This week, AppCraft had the pleasure of speaking with Mickaël BURDET, Coach-Consultant for B2B event organizers at CMB Event.
His exact role? "Helping B2B event stakeholders (organizers or exhibitors) optimize their (future) events and boost their ROI in the long term."
And like all event professionals, 2020 has not been an easy year for him. So we wanted to meet him and ask him a few questions about his job, how his role has changed in recent months, and the preconceptions that still exist about the digital format.
M.B.: Yes, exhibitors need much more support because the digital format can still be intimidating. There is also more education involved, a need to show things in order to convince people. So the support is different. Before, my support was generally based on "how to manage face-to-face events effectively." Exhibitors would prepare one month or even two weeks in advance. Today, the question is "how to anticipate online events effectively." And one month or two weeks in advance, as we know, is already too late. At that point, clients are already panicking because they don't know how to adapt to their platform. Some don't prepare anything and welcome their clients on the day without a well-rehearsed pitch, for example. And so the result is disappointing.
M.B.:In person, trade shows allowed for more or less the same format: preparing visuals for your booth and talking to visitors. Digitally, you have to adapt to the technology and be well prepared to make the most of the event and the tools available. Improvisation is no longer possible. Preparation (before, during, and after) is key! Customers can improvise, but the results won't always be there. Just like in person, you have to prepare your booth: imagine it, design it, adopt a clear pitch → you can't show up at an event without these elements.
AppCraft: That's true, we've also noticed that there's a lot of advice and awareness about the timeframes involved. Digital requires a lot of preparation beforehand – whether it's developing content (which is extremely important), the pitch, the editorial line, etc.
M.B.:Yes. Before, we were much less focused on anticipating events. But that meant they could be less effective. The advantage of face-to-face events is that participants would come to the venue, look around, and take the time to see what interested them. With virtual events, this is much less the case. Participants log in, quickly scan the content and workshop topics, and then move on if they don't find anything of significant value. So it's important to capture and maintain participants' attention throughout the event.
M.B.: It's funny that you said "a good event" and then specified "digital" because the recipe works for both—physical and digital.
For me, the magic formula is tothink about the participant in the broadest sense of the term. This includes visitors, speakers, exhibitors, and partners. The formula is really to ask yourself, "What experience should I give my participant, based on their profile?"
The expectations of a visitor to a medical conference will be different from those of a visitor to a trade show dedicated to entrepreneurs, for example. The former will probably attend during their working hours, paid for by their company, but entrepreneurs may be more volatile as they will be taking time out of their own project development.
In digital events, technology is good, but it's not everything. It's a means of reaching the target audience. But then you have to find the best way to meet visitors' expectations.
AppCraft:To sum up, the recipe is to analyze the motivations of each type of participant and find out what they will get out of the event. But also to find the most relevant way possible to lead them towards this goal.
AppCraft:Yes, digital events are a brand new field. Some people who are used to in-person events have no idea about the new rules of digital. Which is normal! So it's up to us to support them and make them aware of the different possibilities this format offers. We have clients with little experience in digital who wonder if their old physical event will really work in digital. They wonder if they will be able to attract their target audience and, above all, how to do so. Our team therefore guides them towards formats that meet their needs, while listening to the client's ideas so that the event reflects their brand and they are happy with the end result.
M.B.:I agree, it's not the same profession. Physical events don't follow the same rules as digital events. Winning over physical participants is not the same as winning over e-participants. You don't attract them in the same way.
So now the question arises as to the importance of data. Instead of collecting business cards, we have a complete directory of visitors to the event platform (depending on the platform used). And that's a real gold mine for organizers and exhibitors. We need to think more globally about the event. When we can return to physical events, the time spent on digital events should not be wasted. In this respect, AppCraft is well positioned because you also have a web app.
M.B.:I actually posted about this at the beginning of the year. There are three recurring themes:
• "Holding a virtual trade show? No, that's not for me. I'll wait until things get back to normal."
• "No, I prefer human contact."
• And the budget issue, where clients aren't willing to invest a significant amount in digital (less than in physical, in any case).
So the main problems stem from the fact that they see digital as a Plan B, as a backup plan to physical events, while they “wait.” They don’t see digital as a strategy in its own right. So logically, they are not prepared to invest in it. Even if the budget issue also stems from the fact that the elements of a virtual event are intangible. Customers don't realize what they're paying for and generally have no idea about the price of a platform, recording, or content creation.
The real problem, then, is that some people haven't yet come to terms with the "world before." Except that we don't know when that world will return, or even if it will ever return. In the meantime, some have moved on, and those who resist are being overtaken by their competitors who have embraced digital events.
Mickaël BURDET –"As your event project co-pilot, I help you focus on the road and take care of the map!"
www.cmb-event.com
