IT EVENT TRENDS 2017

Transcription

1 IT EVENT TRENDS 2017

2 GPJ is the world s premier event marketing and experience marketing agency and specialists in delivering events for our IT clients across Australia and New Zealand. As well as helping our IT clients create their customer-facing events, we also spend lot of time out at IT events in general. This way we are able to keep our finger on the pulse of the industry, and help our clients improve the experiences they create for their clients and prospects. The following is a quick summary of the trends we are seeing at IT events this year with many exciting developments pushing the envelope in the quest to deliver a better experience for their audiences. Felippe Diaz Group Account Director GPJ Australia & New Zealand 2

3 TREND #1 THE UNCONFERENCE If we continue to sponsor only traditional events we will continue to deliver only traditional results. Tomorrow s leaders are searching for a new breed of event. A non-traditional event where the worlds of business, art, design and creativity come together as one. TED and SXSW are the gold standard for this new breed of Unconference. They are the benchmark by which all other corporate events are now being measured. The traditional conference is being replaced by festivals of ideas with experiences such as Pause Fest, C2, White Knight and Spark Festival leading the charge. 3

4 TREND #2 YEAR-LONG CAMPAIGNS The smartest players are planning their big hitters a year in advance with 2018 dates announced and promoted while the 2017 event is still taking place. They are telling an extended narrative that leads the guest on a journey from well before the event, carries through the event and well beyond. Examples: Cisco Live vforum Telstra Vantage 4

5 TREND #3 HIGH PRODUCTION VALUE Audiences today expect shows, not conferences. In response, today s events are seeing a considerable amount of funding allocated to the staging / AV / lighting component. Take as an example the recent Nissan Leaf Launch, where the introduction to the event is a sensory overload of sound, colour and light. 5

6 TREND #4 INCREASED USE OF VIDEO Video is being increasingly used: As part of the invitation process To showcase speakers pre-event To build advocacy via vox pops Example: Oracle MBX Sydney 2017 hype reel 6

7 TREND #5 SHOWCASING AI Instead of simply talking about Artifical Intelligence, many IT vendors are now showcasing real-life applications of cognitive technology in action, such as chatbots. Example: Telstra Vantage 2017 Applications: Facial recognition registration Virtual wayfinding assistants 7

8 TREND #6 FAST FOLLOW UP There is growing importance placed on moving fast to contact delegates immediately after an event. As an example of a leader in this area, Oracle sent the following communications to their delegates within 24 hours of their last key flagship event: Link to post event survey Link to photos on their Facebook page Link to presentations An invite to view the Oracle events calendar for future events An invite to Oracle OpenWorld in San Francisco in October Follow up call from Sales representative 8

9 TREND #7 DESTINATION EVENTS For the C-suite audience, a number of event organisers within the IT space plan 3 day events where the attendees are taken away to a destination. It is a mixed holiday/conference where delegates can discuss their challenges in a relaxed environment. Examples: Dimension Data Executive Dimension CMO Summit 2017 Gold Coast 9

10 TREND #8 PHILANTHROPY Big corporates in the IT space are proactively promoting their philanthropic and corporate social responsibility credibility often via a group activity in partnership with a charitable organisation. Examples: Salesforce Dreamforce + SchoolsPlus IBM World of Watson US + Stop Hunger Now vforum Sydney + CARE Australia 10

11