Event organizers that match attendees with content that is interesting to them will stand a better chance of encouraging those attendees to extend the time they spend at a virtual event venue. This activity will boost engagement metrics and – ideally – make it possible for marketers to leverage this time and mindshare in ways that boost the lead-generation and conversion process.
2%
FIGURE 3
How Useful Would You Find the Following Video-Related Machine Intelligence Feature? “Automatically recommend videos that might be of interest to you based on past viewing habits.” — Respondents Who Attended Virtual Events in 2020
14%
Not Useful
Neutral
39%
Somewhat Useful
45%
Very Useful
Even presenters at a virtual event are likely to benefit from these content-matching capabilities. They would have greater confidence that the individuals attending their sessions are likely to have significant interest in hearing their message, providing them assurance that their presentations are reaching their intended target.
Innovation #3: Facilitate Advertising and Sponsorship Windows Tailoring content to appeal to attendees is only one-half of the virtual event customization equation. Advertisers, exhibitors, and event sponsors need access to a range of tools that give them options for getting their marketing message in front of the audience members they need to reach. The marketing basics start with tactics commonly used on the public web: Look for platforms that enable dynamic signage options on the attendee’s screen, such as banner ads that rotate at set time intervals. To further enhance the impact of these advertising slots, leverage data collected in the registration process so vendors can target their advertising to the attendees they are most interested in reaching. These technologies for tailoring advertising messages to relevant audiences are the mirror image of the content recommendation engines discussed earlier in this report. In both cases, machine intelligence leverages knowledge of an attendee’s stated preferences to identify additional attendees likely to be receptive to specific content. Advertisers, in general, are willing to pay higher rates to reach such targeted audiences.
©2021 Wainhouse Research, LLC
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