Renaissance Turns Roadshows into Virtual Events Amid COVID-19

Renaissance is known to be Ireland’s premier value-added distributor that works with its partners to deliver security and compliance solutions. They have been supporting vendors, partners, and end users for over 30 years by developing tailor-made sustainable security solutions for them to maximize their profits in a strengthened cyber ecosystem. Every year, Renaissance rolls out a number of roadshows throughout Ireland. However, in 2020, due to the covid outbreak, several businesses experienced a sudden, unforeseen hit. Renaissance, being one of the quick respondents, researched the marketplace in order to come up with alternatives for their annual roadshow. They realized that virtual events such as virtual conferences and expos were the way forward – had they wished to stay on top.

The main purpose of them hosting a virtual event was was therefore, to:

• Bring together the whole cyber ecosystem – exhibitors, resellers, end users, IT experts and general business thought leaders on a single platform, in a socially distant world
• Create an interactive environment for visitors to gain value from, and IT experts to share their insights in a seamless manner

STRATEGY

Renaissance hosted its first Virtual Cyber Event on the 12^th of May 2020. The vFairs team put together a strategy for them to shift their annual roadshow to an online platform in order for Renaissance to achieve their business objectives in the midst of a pandemic.

vFairs appointed a dedicated project manager for the team at Renaissance to identify their challenges and issues, guiding them through the entire process that they were earlier unaware of.

The event featured key vendors in Renaissance’s portfolio and focused on cost-effective security solutions for the SME market, just as they would have done at a physical event.

Using the following key features, here’s how Renaissance was able to host a spectacular virtual event:

1) Created a visually compelling & Informative Landing Page

The very second that any visitor landed on their page, Renaissance, with the help of branded visuals, set a striking impression that conveyed most of the information about the company as well as the event.

Moreover, the event’s agenda had been displayed on the landing page, even before the event had started. This enabled visitors in remote settings to know what to expect in advance, and choose relevant sessions, based on their interests as well as personal schedules.

2) Exhibit Hall to view and access multiple vendors

The virtual event turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Renaissance.  They eliminated excessive crowding and the hassle of standing and waiting in long, endless queues, as in physical spaces. Instead, Renaissance in its virtual hall, enabled exhibitors to display their booths in an aerial view, making navigation easier and the virtual booths more accessible.

3) Live chat and networking at virtual booths

Each booth offered the option to talk to a representative, maximizing the event’s engagement. Booth visitors could text/audio/video chat with various companies in real-time, helping the host retain all the interactions that would have taken place in a physical setting.

4) Improved visitors experience with the help of a virtual lounge

vFairs set up a virtual lounge to improve visitors experience. This is where Renaissance had the opportunity to use their virtual event to showcase social media profiles and external links related to the event. In this manner, the host was able to redirect its target audience to other digital platforms, strengthening its digital presence.

5) Addressed the Masses via Webinars and presentations

The success of every event depends on its level of engagement as well as the value that it has provided to its audience. Renaissance was able to ace in both the cases. By mimicking the environment of a physical auditorium, they hosted a number of live webinars as well as presentations with the purpose of educating the audience in masses. These webinars were followed by Q&A sessions to make a two-way communication channel.

6) Made Resources Available for Later Accessing

An additional benefit that came with the virtual experience was that all the sessions that were conducted were added into something known as the ‘video vault’ and all the resources were present for whoever missed out a session or wished to download them. Attendees could simply add any of these videos or resources to their “swag bag” for later viewing.

7) Round the Clock Assistance 

The virtual event platform provided users with 24/7 customer support where a team of representatives would guide them regarding any and all of their queries at the Information Desk. This assistance was not just restricted to the users but was also available for the partners, exhibitors and the host itself.

8) Environmentally friendly resources

Since the entire event took place online, this eliminated not just any pollution caused by travel, but also waste produced from printing endless brochures and other marketing material. Since all these resources are present online, Renaissance was able to contribute to the well-being of the ecosystem by reflecting itself as an environmentally responsible business in the industry.

OUTCOMES OF THE VIRTUAL EVENT

In terms of statistics and reports, The Renaissance Cyber Series surpassed all other numbers that they had ever accomplished by hosting any other type of event. Not just that, vendors and partners who were exhibiting their booths at the virtual event were also absolutely delighted by the data that they were able to gather, allowing them to get proper value for the future.

Michael Conway, Director at Renaissance, stated, “The experience of the day when we ran our cyber event was fantastic. The customers, our clients, our partners who sponsored and worked with the event, were all delighted with the outcome.”

With over 200 booths, and approximately 400 registrations from across the globe, Renaissance was able to set the right impression in the market by enabling exhibitors to meet, engage with, and pitch their products/services to attendees – something they might have missed out on otherwise.

ABOUT VFAIRS

At vFairs.com, we strive to build a top-class online event platform that will help event organizers make memorable connections with their target audience. We’re obsessed with taking out the hassle normally associated with physical events and leaving organizers and exhibitors to focus on what’s most important: engagement with the audience.