Blogs
Aug 13, 2021
The trade show industry struggled over the past year as COVID-19 restricted travel and in-person attendance. Now, as vaccines roll out in force and restrictions loosen, the prospect of in-person trade shows seems viable once again. Still, the path forward may not be clear.
Even as the pandemic fades, concerns over event safety will likely linger for some time. Similarly, some would-be attendees may now prefer virtual trade show experiences after becoming accustomed to them. These trends pose a challenge to trade show organizers, but you can work around them.
Here are five ways you can… more
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Aug 10, 2021
Getting into a trade show is easy. Squandering that opportunity is easy, too. If you go into your first trade show (or your second, or third or fourth…) with a too-casual mindset, a noncompetitive approach and high expectations, you’re in for a bad time.
While it’s up to trade show organizers to attract attendees, it’s up to you to win them over, and simply being there won’t cut it. Your booth must make an impression. Whether you’re dealing with a hybrid audience or you’re setting up at an industry-only fair, you have to stand out, and that’s easier said than done in today’s marketing world… more
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Aug 05, 2021
When the pandemic required that business-to-business event organizers switch to virtual events overnight, it was nerve-wracking for many. Besides being unfamiliar with an entirely new event model, planners struggled with the technology, learning curve, and design philosophy. While challenging, good came from it. A year later, some learnings from virtual events are poised to change the way organizers run in-person events. Technology will play a significant role.
What stakeholders love about virtual events
Apart from the casual dress code and a short commute, there's a lot to love about… more
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Aug 03, 2021
The in-person event industry was brought to a halt by the pandemic, and live events, face-to-face networking and the buzz of an exhibition have been missed from the business schedule for more than a year as a result.
While virtual events have been an effective alternative for both organizers and attendees, according to Event Manager Blog’s event statistics, 72% of live events failed to profitably pivot to a virtual format, and this has inevitably driven the renewed demand for hybrid and live events within the industry as restrictions begin to ease.
There is no denying that the past year… more
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Jul 29, 2021
Exhibitors in a broad Ascend Media study shared some major pain points recently published by the firm. It’s feedback worth digging into, and worth digging into EARLY in experience design, not late. It’s worth elevating these ideas to a strategic planning level and finding solutions for the stakeholders that financially support your events.
We are addressing the Top 10 Concerns in a series of posts that outline solutions for supporting exhibitors in a virtual environment. We’ve distilled the Top 10 pain points into four big ideas to present solutions.
The 4 Big Ideas for Exhibitor… more
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Jul 27, 2021
The future is hybrid! You must have heard this statement repeatedly over the last few months, and rightly so. We are now moving into a world where people are warming up and getting excited to go back to the physical events, though there are still those who aren’t ready to attend a physical event (whether for safety or resource/expense) but have embraced virtual events. Hence, welcome to the world of hybrid. Now, how do you generate the maximum ROI in this blend of virtual and offline events?
The Right Strategy
What is your primary objective here? Sales opportunities, lead generation or… more
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Jul 22, 2021
I think I speak for most of us when I say that in-person events are one of those things we didn’t realize we loved until they were gone. And when events and other face-to-face gatherings started shutting down over the last year, an incredibly important channel for personalized conversations and relationship-deepening evaporated.
Since then, businesses have given their best college try to replace this lost value, with mixed results. While virtual events in and of themselves have largely done well, there’s a major missed opportunity that’s consistently overlooked: post-event content. Here’s… more
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Jul 20, 2021
What if you could recreate all the energy and excitement of a trade show without the pushing, shoving, booth bunnies or the trolls whose sole mission is to load their vendor logo bags with every piece of swag they can grab? Virtual events came of age in 2020 and are now dominating all discussions about the future of events. They are expected to grow at almost 23% annually until 2027, and this prediction came before the pandemic pulled the plug on every imaginable in-person event.
As more and more vaccines find willing arms, trade shows are making a huge pivot. So, what does that future look… more
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Jul 15, 2021
Big changes have happened to the event planning community in a world shaped by COVID. Event planners have worked hard to transition the attendees of their on-premises events into the virtual space. Even with COVID winding toward an end, more organizations than ever before have moved to virtual event planning for their conferences, meetings and sales events.
Meeting planners have adjusted to this new normal for the most part, but many are still worried about making certain their virtual event goes off without a glitch. This blog will share our top seven tips to help guide your event planning… more
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Jul 13, 2021
In the physical trade show world, exhibitors get to move in early, the big ones even earlier. The booth space is a home away from home, with care put into how tchotchkes are displayed and cases of water hauled in to keep the staffers hydrated.
Exhibitors need time to move into their virtual booth space, too. Too many times we’ve heard about exhibitors scrambling to get passwords sorted, videos uploaded and staff trained on how attendees at virtual events will be able to interact with them. Turns out, exhibitor training and time to get settled are some of the major pain points expressed in a… more
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Partner Voices
Overview:
The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality.
In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way.
“We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.”
Amenities:
The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.
The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience
The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need.
Gold Key Members
The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events.
OCCC Events:
This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.
The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:
AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023
200,000 Attendees
$257 Million in Economic Impact
MEGACON 2023
160,000 Attendees
$205 Million in Economic Impact
Open Championship Series 2023
69,500 Attendees
$89 Million in Economic Impact
Sunshine Classic 2023
42,000 Attendees
$54 Million in Economic Impact
Premiere Orlando 2023
42,000 Attendees
$108 Million in Economic Impact