Data, analytics and digital were discussed at AMR International and Lippman Connects' sold-out Transform USA in Washington DC.
Some 125 key industry professionals including C-level executives from some of the USA’s largest exhibitions and convention organisers attended Transform USA to discuss the future of data, analytics and digital in the events industry.
Taking place at the Marriott at Metro Center in Washington DC on Thursday, July 20, 2017, the inaugural conference, organised and curated by global strategy consultancy AMR International and US-based events organiser Lippman Connects, gave attendees a guided tour on how to strategically plan and develop long-term data, analytics and digital transformations.
Some of the key findings from the conference included:
· Growth of the exhibition industry is not going to come from net square feet.
· Customers are different now. Attendees arrive to the show having researched products in advance using online tools. Exhibiting companies are demanding more tangible returns on investment.· The discussion around data, analytics, and digital is not a technology discussion. It is a discussion about the culture, skills, and capabilities required of exhibition organisations to drive transformation.
· There is a mandate to design metrics for success—simple, relevant metrics derived from the data (behavioral data in particular) collected from exhibitions. Some examples include key buyer engagement and customers moved through the conversion pipeline.
· While the data exists in abundance, the difficulty now lies in making the data actionable, predictive, and in a form, that can be monetised. To achieve those goals, organisers will require, at a minimum, core skill sets and an organized approach to technology vendors.
· The API economy as a mechanism for facilitating integration across the technology ecosystem will help the industry implement solutions that are tailored to the needs of specific organisations.
Denzil Rankine, executive chairman, AMR International said: “There is a lot of excitement, as well as confusion and concern, about how to deal with the changing environment of exhibitions and specifically how to harness digital and analytics. At Transform USA, we took attendees on a journey dedicated to the topic of data, analytics, and digital starting with some perspectives from the market and our audience and concluding each session with some takeaways that are practical, not just theoretical. Our mission is to guide the transformation of the industry.”
Sam Lippman, President, Lippman Connects added: “This topic is life changing for all of us, for our organizations, and our events. We have worked with exhibition and convention professionals for the last 17 years through our portfolio of Lippman Connects events, addressing issues and challenges in the exhibition industry. And through all of this, digital and analytics kept coming up. So, with AMR’s team of bright professionals, we developed a programme and a blueprint that we believe will impact organizations and their events in a transformative way.”
Transform USA 2017 was sponsored by a2z, ASP, Balluun, CNTV, Convention Data Services, Educational Measures, Experient, Explori, Feathr, Freeman, Gleanin, Grip, Map Your Show, mdg, Poken, PSAV, Shepard, Sherpa and VISIT.
Transform USA will return in June 2018 to Washington DC.
