Steve Katz, Editor09.08.14
Not everyone can attend Labelexpo, as someone – or several people – have to stay back at the plant to oversee and manage operations. Label printing doesn’t stop for a week because the industry is enjoying its most prominent event. And if you’re among the fortunate group that goes to Chicago (or Brussels), the amount of information you’re exposed to in a relatively short period of time can be overwhelming.
Addressing the influx of information on label materials and technologies, and also catering to those who cannot attend Labelexpo, Avery Dennison is leveraging today’s digital tools to launch a unique, online innovation – the Virtual Labelexpo Tradeshow. Starting September 8, visitors to http://virtuallabelexpo.averydennison.com have an opportunity to experience Avery Dennison’s Labelexpo booth from their office computers or mobile devices through an interactive platform that mimics 100% of every detail within the actual booth at the show.
“When people go to a tradeshow, there’s two things the event produces for them – a lot of promotional material that ends up in the hotel room garbage can, and a lot of interesting innovations that they have to explain to their colleagues that didn’t go to the show,” says Mark Bouffard, senior marketing communication manager, Label & Packaging Materials, Avery Dennison. “In our Virtual Tradeshow, every promotional piece or video is organized, and visitors can interact with a lot more content.
“When people come back from the show, they will be able to tell their bosses, procurement people, or anyone else within the organization about what they saw. And they’ll be able to see what you’re talking about, and be able to download specific information and materials, and see exactly what was on display,” Bouffard says. “It makes it very easy for them to transfer what they are excited about to the people that weren’t there.”
Rather than filling luggage with brochures, Labelexpo attendees can point people to the Virtual Tradeshow and they can experience the booth on their own. To bring its Virtual Tradeshow to life, Avery Dennison worked with marketing and communications agency Fahlgren Mortine, who took CAD renderings of the booth and created the interactive platform that looks exactly like the actual booth. “Everything from the Innovation Zone, to the café, to the banners used, it’s all recreated 100%. So there’s this feeling of being in our booth, and interacting with people in the same way as if you were at the show. This was very important to us – making people feel like they weren’t left out of Labelexpo,” Bouffard says.
The Virtual Tradeshow has a sleek design, with a unique way of rotating the round booth and accessing it from different vantage points. It’s equipped with “Hotspots,” where site visitors can key in on specific areas, and also play videos that explain Avery Dennison’s innovations. There is also a “chat” function, as well as globalized content specific to a given product’s role in the different regions of the world.
‘Innovation doesn’t stop when the doors close’
In the days and weeks following a major tradeshow like Labelexpo, there’s generally a lot of back and forth about what was on display and what products to follow up on. Acknowledging this buzz, on September 16-17, Avery Dennison is hosting a two-day virtual Labelexpo event.
“We’ll use our live chat function, and have a host of people around the globe available for 48 hours – our product and application experts – who will be able to answer any questions people may have,” Bouffard explains.
“It’s a way to bring the experience back from Labelexpo,” he adds. “But also give the experience to the people who couldn’t be there.”
Addressing the influx of information on label materials and technologies, and also catering to those who cannot attend Labelexpo, Avery Dennison is leveraging today’s digital tools to launch a unique, online innovation – the Virtual Labelexpo Tradeshow. Starting September 8, visitors to http://virtuallabelexpo.averydennison.com have an opportunity to experience Avery Dennison’s Labelexpo booth from their office computers or mobile devices through an interactive platform that mimics 100% of every detail within the actual booth at the show.
“When people go to a tradeshow, there’s two things the event produces for them – a lot of promotional material that ends up in the hotel room garbage can, and a lot of interesting innovations that they have to explain to their colleagues that didn’t go to the show,” says Mark Bouffard, senior marketing communication manager, Label & Packaging Materials, Avery Dennison. “In our Virtual Tradeshow, every promotional piece or video is organized, and visitors can interact with a lot more content.
“When people come back from the show, they will be able to tell their bosses, procurement people, or anyone else within the organization about what they saw. And they’ll be able to see what you’re talking about, and be able to download specific information and materials, and see exactly what was on display,” Bouffard says. “It makes it very easy for them to transfer what they are excited about to the people that weren’t there.”
Rather than filling luggage with brochures, Labelexpo attendees can point people to the Virtual Tradeshow and they can experience the booth on their own. To bring its Virtual Tradeshow to life, Avery Dennison worked with marketing and communications agency Fahlgren Mortine, who took CAD renderings of the booth and created the interactive platform that looks exactly like the actual booth. “Everything from the Innovation Zone, to the café, to the banners used, it’s all recreated 100%. So there’s this feeling of being in our booth, and interacting with people in the same way as if you were at the show. This was very important to us – making people feel like they weren’t left out of Labelexpo,” Bouffard says.
The Virtual Tradeshow has a sleek design, with a unique way of rotating the round booth and accessing it from different vantage points. It’s equipped with “Hotspots,” where site visitors can key in on specific areas, and also play videos that explain Avery Dennison’s innovations. There is also a “chat” function, as well as globalized content specific to a given product’s role in the different regions of the world.
‘Innovation doesn’t stop when the doors close’
In the days and weeks following a major tradeshow like Labelexpo, there’s generally a lot of back and forth about what was on display and what products to follow up on. Acknowledging this buzz, on September 16-17, Avery Dennison is hosting a two-day virtual Labelexpo event.
“We’ll use our live chat function, and have a host of people around the globe available for 48 hours – our product and application experts – who will be able to answer any questions people may have,” Bouffard explains.
“It’s a way to bring the experience back from Labelexpo,” he adds. “But also give the experience to the people who couldn’t be there.”