According to a recent NY Times article, online exhibitions are now attracting more people than ever before. The coronavirus pandemic has affected the way institutions that usually required their users to be present in-person engage with customers.
Museums, art galleries, and exhibitions across the globe are now turning to virtual technology to delight their audience. A good example is the “Musée du Louvre in Paris that reported a tenfold increase in website traffic, from 40,000 to 400,000 visitors per day.”
Today, virtual exhibitions are one of the best ways to reach people who can’t make it to a brick-and-mortar location. This is because they provide a wholesome experience that benefits both the business and the users.
In this article, we will be showing you the main problems most companies face when organizing exhibitions. You will also find the best VR solutions for your virtual exhibitions or virtual showroom.
Key takeaways
- The 2020 pandemic has had a huge effect on the way institutions engage with their customers.
- Virtual exhibitions such as 360-degree tours and virtual showrooms provide new ways to reach people who can’t make it to a physical location.
- Always ask for help from specialists in the field of virtual reality about the best VR solution for your unique needs.
Main problems companies face when organizing exhibitions
Traditional exhibitions are usually bright and interactive affairs with different vendors/booths and presentations on display. They are, however, quite difficult to organize as well as capital intensive with no guarantees of success.
Before we proceed, it is important to note that virtual exhibitions and virtual showrooms address different needs. While exhibitions are used to showoff items or objects, showrooms are usually used to display a company’s products.
Nevertheless, they both come with similar problems during set up, these include:
- Cost: Companies spend a lot of time and money when organizing new exhibitions or showrooms. In most cases, each new location will require a new set of expenses and additional resources to pull off successfully.
- Preparation: Before they can launch any exhibition, the company has to carry out a lot of research on their market. This helps them optimize the exhibition but does not guarantee a successful marketing campaign.
- Logistical and technical problems: Large-scale exhibitions take a lot of man-power to pull off and can quickly become a logistical nightmare for organizers. Worse yet, moving people and materials from location to location poses a different set of problems.
- How to attract visitors: No matter how large or expensive an exhibition is, it can’t be successful if it fails to attract new business. Unfortunately, most customers today have become desensitized by traditional exhibition materials.
To catch their attention and maximize the reach of your next exhibition, consider using interactive virtual technologies. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have made it easier than ever to showcase your products in new and interesting ways.
The best exhibition solution for your business
Modern VR and AR technologies offer new ways to engage with users like you would in your brick-and-mortar location. Unsurprisingly, many exhibitions and showrooms affected by the lockdown have begun turning to virtual exhibitions to maximize engagement.
Always ask for help from specialists in the field of virtual reality before attempting to create virtual fairs and exhibitions. They will advise you on the best VR solution for your unique needs. You will also find some popular virtual solutions below.
Examples of virtual exhibition solutions:
- 360-degree tours
These are interactive simulations that can be experienced on a website or with a VR headset like the Oculus Rift. They allow users to explore every angle of a location as if they were there in-person. Most tours even allow users to pan and zoom into different areas of a virtual area.
You can find hyper-realistic AR visualization here.
- 3D space
3D virtual exhibitions take 360-degree tours to a whole new level by presenting your location using ultra-realistic graphics. The 3D space is presented in a simulation that allows users to click on items, move around rooms, and interactively access additional information.
You can find an example of a Video 360-degree Virtual tour here.
- Virtual showrooms
Unlike virtual exhibitions, virtual showrooms are designed to showcase the best of what a company has to offer. Much like e-commerce, they use compelling visuals to display and market products and services as well as engage with customers.
You can find an example of a virtual showroom here.
- Online exhibitions
This is the most common type of virtual exhibition available today. It is usually created by stitching together several sequential images of an exhibition. Users are then able to look through them using a computer or mobile device.
The advantages of virtual exhibitions
- Save time and money: With VR technology, companies can save on time, logistics, and accommodation expenses. The best part is that your customers don’t have to travel long distances to get to you.
- Visitors feel safer: With everything happening today, many customers will feel safer when they access exhibitions without having to come in contact with others.
- Increases reach: Virtual exhibitions can be shared and access any time and from anywhere. They are fast becoming the best way to promote your business across the whole world.
- Launch worldwide: Rather than having to contend with abysmal attendance for your physical exhibitions, VR allows you to launch product campaigns to a wider audience.
- Become a pioneer: VR and 3D technologies are still new on the market with a higher appeal than any other marketing gimmick today. This will allow you to generate leads and close more deals than the competition.
- Access real-time analytics: Virtual exhibitions allow companies to track user data so they know the number of visits, bounce rates, and more. They can also access useful feedback to optimize their operations.
Conclusion
The 2020 pandemic has had a huge effect on the way institutions engage with their customers. Virtual exhibitions and virtual showrooms provide new ways to reach people who can’t make it to a physical location.
You can contact us if you want more information on how to create virtual fairs and exhibitions for your business.
