Two exhibitions organizers and two experts in digital media and the internet have confirmed the growth of the exhibition and virtual events organization sector by 100% during the past months, after it could not be organized in reality due to the repercussions of the emerging Corona Virus crisis (Covid-19).
They explained to «Emirates Today» that these activities allowed to bring the participants closer and continue the works, and contributed to reducing the cost of organizing and attending these events, noting that the virtual exhibitions will not be a substitute for traditional real-life exhibitions and events in the long run, despite its multiple advantages.
Multiple solutions
In detail, Imane Gharib, director of marketing and communications at Avaya International, said that organizing exhibitions and virtual events provided several solutions, as it enabled bringing people together, continuing business, supporting the medical sector, education, and other activities that helped people overcome difficulties, pointing to Achieving significant cost savings during the phase of precautionary measures that have been taken by countries around the world to reduce the outbreak of the Corona virus emerging (Covid-19).
Gharib added that several companies in the country organized virtual exhibitions and provided opportunities for thousands to participate, explaining that these exhibitions are a digital platform that includes different halls and companies' pavilions, through which products, services and solutions are reviewed.
Expected growth
Gharib expected that this type of exhibition will continue throughout the remainder of the year, noting that it gives companies valuable information related to the numbers of visitors, their interests and directions, the extent of the success of companies ’solutions and products and everything related to virtual marketing.
She emphasized that virtual exhibitions and events have grown in the UAE by more than 100% since the start of the Coved-19 crisis, noting that Avaya has formed a digital platform through which it hosts virtual exhibitions, events and conferences, coinciding with the continued development of its solutions for the various economic and commercial sectors.
She pointed to the increase in the use of the platform through video communications and cooperation between the work teams, by about 2000%, while about 400 thousand new user licenses were delivered during the "Covid-19" crisis.
Challenges for companies
Gharib mentioned that one of the most prominent challenges facing virtual exhibitions is that they do not provide an opportunity for direct dialogue, and to maintain the loyalty of customers and the trust of partners, to the same degree that actual exhibitions allow, pointing out that technology made it possible to do what we had seen impossible in the past, but humans need Also to do business based on direct human relationships.
Digital platform
In the same context, Mohammed Al-Faqi, a digital media expert and lecturer at the University College in Dubai, said that the repercussions caused by the Corona virus led to the realization of a new sector such as the exhibition and virtual events sector, which resulted in a large growth as a result of government agencies and companies organizing exhibitions via the Internet in different sectors Such as industry, tourism, school and university education.
He explained that the virtual exhibition is a digital platform divided into wings and sections that allows to see its contents, while providing the ability to speak to those responsible for those sections, and watch the attached videos.
Al-Fiqi agreed that there are many advantages to virtual exhibitions, the most important of which is ease of preparation, and the low cost of participation, compared to realistic exhibitions, as well as the large number of participants that reach thousands, and their diversity, given that the subscription does not require travel and travel expenses, in addition to providing printing expenses for publications. The main challenges are the lack of direct communication and the absence of people who are not tech-savvy.
Al-Fiqi stressed that the free applications made available by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority played a role in supporting virtual exhibitions, and a number of companies participated in these applications in exchange for a fee for organizing exhibitions, conferences and internal meetings of their employees for long periods.
Businesses continue to work
In the same context, Deputy Chairman of the Emirates Secure Internet Association, Eng. Adel Al-Kaf Al-Hashimi, said that organizing exhibitions and events by default, and participating in them, came to overcome the challenges of not being able to organize them physically after the outbreak of «Covid-19», and in light of the precautionary measures and the necessity of divergence Social.
Al-Hashemi considered organizing some events by default, an important solution at this stage for the continued work of some companies, while reducing the cost of business and achieving sales growth, stressing that virtual exhibitions will not be a substitute for exhibitions and real-time events in the long run, despite their multiple advantages.
Al-Hashemi stressed the importance of direct communication between the seller and the buyer with respect to some products to verify the quality of the offered products, and the reputation of the exhibitors, calling on the companies participating in these exhibitions to provide documented information through modern technical means about the companies themselves, the offered products, and certificates of quality.
Multiple advantages
The CEO of "Univer" company specialized in organizing exhibitions and conferences, Ahmed Abu Sheikha, said that several companies organized exhibitions and virtual events in the country between educational, tourism and real estate exhibitions during the crisis of "Covid-19", pointing to the participation of large numbers of companies in them, at a time The sector has achieved significant growth in more than 100% during the past three months.
Abu Sheikha expected continued growth in this sector, even after the end of the "Covid-19" crisis, after the companies realized the many advantages of virtual exhibitions, the most important of which is the ease of participation from anywhere in the world, reducing the cost of participation, and organizing the information obtained by the participant through the characteristics of Certain.
He pointed out that the main advantage of the actual exhibitions that are held on the ground is the direct communication that some prefer, and testing the quality of products for industrial exhibitions.