Martin Roulund Jakobsen, Head of Digital Marketing at Crown Plaza Copenhagen Towers, discusses social media in the MICE sector.
There has been a paradigm shift on how suppliers can communicate with event industry stakeholders as well as organisers with their own delegates. Those who integrate social media effectively and can adapt to new technology will win out in the end. It is not a question of why, but when really, and great forward thinkers will be able to use social media to market their event, accelerate their content and increase their branding awareness.
Social media, together with rich media such as video content, allows organisers to create engagement with potential delegates, inside and outside of the office, and using these platforms together will allow them to link their network more effectively instead of relying on each to deliver what is needed. There has to be a synergy between your primary communication channels such as an event’s website and secondary sources such as social media.
A strong communication platform will enhance the two-way dialogue between the organiser and the delegate, pre-, during and post-event. An organiser can directly channel into their target group; where an e-mail can be easily forgotten once a delegate has left the office social media allows an organiser to reach a delegate in a different state of mind, where they are more responsive and willing to take in a message directed through social media.
Social media strengthens networking and can spread a message quickly and effectively. With peer recommendations organisers can add a personal approach to their message.
When delegates are sharing content on social media, while at a conference or event, they might look as though they are not taking in the content, but it is these delegates who are hunting for the key messages, listening to the content being delivered live very carefully and broadcasting what they believe is the key messages. These Tweets can therefore act as a tool for delegates to remember the content after the event and also can be used by organisers to see what was important to their delegates and learn from that. Technology will never replace good content but can be used to make the same content even more interesting and engaging.
With Google picking up these social media messages the lifespan of a conference can be extended and reach new audiences.
Lots have been discussed in the events industry about social media but no one is delivering the right information via these communication channels to their target market effectively enough. The events industry needs to follow the best practice of the front runners such as global consumer brands and follow by example.
Essentially, delegates will demand this level of engagement and the events industry must embrace it or fall behind.
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