WHITE PAPER SUMMARYEvent marketers are creating authentic, immersive experiences that incorporate digital elements along with face-to-face interactions. They’re building trade show environments, corporate events and other live experiences with one thing in mind: ROI. The second annual Trend Tracker, produced by Global Experience Specialists (GES), once again provides a rapid-release checklist of trends. Go through the list and check-off the ones you’re activating now. Circle others you know you should. And make a list of the ones you’ll need to learn more about in 2013 and beyond.

2013 Trend Tracker The second annual list of the top 40 trends impacting trade shows and events this year

2 | Trend Tracker

©2013 Global Experience Specialists, Inc. (GES)

ges.com | 800.424.6224

If 2012 was The Year of Change, 2013 is The Year of Differentiation. Marketers are working harder to differentiate themselves from the competition, influence buyers and win sales.

As companies seek to connect with event and trade show attendees and elevate their own positions in the market, they are thinking about new ways to use face-to-face marketing in 2013, now creating “end-to-end experiences” that begin well before the event starts and continue long after the lights have been turned off.

As always, marketers are pressing harder into creating integrated marketing programs with a strategic theme carried from start to finish and a compelling experience for each attendee. The best live engagements offer an “authentic message” that stems from a brand message rather than a blatant sales pitch. “Relevant engagement is about understanding what’s in it for [the target],” says Tom D’Angelo, regional marketing manager on General Motors’ Cadillac brand.

And marketers are finding new ways to enhance their experiences via mobile apps, tablets, social media and other digital tools. Bottom line: Trade shows, events and conferences retain a prominent place in marketing budgets in 2013… and beyond. Now in its second year, the annual Trend Tracker, produced by Global Experience Specialists, is designed to give marketers a rundown of what’s happening and why, what’s around the corner and where live experiences are headed.

2013: The Year of DifferentiationBrands are finding new ways to distinguish themselves at trade shows

3 | Trend Tracker

©2013 Global Experience Specialists, Inc. (GES)

ges.com | 800.424.6224

Go beyond the booth.Companies can accomplish a great deal more at a trade show or conference off the show floor. Bring in experts to speak, host an educational private session, invite customers and prospects to a focus group and focus on spending the right time with the right people. And content is getting a huge upgrade in 2013 as marketers use “learning” as a constant draw for attendees. At HP’s Discover b-to-b events, a reinvented conference program featured more session and speakers. For GQ magazine’s pop-up store, classes, guest lectures and author events keep the lines constant outside.

Crowdsourced content.As more events use social media, peer-to-peer elements and digital content to allow attendees themselves to nominate, vote and design the content. Oracle’s event department used the power of crowdsourcing when it went beyond soliciting simple feedback from past OpenWorld attendees - and literally turned over session planning to 40,000 members of its in-house-managed Oracle Mix social media platform. Within weeks, more than 400 session topics were submitted as well as other suggestions that streamlined the event.

Bloggers as content qualifiers.Bloggers have been a part of events and trade shows for a few years now, typically used to create content from an event released across social media, the event’s own microsite and that blogger’s loyal followers. As with all things in the event industry, use of bloggers is now evolving—with marketers using their blogger partners to not just create content from an event but also to “qualify” that content. Bloggers at Panasonic and Kodak events and conferences now also source and vet which third-party content from other sites, media entities and even the very event they’re partnering with gets released to the public.

Social currency.A top term for 2013 as event marketers start to put a monetary value on having event attendees link their social media networks to live brand experiences. Consumer brands are discounting products in exchange for a few tweets and b-to-b marketers are providing exclusive access to booths and events if attendees post on LinkedIn.

Social media gates.As more marketers continue to add social media engagement to their list of event-related “key metrics,” they are making social media connections a requisite part of event participation. On the b-to-b side, many event registration sites are requiring Facebook and Twitter handles at the time attendees provide contact and credit card information. Consumer events are requiring event attendees to log into Facebook in order to gain admission to the experience.

Marketing automation.Attendees at b-to-b events and meetings no longer follow a linear purchasing path. As a result, event departments are leaning on marketing automation software tools such as Silverpop and Eloqua that enable marketing and sales to automate and streamline communications—and the distribution of strategically selected content to targeted audiences.

Social 2.0.Most events, conferences and trade shows leverage Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Now comes the next generation of social, with marketers beginning to test and learn from new social platforms such as Peekseed and Planana that offer more targeted ways to reach audiences using photos, GPS technology, business connections and more.

Bring your own device.Marketers are allowing attendees to participate in a variety of technology-powered ways with their own devices. Watch in 2013 as the amount of events that previously provided the technology for attendees to interact on quickly gets replaced by events that provide “connectivity” for interaction—attendees connect with demonstrations, speakers, content and networking on their own personal devices.

Auto-Posting.Marketers are creating real-time triggers from live events to social media. First came social media kiosks, allowing event attendees at both consumer and b-to-b events to post information about their experience online. Now marketers are using RFID bracelets that “auto-tag” where a person is and what they’re doing, and in some cases, snap photos that are instantly uploaded to that person’s profiles whenever they walk past a detector or what some are referring to as “tag totems.” Coca- Cola activated a program in which users registered their Facebook accounts—and their faces—to gain entry. Facial recognition kiosks throughout the events captured photos, activities, location and more; all were instantly posted to that person’s social media network pages. Each event hosted 650 consumers a day, and with the seamless Facebook integration, generated.

Social attendance.The latest string of events use social media to build the actual attendance for the events, and the results are impressive. For Diageo’s global Nightlife Exchange project, 100 percent of all live event attendance came from Facebook. “If you create an experience that is rewarding, the attendees will share it,” says Cadillac’s D’Angelo. “You have to understand who you’re talking to and tap into [their passions.]” Technology sometimes cuts down on the human aspect of person-to-person communication. But it has also enhances p-to-p interaction in many instances.

MARKETING Marketers are investing in event and trade show strategies that differentiate the brand and hone in on a target. Segmentation is getting big play in 2013 as brands try to connect with target audiences for longer amounts of time, using deeper experiences. “Those who are distinguishing their brands are going to stand out,” says David Saef, executive VP-strategy and marketing at GES. “They are thinking about the end-to-end experience incorporating pre-show marketing, exhibit, sponsorships, speaking slots, and entertaining clients and prospects. We encourage our clients to map out the full experience so that it can be seen in one place.” (For a template, visit ges.com/tt1.)

01 06

07

08

02

03

04

05

09

10

MARKETING BUDGETING AND PLANNING DESIGNTECHNOLOGY

4 | Trend Tracker

©2013 Global Experience Specialists, Inc. (GES)

ges.com | 800.424.6224

Mind your metrics.Companies are relying on measurement analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of trade shows and to rank each of their events against each other. They’re using the results to help make decisions about which shows are worth their while and how big their presence needs to be. What most people don’t know is that according to a recent study by GES and B-to-B magazine, 60% of their peers are less than satisfied with how they are measuring events. (Check out the study at ges.com/tt2.) Companies in many industries are spending more than they have in the past on event programs, eyeing bigger activations at events and more prominent exhibits at trade shows. Others are diverting funds to custom programs or private events. But across the board, companies are using metrics and data to understand what has worked best in the past and using that intelligence to spend on the programs that can best help achieve ROI in 2013.

Stretch the experience.Marketers are under pressure to reach more people and reach their target audience for longer periods of time. Event strategies in 2013 are extending their on-site experience online and using the power of online digital elements and offline localized elements to reach people who may not attend the core event but can be engaged anyway. Cisco’s annual GSX sales conferences uses a mix of large events in a few countries and hundreds of small micro-events around the world to create a program that reaches everybody, no matter where they are.

Better engagements, fewer targets.Many brands are whittling down their target databases and spending budgets on smaller events attended by important clients and consumers. BMW this year has a slew of new programs that aim to spend more time… with fewer but better qualified people.

“Pre” and “post” become accountable.Event departments around the world are now being held more accountable for generating engagement and impact before and after live events. Some marketers report they are now required to submit anticipated pre-event and post-event reach, impact and sales numbers with their full-year budget requests. Food for thought for those event teams still viewing before and after metrics as mere icing on the cake.

Cost effectiveness.Advances in exhibit design have given us structures that are light weight, easy to transport, and easy to install and strike. All of which tend to make booths even more cost-effective. Custom-built structures and rental structures can be part of the mix too. Case in point: Komatsu at MINExpo saved weight and reduced shipping and material handling costs considerably by utilizing fabric in construction.

Paying their way.There’s a lot of talk these days about the “hosted buyer” approach. Here, an organizer picks up the tab (or a portion thereof) for attendees to come to an event—in many cases they pay travel expenses. In return, the attendee commits to attending a certain number of meetings. It’s a win-win for attendee, organizer and exhibitor. IMEX is a show that does it well. (Check out ges.com/tt3 to learn how IMEX defines their hosted buyer program.)

Hubs and spokes.Marketers are evolving event schedules for 2013, combining large “hub” events with localized “spoke” events. The strategy allows for the best of both worlds: the hubs draw larger numbers of attendees while the spokes appeal to target audiences who might not be able to travel.

Simultaneous events.Market-by-market events are more frequently being upgraded with campaigns running multiple events simultaneously. It’s all part of an effort by marketers to speed up reach, frequency and go-to-market timelines. MetLife’s Day One, a program connecting current employees and those of newly acquired Alico, spawned 60 events that touched 70,000 employees in 64 countries.

BUDGETING AND PLANNINGSpending smarter isn’t just an objective. It’s the industry mantra for 2013. As event departments try to increase reach, amplify experiences and generate tangible returns against marketing investments, they’re doing so in much smarter ways—budgeting better, investing in things that are provable and rolling out events and trade shows that are designed to perform.“The more time put into budgeting and planning, the better the chance for spending smarter and strategically,” says Doug Shockley, VP of client relations and global events at GES. “And so the best experiences in 2013 are being designed with both the return and the spend in mind.”

01

06

07

08

02

03

04

05

MARKETING BUDGETING AND PLANNING DESIGNTECHNOLOGY

5 | Trend Tracker

©2013 Global Experience Specialists, Inc. (GES)

ges.com | 800.424.6224

Apps.Customized apps also continue to be a smart way for marketers to extend their reach beyond the event. Attendees can download branded apps and check out the content after hours or after the events, when they’re more relaxed and have time on their hands. The apps are a useful way to keep your brand top of mind, even months after the show.

E-brochures.Companies are using touchpads not only for interactive experiences, but also to show off their products. The beauty part? If an attendee is interested in more info, you can send product literature at the touch of a button, right from the device. No more briefcases bulging with brochures. GES has an e-literature tool that can be run on a tablet or a larger monitor. It’s as easy as collecting information, serving up products and services that are relevant to the attendee, then the attendee emails the information directly to herself. It’s relevant and eco-friendly. Check out ges.com/tt4 for more info.

Charging stations.Unless your attendees were sent here from the ’80s, they’re carrying cell phones and computers. Give ’em a cool, comfortable way to recharge, and they may hang out a while. Hot trend for 2013: Offering “charging lockers” so people can safely stash gadgets while they juice up. (Tip: Make sure to have a way to open the lockers when guests lose their keys.)

Projection mapping.Corporate meetings and conferences are quickly embracing projection mapping—until now primarily used on outdoor buildings—inside at b-to-b events. General session rooms are now being designed with stark white stage sets; content is designed and projected onto the stage, allowing for incredible flexibility, easy change-outs of visuals/media and less expensive sets. See how Bell Helicopter used project mapping for a dramatic reveal at ges.com/tt5.

Wi-Fi connectivity.This will be the year that the event industry finally commits to full-time Wi-Fi at their events and trade shows. Attendees want to connect (this is not new) and brands must put a connective network in place to facilitate it.

Digital signage.Say goodbye to traditional static poster boards. The digital version has arrived, and marketers are embracing digital signage across their event portfolios. From media walls and virtual totems for wayfinding, electric signage is helping many events update communications with attendees in real time, tether what’s happening on the ground with social media and amplify the entire experience beyond the event footprint.

RFID-triggered engagement.Usage is growing in 2013 as marketers use the tiny chips to recognize and track attendees. More marketers are now using RFID to “trigger” experiences on the fly. Blackberry’s trade show booth plays demos from different kiosks when an attendee approaches. Coke’s Summer Love Lounge pop-ups snapped photos of attendees when they strolled past RFID detectors and posted the photos to each attendee’s Facebook page.

Near field communication (NFC). RFID’s faster and more far-reaching cousin, NFC enables smartphones and tablets to exchange data with each other when they’re touching or in close proximity. More smartphones are being released with NFC built-in, which means marketers won’t need RFID tags… they’ll let event attendees trigger the experience themselves.

LED.LED technology has given us lighting and screens that are cheaper, lighter and higher resolution, so it’s no wonder the technology is finding its way into product presentations and theater settings. LED devices still cost more than traditional lighting systems, but they’re also generally more energy efficient and longer lasting.

Transmedia.Gone are the days of “duplicate” interactions that are exactly the same online, on mobile phone and on tablets. A hot buzzword for 2013, transmedia defined as a “cross-device” experience. Event marketers are pushing attendees to interact with brands via different interactions on different devices. SAP’s Sapphire Now has different content on its web site, app, and mobile platforms. Attendees are encouraged to use all of them to absorb the “full experience.”

Gamification.Corporations, small and large, have begun adopting game principles at their events and trade shows. The theory: Using fun game-like interactives produce more efficient employees and more satisfied customers. Business spending on what has become known as “gamification” will increase from an estimated $242 million this year to $2.8 billion in 2016, predicts M2 Research, an Encinitas, Calif.-based technology research firm.

Anywhere transactions.Events are being designed as experiences that target audiences can access from multiple places. From the event. Online. From their phones and devices. Once marketers understand their audience is on the move, they can create experiences that are as mobile as the targets. Marketers are adding transactional elements to event programs, allowing participants to buy or place orders for products on-site. It’s a huge departure from the age-old experiential marketing model, which used high-touch events to get attendees excited and informed about a brand but rarely ever offered them an opportunity to buy on the spot.

TECHNOLOGYFrom the virtual to the hands-on, event marketers have an abundance of highly useful gadgets in their toolkits. You don’t need to use all the gadgets at your disposal, however. Just when the time is right.“It has to be relevant and authentic to your message,” says Eddie Newquist, EVP and chief creative officer at GES. “You may not necessarily need a giant video screen or an elaborate light show. Attendees are searching for an authentic one-on-one with a brand. A big, splashy marketing message will turn them off immediately. Think of your brand as a person then make sure the experience matches his or her personality.”

01

06

07

0802

03

04

05

09

11

10

12

MARKETING BUDGETING AND PLANNING DESIGNTECHNOLOGY

6 | Trend Tracker

©2013 Global Experience Specialists, Inc. (GES)

ges.com | 800.424.6224

Don’t engage them, immerse them.Whether they’re at a trade show or exhibit booth, companies engage attendees with an immersive experience, not just a pretty selling situation. At Audi, for example, events leverage media, animation, gesture technology and social media to take attendees inside the brand.

Journey planning.Marketers are designing the paths that attendees at events and trade shows will take through their experiences. In an effort to make those paths more relevant, they are identifying different types of attendees and then marketing to each segment differently - with different emails and direct mailers, with invites to different demos and meetings - in many cases, event marketers are even giving different price points to different attendees of corporate meetings and conferences.

Microsites.More than ever, marketers are designing companion web sites for their event programs. These sites allow attendees to interact with the event or trade show before, during and after the program starts and ends. Creative teams across the industry are busy adding web-development designers to teams that for years were staffed entirely by architects, creative directors and graphics experts.

Event reinventions.Sweeping changes are being applied to Tier 1 programs as many event departments reinvent, rebuild and reachitect their longest-running events. It’s been well documented that the reinvention of SAP’s largest event into an all-new event called Sapphire Now has helped increase ROI by hundreds of percentage points. The company consolidated content sessions and the exhibit hall into a centralized “village,” created an on-site social media broadcast studio to amplify the experience and used targeted marketing to increase physical and virtual registrants.

Global relevance.As companies go global, it’s becoming more important to consider how the look and feel of an event activation will translate overseas. What might be a great experience at a trade show or event in New York City can have the wrong connotation in New Delhi. Consult with local team members or an area agency to ensure that you will be effective...and not embarrassed.

Low-fi is the new hi-fi.Low-tech elements are being added to high-tech event environments in an effort to “balance” out the experience. Attendee entrances at some events now feature media screens encased inside raw unpainted shipping containers. Look for this “blend trend” to continue as event marketers push for that perfect balance and check ges.com/tt6 to see how GES incorporated this idea to re-create 19th Century London and promote Warner Bros’ major release Sherlock Holmes.

The zone approach.Event environments are being designed with “zones” that work collaboratively yet separately and allow attendees to follow a path through the experience. It also allows attendees to stay on a course of engaging products and services that are relevant for them—and avoiding those that are not.

Sustainability.Having an eco-friendly event footprint might have been optional a few years ago. But now it’s often a must. Recycling has become a way of life for many of us, at home and on the job. The event industry is catching up - and customers are taking note of which brands are going green, which aren’t, and which say that they are going green but they’re not.

B-to-B-to-C.“Combo activations” will get big play in 2013 as event marketers get more efficient. Activision’s XP event, for example, split up its multi-day event in a way that produced a press event one day, internal sales event on another and then a consumer fan fest. Seagate Technology uses its 53-foot mobile truck as a consumer prospecting tool and its trade show exhibit.

Hyper-participatory activities.Event marketers recognize that more time with attendees equates to a better understanding on their part of brand and product, and a higher propensity to use or buy. At a recent Porsche dealer meeting, attendees were engaged with activities such as audience interactive games, high-tech scavenger hunts, more immersive product demos and targeted private events that helped generate longer “dwell times” (lengths of engagement).

DESIGNAuthenticity: It’s something that should be a natural part of any event activation, but it’s often the hardest quality to conjure up. And it’s often what makes or breaks the connection with your customer. “The fact is, having a real conversation with your target audience is powerful,” says Newquist. “And a real conversation doesn’t have anything to do with sales and marketing. Events in 2013 are trying to get real.”

01 06

07

08

02

03

05

09

10

04

MARKETING BUDGETING AND PLANNING DESIGNTECHNOLOGY

7 | Trend Tracker

©2013 Global Experience Specialists, Inc. (GES)

ges.com | 800.424.6224

ABOUT GES

Global Experience Specialists, Inc. (GES), a Viad Corp (NYSE: VVI) company, is a leading

marketing agency that produces exhibitions, events, exhibits and retail environments. GES

provides a wide range of services, including turn-key official show services, cutting-edge

creative and design, marketing and measurement services—all with an unrivaled global

reach. GES partners with leading shows and brands, including the International Woodwork-

ing Fair, CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE, Spring Fair Birmingham, Bell Helicopter, L’Oreal,

Warner Bros., and Simon Property Group. GES’ National Servicenter℠ has been recognized

with certification under the J.D. Power and Associates Certified Call Center Program℠ for

the past five years, and for the fourth year in a row, Ad Age has named GES as one of the

“World’s 50 Largest Agency Companies.” For more information, visit ges.com or the GES

blog at defyingconvention.ges.com.