LONDON — CloserStill Media’s U.S. veterinary division showed exhibitors and attendees that it was listening to their feedback when it decided to completely eliminate its hybrid meetings in favor of in-person events, paving the way for many trade show organizers to follow in 2022.
CloserStill Media’s two-day regional veterinary shows in the U.S. are the fastest-growing veterinary trade events in the world, taking place in four cities each year. “After our Austin veterinary show in April, we made the decision to eliminate the hybrid component of our shows,” said Christina Zoccoli, group events director for CloserStill’s U.S. veterinary portfolio. “When hybrid was needed during the pandemic and its various spikes, it provided tremendous value to both our exhibitors and attendees. But as the months went on, we began to see a trend. While our industry was excited to return to in-person events, the virtual component allowed attendees to register in person, while also choosing to simply experience the sessions virtually from their offices.”
This resulted in a lower-than-expected conversion rate for the event, Zoccoli said. “Our exhibitors could feel it. For the Chicago Vet Show in May, we saw an increase in in-person pre-registrations in March when Chicago lifted its mask and vaccination mandates, demonstrating the importance of in-person events for this community. We received 72% of our pre-registered attendees between March 1 and the show dates of May 12-13.”
His experience in event management reflects the industry’s broader intention to return to live events in 2022. A recent report from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research’s Omnichannel Marketing Insight series found that, despite being forced to rely on digital channels, 94% of survey respondents plan to return to live events in 2022.
In addition to its return to live events, CloserStill’s events for the U.S. veterinary industry are emphasizing quality education. “Unlike any other veterinary event, we build our rooms right on the show floor to maintain a steady flow of traffic to your booth throughout the show,” Zoccoli said.
What was the end result in Chicago? “Exhibitors were thrilled because they knew the show would be buzzing,” Zoccoli said. “Our speakers were top-notch and received feedback on-site that the program was one of the best they’d seen. To accommodate those who had pre-registered for the virtual sessions, we personally upgraded their badges to full-access passes to better support our exhibitor clients. For us, it saved money on A/V and streaming! So it was a win-win for sure.”
Contact Christina Zoccoli at (516) 654-7335 or c.zoccoli@closerstillmedia.com
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