05/28/2020

Daily Buzz: Design Strategies for Your Virtual Exhibit Hall

Create opportunities for connection

Did your conference go virtual? You can still put together an exhibit hall, which gives you a way to include your sponsors and provide an important resource center for attendees.

“Exhibit halls can be converted to an online format easily and can be just as informative for attendees,” said CommPartners’ Julie Ratcliffe. “A virtual exhibit hall is a home base for all your sponsors.”

Your virtual hall can include resources that sponsors would typically provide to attendees in person. Only this time, they’ll take the form of PDFs, links, videos and other digital formats. Ratcliffe said going virtual doesn’t mean you lose the exhibit’s visual and branding opportunities.

“Sponsor logos can be presented in a carousel or posted in various positions around the conference site. Informational and educational posters can be displayed in each sponsor booth, or you can show them all in a collection on a separate posters page,” she added.

Additionally, try to make your virtual exhibit hall interactive, just as it would be at an in-person conference. Implementing a chat feature, such as a discussion board or instant messenger, will allow exhibitors to speak with attendees.

“Sponsors are an important part of the vitality of your conference, and learners should engage with them,” Ratcliffe said. “Unlike at an onsite event, where exhibitors are confined to exhibit hall hours, your virtual exhibit hall will be open 24/7.”

Please select this link to read the original article from Associations Now.