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Online Event Marketing Technology Overview

Download the PDF: https://www.demandmetric.com/content/online-event-marketing-technology-overview Events are a highly valuable resource for obtaining qualified leads and encouraging customer engagement. Traditional events, such as business meetings, conferences and tradeshows, thrive on the face-to-face interaction that can help to develop long-lasting partnerships. Likewise, the real-time interaction supported by webinars and virtual events creates personalized experiences for customers and prospects that enable relationship building. For organizations, events are considered to be any gathering that is planned and executed in order to attract attention from the organization’s target audience. The purpose of business events is to generate interest in the company’s products/services/brand and develop relationships between customers/ prospects and vendors. While there are many formats that align with this definition, this report will focus on the technologies and tools that enable web/video conferencing, webinars, webcasts and virtual events. Given the above criteria, Demand Metric defines Online Event Marketing as all of the tools, technologies and processes used to plan, create, organize, produce and analyze digital events. Digital events include web/video conferences, webinars, webcasts and virtual events & environments. These tools, technologies and processes offer various solutions from standard functionality, such as audio conferencing and event registration capabilities to advanced platforms that provide full-scale solutions for online, interactive events. This Technology Overview covers the features and functionality of Online Event Marketing solutions as well as an overview of the how the Online Event Marketing landscape will evolve over the next 12-18 months.

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Online Event Marketing Technology Overview

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  1. ONLINE EVENT MARKETING TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW

  2. ONLINE EVENT MARKETING Technology Overview Table of Contents 1 2 3 Executive Summary 3 Online Event Marketing Vendor Landscape 5 Evolution of the Landscape 8 Analyst Bottom Line 10 Technology Overview Methodology 11 About Demand Metric 12

  3. ONLINE EVENT MARKETING TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW Executive Summary

  4. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ONLINE EVENT MARKETING: TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW 4 Executive Summary Events are a highly valuable resource for obtaining qualified leads and encouraging customer engagement. Digital events include web/video conferences, webinars, webcasts and virtual events & environments. Traditional events, such as business meetings, conferences and tradeshows, thrive on the face-to-face interaction that can help to develop long-lasting partnerships. These tools, technologies and processes offer various solutions from standard functionality, such as audio conferencing and event registration capabilities to advanced platforms that provide full-scale solutions for online, interactive events. Likewise, the real-time interaction supported by webinars and virtual events creates personalized experiences for customers and prospects that enable relationship building. This Technology Overview covers the features and functionality of Online Event Marketing solutions as well as an overview of the how the Online Event Marketing landscape will evolve over the next 12-18 months. For organizations, events are considered to be any gathering that is planned and executed in order to attract attention from the organization’s target audience. The purpose of business events is to generate interest in the company’s products/services/brand and develop relationships between customers/ prospects and vendors. While there are many formats that align with this definition, this report will focus on the technologies and tools that enable web/video conferencing, webinars, webcasts and virtual events. Given the above criteria, Demand Metric defines Online Event Marketing as all of the tools, technologies and processes used to plan, create, organize, produce and analyze digital events.

  5. ONLINE EVENT MARKETING: TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW ONLINE EVENT MARKETING TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW Online Event Marketing Vendor Landscape

  6. ONLINE EVENT MARKETING VENDOR LANDSCAPE ONLINE EVENT MARKETING: TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW 6 Online Event Marketing Vendor Landscape As mentioned previously, this landscape focuses on vendors that offer solutions for web conferencing, webcasting, webinars and virtual events & environments. Currently, functionality ranges from HD audio & video conferencing to full-scale virtual events hosted via customizable 2D & 3D online environments. Below is a compilation of standard, advanced and cutting-edge features available within the Online Event Marketing landscape. Standard Features The following features are available in the majority of Online Event Marketing solutions: Automated Event Reminders (Email and/or SMS) Chat, Q&A and Polling Features HD Audio & Video (Web-based) Conferencing Dashboards to Monitor Attendee Activity Desktop or Application Screensharing Attendee Activity and Behavior Analytics Meeting Recording & Publishing Capabilities The above-mentioned features will enable organizations to provide an adequate Online Event Marketing program. For organizations seeking to purchase or change their current technology solution, these features must be included in any solution being considered. Meeting Access for up to 200 Participants (Minimum) Event Promotion (Email Marketing and/or Social Media) Branded Event Registration (Landing Pages, Registration Forms) Download Demand Metric’s Online Event Marketing Vendors Matrix to review the key vendors for this technology space. This matrix includes target industries, key offerings, unique strengths and current customers for each vendor. V I E W R E S O U R C E

  7. ONLINE EVENT MARKETING VENDOR LANDSCAPE ONLINE EVENT MARKETING: TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW 7 Advanced Features Cutting-Edge Features Some of the advanced features being offered in the market- place are As with any technology in today’s world, innovative functionality is continually changing the Online Event Marketing space. 2D & 3D Virtual Locations Cutting-edge features in this market are focused around improving the attendee’s experience and level of engagement. Customizable Meeting Rooms, Booths & Community Chats Support for up to 1,000 (Minimum) Viewers Concurrently Live, Simulive and/or On-Demand Viewing At present, the most innovative features are enhanced mobile device web-browsing, mobile applications for easy access to meetings and events, gamification (badges, lead- erboards, etc.) for improved attendee engagement and testing and certification for concept review and under- standing. Two vendors stand out here: Intercall and INXPO. Embedded Content Management System (CMS) 35/24/7 Access to Branded Environment Multi-language Support and Chat Translation Features Customizable Dashboards & Analytics for Proprietary and Sponsor Usage with CRM and/or MA Integration Vendors currently offering many, if not all, of the advanced features listed are 6Connex, Intercall, INXPO and ON24. As more companies begin using virtual events as a compo- nent of their event strategy, more vendors will offer plat- forms at this level. In order to make the right decision for your organization, obtain more information from vendors with Demand Metric’s Online Event Marketing System RFP. V I E W R E S O U R C E

  8. ONLINE EVENT MARKETING VENDOR LANDSCAPE ONLINE EVENT MARKETING: TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW 8 Event Management Platforms It is important to note in this study that there are several vendors offering Online Event Marketing and Management services for in-person or live events, such as tradeshows, festivals, fund- raisers, etc. More advanced platforms have developed mobile applications to help event organizers share important conference/meeting details with attendees and enable attendees to monitor their schedules and travel plans efficiently. While these vendors are not focusing on delivering online webi- nars or events, they are still providing powerful cloud-based tools for marketing, managing and measuring events. With an event mobile app, event organizers can also monitor attendee activity and behavior via check-ins and social media shares. Most notable of these advanced Event Management plat- forms is Cvent. Event Management platforms typically offer event registra- tion, customized event landing pages, secure event payment processing, event promotion tools (social media integrations, widgets, links, etc.), email marketing campaigns and analytics to monitor registrations and registrant activity (social media, email click-throughs, etc.).A few vendors to be aware of here are Acteva, Eventbrite and EventKloud. Evaluate potential vendors with Demand Metric’s Online Event Marketing Vendor Evaluation to select the vendor and platform that best fits the needs of your organization. V I E W R E S O U R C E

  9. GAMIFICATION ONLINE EVENT MARKETING: TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW 9 ONLINE EVENT MARKETING TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW Evolution of the Landscape

  10. EVOLUTION OF THE LANDSCAPE ONLINE EVENT MARKETING: TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW 10 Evolution of the Landscape As organizations migrate to implementing Online Event Marketing solu- tions to supplement existing event strategies, buyers will seek plat- forms that can offer experiences as close to lifelike as possible. Since in-person or live events offer organizations the ability to solidify strong relationships with prospects and customers, there will be an increasing need for functionality and services that can attract attention and captivate an audience. Luckily, the market is already beginning to sense the urgent need for improved attendee experiences and levels of engagement. With the addition of innovative features such as mobile applications and gami- fication, several vendors are actively enhancing the attendee experience with anytime, anywhere access to webinars and events as well as encouraging attendee engagement by offering badges, rankings and prizes tied to sponsor interactions, webinar views, knowledge-based testing and much more. Demand Metric expects to see more innovation arise in terms of experi- ence and engagement when it comes to Online Event Marketing solutions. With the shift from periodic meetings and webinars to 365/24/7 virtual environments, an attendee’s overall experience will be maximized through anytime, anywhere access to learning modules. Likewise, platforms will assist customers engage their attendees more effectively by offering rewards for meaningful interactions.

  11. ANALYST BOTTOM LINE ONLINE EVENT MARKETING: TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW 11 Analyst Bottom Line While in-person or live events remain the most popular source of quality leads and customer engagement, organizations are beginning to embrace a hybrid strategy (live and online events) or, at a minimum, an online component (on-demand recordings) for Event Marketing. With that being said, Online Event Marketing platforms can become an expense of their own, if not properly aligned with sales, marketing and organizational goals and optimized to generate significant ROI. Live events can become expensive for not only hosting companies, but also for attending organizations with ever-increasing travel expenses and event ticket costs. Demand Metric recommends using the tools outlined in the Online Event Marketing Vendor Landscape section of this report to ensure you select the solution that best suits your organization. For this reason, Demand Metric believes that organizations from SMBs to large Enterprises will continue to acquire Online Event Marketing solutions from web conferencing to full-scale, 365/24/7 virtual environments to supplement existing Event Marketing strategies. Furthermore download Demand Metric’s Event Marketing Playbook and Demand Generation Playbook to align your Online Event Marketing program with your overall Event Marketing and Demand Generation strategies for the upcoming year. As mentioned in the Evolution of the Landscape section of this report, companies seeking virtual solutions for events will want to ensure the most personalized, realistic experiences for their audiences.

  12. TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW METHODOLOGY ONLINE EVENT MARKETING: TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW 12 Technology Overview Methodology The Modern Marketing landscape is an ever-changing, ever-evolving environment in which new strategies, technologies, vendors and products appear continually. Our practical tools are designed to provide marketers with the tools and templates they need to plan for an initiative in a given focus area, analyze the vendor landscape and select the best vendor for their organization. Demand Metric Technology Overviews provide marketers with a focus on a specific technology solution set or focus area so that they are armed with the knowledge, information and tools they need to develop effective strategies for their organizations. Our Customer Engagement series includes Technology Overviews on Gamification Online Communities Advocacy and Loyalty Each Technology Overview involves hours of analyst research (mainly publicly available information), is for a specific technology solution, and is usually accompanied by several practical tools. We provide a comprehensive overview of Customer Engagement in the companion report Customer Engagement Best Practices Report. V I E W R E S O U R C E

  13. ABOUT DEMAND METRIC ONLINE EVENT MARKETING: TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW 13 About Demand Metric Demand Metric is a marketing research and advisory firm serving a membership community of over 120,000 marketing profes- sionals and consultants in 75 countries. Offering consulting methodologies, advisory services, and 500+ premium marketing tools and templates, Demand Metric resources and expertise help the marketing community plan more efficiently and effectively, answer the difficult questions about their work with authority and conviction, and complete marketing projects more quickly and with greater confidence, boosting the respect of the marketing team and making it easier to justify resources the team needs to succeed. To learn more about Demand Metric, please visit www.demandmetric.com

  14. GAMIFICATION ONLINE EVENT MARKETING: TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW 14 © Demand Metric Research Corporation. All Rights Reserved. www.demandmetric.com Follow us on Twitter Join Linkedin Group Like us on Facebook

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