Recently, the Strategic & Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) published an article titled Virtual Event Intelligence Toolkit, written by Jonathan Calof, Perry Steckly and our very own Jonathan Dunnett. It is a beautiful summary of recommendations on what to do and what to avoid when applying the event intelligence toolkit to virtual events.
Here are just a few tips from the article.
Have realistic goals for virtual trade show intelligence (VTSI): Establish what you want to accomplish after understanding the possibilities and limitations of operating in a virtual environment
Prioritise planning: What should you be doing to achieve your goals? What booths will you go to, what sessions will you attend, who will you interview and even who will you task with this. A great starting point is going through material like the event brochure and matching them to your organisation’s intelligence needs
Get comfortable with technology: Familiarise yourself with the platform, its functions and possibilities. Leverage training material or ask someone who is familiar with it
Interview with information: A unique advantage of VTSI is that you can do a lot in the background while chatting in the text box. For instance, if you virtually bump into someone at the networking lounge, you can research their LinkedIn profile, tweets and profile on the fly! Tailor your warm introduction and a valuable interaction
Review your digital footprint: Remember, the previous tip will work both ways and the other person could be looking you up real-time as well. Think about your online presence as a part of the VTSI networking strategy and it’s also a good idea to adjust your online profiles to suit the audience of the event you are attending