EXPANSION OF THE CORE TRADE FAIR BUSINESS INTO THE DIGITAL SPACE
Only 4 Months to MVP, Only 6 Months to Complete Digital B2B Platform
Branche
Fairs
Project Period
04.2020–10.2020
Topics
Headless
DXP
Sitecore
UX / UI
As one of the 15 largest exhibition companies in the world, the NürnbergMesse Group's portfolio includes more than 120 national and international exhibitions and congresses in Nuremberg and worldwide. The company attracts 35,000 national and international exhibitors and up to 1.5 million visitors every year.
With the start of the pandemic situation at the beginning of 2020, physical exhibitions and congresses could no longer take place overnight - the core business and nucleus of the NürnbergMesse Group was lost for an unforeseeable period of time.
The Challenge
With the short-term total loss of its core business, NürnbergMesse is faced with the challenge of developing a short-term crisis plan that can at least partially replace planned sales. In order to adequately live up to the vision “We are the home of the industry” in the future and not leave the emerging space to established, purely digital market competitors, the company is reacting quickly and pushing ahead with the development of a scalable, digital B2B exhibition platform. The goals:
establish a digitally expanded ecosystem beyond the pandemic
strengthen the NürnbergMesse brand with a multifunctional online and offline offering and thus
expand the classic very selective exhibition business with this platform to 365 days a year.
" With UDG, we were able to develop a solution within a very short time that will sustainably expand the digital product portfolio of NürnbergMesse GmbH.”
Dr. Michael Melcher
Vice President Innovations & Touchpoints NürnbergMesse
Our Approach
The MVP for the IT security industry platform “ITSA” (www.itsa365.de) was created in an agile process in four months up to October 2020, followed four weeks later by the rollout for digital event number two, the Brau Beviale beverage trade fair (www.my-beviale.com). Both websites connect trade fair visitors and exhibitors with new digital services. As a result of a customer-focused requirements process, the basic version focuses on the following functionalities:
Company Presentation and Customer Approach
Company and product presentations with the possibility of context-related contact
Topicality and Interactivity
Multi-day live trade fair program with interactive participation options for registered users and companies
Reach and Marketing
Marketing and lead generation via sales packages, specialist presentations and sponsor placements
Initial Communication and Follow-Ups
Video calls with experts incl. appointment scheduling.
Availability and Relevance
Content portal with 365-day-relevance
Key Facts About the Successful Project
Global Implementation and Successes
Our customer NürnbergMesse (with the internal stakeholders digital product, marketing, sales, event teams) has the first generation of a digital industry platform - modularly structured and scalable and independently maintainable and expandable by its own editors. The platform takes into account the requirement to guarantee an individual brand presence for all industry brands and to host both digital/hybrid and trade fairs and congresses on site, depending on the specific framework conditions. Above all, however, it offers exhibitors and visitors year-round access to additional networking and information tools as well as an expanded portfolio in the area of sales support and lead generation.
Technical Highlights of the DXP
The Real Success Story Goes Much Further
What began as a quick emergency solution during the pandemic has proven to be an important digital business expansion: Other exhibition organizers returned to their original formats after the pandemic ended. NürnbergMesse, on the other hand, was able to evolve from its previous temporary focus - 3 days onsite - to year-round relevant, interactive offerings - 365 days online - thanks to the DXP. So the real success story behind the platform is not just its rapid implementation, but the positive change process that was triggered by the platform. UDG is proud to have accompanied NürnbergMesse on this journey - we look forward to what the future holds together!
