time for a networked reality. It’s time for networked congress participants. It’s time for a combined experience of your congress. Time for a direct and instant group, a network, filtrated, transparent, filmed, photographed, commentated and whatever else is there, to experience what the congress has to offer.
Preamble
Before we list a number of novelties and curiosities from the area of web technologies and the meetings industry our glance should, in my opinion, linger on the key phenomena in the area of meetings industry marketing. If the web has become the key platform to gather information on congress services or congresses, things like reputation, attractiveness and quality of the entire destination are key decision factors for organizers to develop a congress long term. The latter implies a strong online digitalization of the destination brand and following all newest technology-marketing trends in the area of tourism as a whole. This can’t be neglected since the area of tourism is one of the fields thoroughly changed by the internet phenomenon. Since the main topic of this article is the meetings industry, I will not get into a deeper analysis, which can be an interesting topic for the future.
Pre-congress networking and online weaving
Of course by now we have mastered the formula stating our congress will be as successful in marketing as our database of electronic contacts to our potential clients and past participants is. This segment of online marketing has been used by the Slovenian companies for quite some time through so called loyalty programmes with the use of email. The upgrade of the programme is of course the managing of a newsletter which should bring the client numerous additional values and “sweets” from the areas they are interested in.
In the last five years the key is in managing the digitalized brand throughout the network. The meetings industry is namely exceedingly under the influence of World Wide Web, since the network is a key information, decision and purchasing platform for the participants. Here marketing employees in the meetings industry have an increasingly difficult task since the World Wide Web is getting more and more segmented, new and different communications channels are opening and it seem we are just starting to realized the difference between managing the web presence (by the way, a congress without a website? I don’t think so…) and managing a web presence right. Numerous tools, techniques, methods, all backed by the most modern analytical tools and the possibility of testing are a fantasy of each progressive marketer. Considering the growing competitiveness of the meetings industry such web enthusiast should not be rare within the industry.
During the event
Think about changes which we now take for granted, yet were few at Slovenian business meetings in 2002 or 2003. We’re talking about the basics of modern meetings. Wi-Fi connectivity, SMS or web chat as interactive tools among speakers and audience. In today’s meetings industry we are facing a revolution, brought to the market by the social media and networks, video communication and a number of interesting and useful technologies… During the event we can use internet technologies to efficiently link participants among themselves, speakers from around the world, enable a participatory nature of the congress, inform the public, communicate with media and other partners. Of course we can distribute material, share important achievements with participants and guests during the congress itself.
After the congress
When a congress is over the next day – if this an annual event – the preparation for the next one begins. Even if this is a one-time event it’s possible to ensure information spreads efficiently, that the PR strategy upgrades and that participant loyalty increases, by directly continuing dialogue with participants, lecturers and guests by using new technologies. If this is a traditional event the web, along with a few other channels, is an ideal environment to build a lasting loyalty and affiliation, survey participant satisfaction, receive new ideas and innovation, communicate the topics people in your data base are interested in, etc.
Through a digital reality
In the end let me add this article is set as an overview of possibilities and general trends and not as a profound technological and business analysis. To this end I would like to mention a number of key business functions, which seem indispensable for meeting planners and must be managed throughout the year if we wish to reach the maximum contextual and business effect (lower costs, higher income, higher competitive advantages etc.). Among them I would highlight digitalization of the congress brand, integration of mobile platforms into all phases of congress planning, social networks and media, useful networking on line (with partners, participants, sponsors, destination etc.) and caring the participants of your congress can follow you through every communication channel: from exhibitions, brochures, letters, personal contacts, through posters, ads, all the way to social media, website, electronic communication and mobile platforms. Nowadays successful meetings industry brads know the key to success is giving the clients a chance to test the brand, share it with friends and colleagues, co-create it in a way and continuously spread its good name and congress contents to the far reaches of the world. The power of the congress in connection to the internet is hidden in the power to connect professional and social networked participants and partners of the congress.
Primož Žižek
