How sponsors and exhibitors remain visible at virtual conferences

The visibility problem

At some virtual conferences, sponsors might feel a bit like a fifth wheel. They are part of the overall picture, but they play no role in the actual proceedings and can very easily get lost completely. The primary "culprits" are the participants, who choose offers much more selectively in front of their screens and avoid program items they consider irrelevant. The "Sponsors" menu item is then simply ignored, and the organizer doesn't care much at first either, because the exhibitors have already paid.

However, it now looks very much as if virtual and hybrid event concepts will continue to accompany us – even in future pandemic-free times – and will not disappear again. This is why the sponsor problem should not be a matter of indifference to anyone, as not only the satisfaction of the sponsors depends on it, but often even the continued existence of the entire conference.

At the same time, the necessary marketing budgets are certainly available on the corporate side. A survey of more than 450 companies painted an optimistic picture as early as spring. Two-thirds stated that their marketing budget would remain unchanged despite the pandemic or that they would spend only slightly less than last year. The best investments are and remain those where the target audience is reached as accurately as possible. Classic online marketing is not quite as good at this, because potential customers are widely scattered and one's own advertising has to assert itself among countless other providers to be noticed at all, so that – as a presentation at an IMEX series shows – only a vanishingly small percentage of people who came into contact with the advertising actually make contact with the company.

However, this value increases the better one succeeds in narrowing down the target group. A virtual conference offers a thematically appropriate environment into which one's own services can fit without appearing disruptive or intrusive, and in addition, participants who bring a certain interest with them. In this respect, it is not surprising if, instead of 2%, now approx. 20-30% of visitors contact the sponsor during or immediately after the conference.

To achieve this, however, the conference must be able to effectively integrate sponsors and their services into the virtual environment. How do organizers implement this?

Virtual exhibitor booths are different

First of all, say goodbye to the assumption that a virtual booth for sponsors and exhibitors must be modeled on a physical one. Many virtual trade fairs currently resemble a video game that could be located somewhere in the late 90s from a graphic perspective. There are more or less animated figures standing in front of 3D trade fair booths, whose digital roll-ups and posters participants can explore. The approach is nice, as it creates a little familiarity in a situation where little seems normal anymore. Where the concrete benefit lies, however, remains questionable, and so the whole thing is probably more of a gimmick that, from the participants' perspective, represents the most superfluous feature of the entire conference. Instead of getting a better overview, you tend to get lost between booths that all look the same in the end, and exploring them one after the other would probably become boring even for the biggest retro-game fans after a short time.

Ziel sollte es vielmehr sein, eine kompakte Übersicht mit allen wichtigen Infos zu schaffen. Unsere virtuelle Lösung bietet etwa Sponsorenprofile an, auf denen Unternehmen sich und ihre Leistungen auf einen Blick vorstellen – in Form von Text, Bild, Video und Links zu weiterführenden Infos. Auch das Bereitstellen von Materialien zum Download ist möglich. Dabei muss es sich nicht um ein PDF der bereits im Profil enthaltenen Unternehmensbeschreibung handeln, geteilt werden können hier zum Beispiel interessante White Paper oder Case Studies.

For sponsor representatives, there is a separate section where their personal profile is linked, and they can also be contacted directly in this way to start a (video) chat or arrange an appointment for a conversation.

Participants reach this via the sponsor menu, which offers an overview of all companies participating in the conference, where those whose services someone is more interested in can be deliberately selected.

That still leaves the problem of visibility, because as already mentioned, the sponsor menu item will probably not be noticed by all participants, but this can also be solved very well virtually with other means.

Sponsors as part of the regular program

To bring sponsors out of their rather hidden position into the center of attention, nothing works as well as the program of your virtual conference. Companies can become a part of it by, for example, sponsoring a complete session, an individual presentation, or a workshop. In the Virtual Venue, the sponsor is then also recognizable as such in the program and session view, just as all sessions sponsored by them are listed on the sponsor's profile page. Thus, sponsors are noticed more, if only because the profile can now be found without clicking on the sponsor link in the menu.

If you want to give sponsors the opportunity to help shape the content, you should point out that the main focus of the sessions does not always have to be on presenting the sponsor's products and services, but that it is sometimes better to address topics that harmonize well with the rest of the virtual conference program and offer useful information. If the sponsor uses their session to discuss subject-relevant topics or raises an interesting question, it is likely to appeal to more participants than a session title that promises nothing but self-promotion. If the topic is well received, it will almost certainly rub off on the perception of the sponsoring company later on.

Sponsors could also act as moderators even without their own session, or participate in discussion rounds and even contribute entertaining content to the supporting program.

The recent autumn symposium of the German Association for Medical Controlling, which used our virtual solution, demonstrated just how well sponsors and their content can integrate into the rest of the program. The first day's agenda was shaped by providers from the medical controlling sector. Participation was free for all interested parties – and many of them spontaneously decided to purchase a ticket for the remaining days of the event during the first day. This shows: When placed well, sponsor content is definitely a success factor and enriches the event.

Advertising in the virtual space

The virtual conference platform is excellent for advertising, but it is best not to overdo it. You don't need a huge effort to generate value for sponsors here, either.

Optionally, for example, banner ads can appear on the virtual platform. In the Virtual Venue, we have reserved a fixed area on the conference homepage for this purpose, where an image or a sponsor's logo is displayed. If more than one provider wants to advertise, the banners can also be displayed in rotation, so that a randomly selected banner appears each time the page is loaded. This keeps the advertising content subtle, and participants do not have to close annoying pop-ups or deal with banners that take up half the page.

Advertising can also be placed before or after a program item, comparable to short commercial clips, such as those found on YouTube. However, be sure to set a maximum duration for the clips. Surely no one wants to sit through a ten-minute promotional film before a presentation. A concise spot lasting up to half a minute, on the other hand, feels more like a quick update that doesn't distract and fits well into the environment, especially since participants will likely have a certain interest in the advertised service, keeping wastage low for sponsors.

Data and figures as an argument

How many people viewed our profile? How many visitors did our sponsored session have? How often was our video watched? How many clicks did our banner ad get? Sponsors are naturally interested in how well they are perceived in the virtual environment. There, the figures can actually be tracked better than on-site, where many interested parties can be given promotional materials, but there is no way to know if they ever actually looked at the brochure later.

If, on the other hand, figures and statistics are available, this is a very good tool for evaluation and an argument for participating again next time, when sponsors see to what extent they are perceived (and contacted) virtually.

Virtual sponsor packages

The concept of bookable sponsor packages remains valid in the virtual world; you just need to detach the included services a little from their analog environment and replace them with new ones.

The profile of main sponsors can, for example, be placed more prominently, designed more extensively, and contain more videos and additional materials. Alternatively, the provider could be featured with a post on the conference blog or mentioned in the official conference newsletter – digital formats offer many ways to combine your own content with that of your sponsors.

If you would like to offer multiple sponsor packages, these should be ready in time for the start of sponsor acquisition. Because the virtual format is still relatively new, potential sponsors may still have questions, and this is where your conference can stand out from other organizers who only offer a roll-up for a pixelated 3D replica of a trade fair booth.

In this way, you ensure that both sides benefit from sponsorship at virtual conferences and that your partners do not lead an undiscovered existence on the sidelines of the event, but are right in the middle of it, just like at an in-person event.

How does virtual collaboration with sponsors work at your conference? What challenges do you face in the process?