FROM DEMOGRAPHICS TO BEHAVIORAL ANALYTICS, WE’VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY Matchmaking in the “old days” (i.e., a decade ago),was essentially based on demographics. Exhibitors may have been given leads based on information provided by attendees when they registered. Strength of the lead might be based on the attendee’s title, budget, a checklist of interest in product categories or a location that matched a distribution area. Demographics are still essential, but today leads are more likely to be based on what attendees do online — what they search for and which exhibitors and products they view. Rather than what they say, software tracks what they actually do and creates matches with exhibitors and their products. Such behavioral analytics enable show organizers and exhibitors not only to determine leads, but also to rank the prospects. The attendee controls the process, but the exhibitor benefits.

WHAT YOU’RE PAYING FOR

■ Customization and integration with other systems

■ Customer support and hosting fees

■ Number of attendees and/or exhibitors (Pricing is usually per show, but there may be discounts for multiple shows in a given time frame.)

■ Function modules (You’ll pay more to add print directory aids and the mobile device experience, for example.)

■ On-site support, if required

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN MATCHMAKING PACKAGES

■ Easy, intuitive interface to encourage participation. Immediate, real-time updates

■ Intelligent suggestions, the Amazon.com-like ability of the software to suggest options based on what the user searches for or views

■ Personalized calendars that are easily changed and updated, including appointment management features such as accept/reject, available times of targeted person, etc.

■ Floor plan/booth locator or meeting place locator

■ Customization to the show’s Web site, often so seamless that the URL is the show’s, but sometimes the URL will reveal the provider

■ Integration with registration and housing programs

■ Everything automated, so lead lists are available to exhibitors and show organizers with just a click

■ Comprehensive reporting and data-gathering for ease of comparison and ROI evidence

■ Packages with incremental features, so organizers may use “extras” as revenue generators

■ Matchmaking functionality is often only one piece of a full Web portal that includes everything from attendee registration to datagathering from exhibitors for automatically producing a show program. Some create e-mail marketing and newsletter content.

HOW IT WORKS FOR ATTENDEES

• Look for exhibitors by name or product categories or search by keywords and immediately receive information about products and exhibitors that match their needs.

• Contact exhibitors directly through the Web site.

• Put selected exhibitors on their personal event calendars.

• Use an appointment function to request on-site meeting times with exhibitors. Exhibitors can respond and the appointment is logged into the personalized schedules of both parties.

• Network with other attendees and spread the word to friends in their networks via systems that connect with Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networking sites.

• Get reminders of appointments via their social networking sites or via e-mail to their PDAs or phones.

HOW IT WORKS FOR EXHIBITORS

■ Get more qualified leads with the system’s ability to track attendees’ searches and clickthroughs, the time they spent on certain pages/products and those who put the exhibitor on their event calendars.

■ Send invitations for meetings with prospects based on their searches.

■ Screen inquiries and prioritize the most valuable inquiries and meeting requests.

■ Post company profile, product videos, contact information and names of representatives on site.

HOW IT WORKS FOR SHOW ORGANIZERS

■ Increase buzz for the show, as attendees use word-of-mouth marketing through connecting with social networks.

■ Increase ROI for attendees, who make better use of their time on-site by being able to plan in advance to make the connections they need to make.

■ Increase ROI for exhibitors. Matchmaking and online metrics make it easier to prove value and encourage renewals as well as sell new booth space.

■ Increase revenues via special incentives for exhibitors to purchase upgrades such as keywords and featured links and via sponsorships for Web portal pages.

■ Encourages exhibitors and attendees to buy/register earlier to have access to the show’s site and networking capability. In fact, many portals allow ongoing networking.

CASE STUDY: TRYING IS BELIEVING

Katie Bergmann, Director of Administration of the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI), was pleased with results from the matchmaking and social networking packages they offered for the first time at the October 2009 PACK EXPO in Las Vegas:

■ Exhibitors who reserved booth space earlier increased their visibility and maximized contact opportunities. For example, exhibitors who signed up more than six months before the show received three times more online booth visits on average than exhibitors who signed up three months before the event.

■ Purchasing keywords and/or product categories more than doubled the online exposure for exhibitors in the event’s matchmaking portal.

■ Events for first-timers and young executives that were marketed only through social networking had great attendance, indicating that participants are quickly adapting to such technologies.

■ PMMI plans to offer access to show sites and social media via mobile devices at PACK EXPO 2010 in Chicago.

MEET THE EXPERTS

Katie Bergmann, Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute, PACK EXPO, (703) 243-8555, www.packexpo.com • Jaymie Scotto Cutaia, DealCenter, LLC, (886) 430-3023, www.deal-center.com • Alicia Evanko, Luxury Travel Expo, (212) 895-8266, www.luxurytravelexpowest.com • Steven P. Goulder and Geoffrey Cox, GoExpo Event Software, (800) 499-3170, www.goexposoftware.com • Rajiv Jain, a2z, Inc., (443) 393-2430, www.a2zinc.net • John Triscoli, Three Stage Media, (410) 402-1034, www.threestage.com