Client Objective
The IPMA’s Annual Conference & Expo is the association’s largest in-person event. In 2020, the organization was forced to switch to an online format while still ensuring engagement among attendees, exhibitors and sponsors.
Actions
Our staff and conference committee got to work planning an event that would deliver.
- Engaged sponsors & exhibitors during planning: We created collaborative partnerships with exhibitors and sponsors, incorporating their suggestions to meet their goals. We also leveraged the online experience to expand benefits and identified unique engagement opportunities.
- Expanded education: Going virtual gave us the opportunity to attract speakers from any location, which improved our overall quality of education. The end result was an agenda inclusive of sessions grounded in relevant themes for 2020, staying timely and better preparing members for the future.
- Geared webinars to content necessary for a “new normal”: Nearly every facet of the industry had traditional customer acquisition paths blocked during the pandemic, forcing them to create new paths for customer acquisition. We developed a series of educational seminars providing strategic guidance to create new sales funnels, for both during and after the pandemic.
Results
100% retention of sponsors & exhibitors
27% increase in exhibitor engagement through hosted networking events
4.8 conference satisfaction rating from attendees (out of 5)