AUSTRALIA – The Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre (SCEC) claims to be the first Australian convention centre to launch a virtual event offering for delegates who cannot attend a conference or exhibition in person.
The SCEC has launched its first virtual event to coincide with the Australian Business Events Expo, to be known as ABEE Online.
The ABEE Online event is the first time an Australian venue has coordinated a virtual event, with the SCEC now planning to include the service as part of its regular offerings to clients.
Featuring a range of ABEE exhibitors as well as videos of seminars, the virtual show is designed to appeal to people unable to attend the physical event, as well as delegates who are keen to revisit parts of the show.
Visitors to ABEE Online can enter the show through a virtual exhibition centre lobby. Once inside, they can go to the conference room to watch the seminars or head to the exhibition hall to visit the stands and download brochures and videos from exhibitors.
SCEC Director of Marketing and Sales, Amanda Anker, said the virtual show concept went much further than simply webcasting lectures.
“Our virtual events will be designed to give a real sense of an event, with delegates able to engage with exhibitors and absorb the flavour of a show,” she added. “We see this as an event add-on which can help build event numbers. Where this concept has been used by organisers overseas, the feedback from visitors has been very positive, with more than a third saying they were more likely to visit the physical event the following year as a result of seeing the virtual show.”
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SCEC claims Australian meetings industry first with virtual offering
