Nisa Expo 2021 - Virtual

Client: Nisa

A Virtual Transition

As the Nisa Expo embarked on its second year as a virtual trade show, we were determined to build on the previous year’s success. However, with 2020’s Expo being a double-award winning event, the bar was set extremely high! We had won the Conference News’ Innovation award with our virtual events platform ‘Core’, plus the Micebook ‘Virtual Exhibition of the Year. The purpose of the event was to generate revenue, communicate strong messages and encourage togetherness amongst industry partners during the continued challenging ‘Covid’ times. Always wanting to push boundaries, exceed client expectations and smash through any perceived ceiling for success, our ambition was to increase 2020’s attendance figures and on-the-day deals, plus improve delegate engagement and interaction. To do this, however, needed a total redesign and rebuild of our original platform, maximising the functionality with innovative solutions. The biggest challenge to overcome was that in general, retailers are not very tech savvy! Encouraging retailers to adopt technologies is something we’ve become accustomed to over our 10-year relationship with Nisa, so we understood how to adopt best practice for these individuals. Gamification encouraged retailers to attend and interact by unlocking benefits. Our Chat Bar facilitated 1-2-1 video-call meetings whilst our Global Chat functionality created a buzz as people shared their event experience and discussed the main stage content - encouraging engagement. Understanding our client’s needs, we offered full flexibility in the virtual platform’s functional development resulting in our bespoke solution meeting all the above aims, as well as exceeding all the outcome targets! Nisa were delighted, especially as attendance topped 1,800 - an all-time record in its 25-year history. And, in the eyes of the delegates, it was also seen as a huge success.