tradeshow innovation through artificial ......tradeshow innovation through artificial intelligence...

TRADESHOW INNOVATION

THROUGH ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE

Innovative ideas born from the use of

machine intelligence are seeping into

the exhibition world where they are

inspiring the evolution and

transformation of exhibitions and how

traditional business is conducted.

Artificial intelligence seems to have

rekindled our creative thinking towards

customer centricity and how we can

further influence the customer journey

and overall experience.

December 2018

Report compiled by:

MBB-Consulting Group LTD. B2B - TRADE SHOWS - DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION – CONSULTANCY

MBB-Media LTD., 13 Haydons Road, SW19 1HG, London, United Kingdom Our VAT number: 203 0653 60

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TRADESHOW INNOVATION THROUGH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ............................................ 2

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 2

EXTRACTING IDEAS FROM ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO ENHANCE EXHIBITIONS ....................... 3

INTERACTIVE ELECTRONIC ART .................................................................................... 3

CRYSTAL ......................................................................................................................... 5

PREDICTIVE SHOPPING ................................................................................................. 5

FACEBOOK DEEP TEXT .................................................................................................. 6

GOOGLE DUPLEX ............................................................................................................ 6

DEEPFACE ...................................................................................................................... 7

FB LEARNER FLOW........................................................................................................ 7

WORLD-OF-WATSON ..................................................................................................... 8

A FINAL WORD .............................................................................................................................. 11

About MBB-Consulting Group ....................................................................................................... 12



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TRADESHOW INNOVATION THROUGH

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

USING AI TO ENHANCE THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY

Exhibitions and tradeshows remain one of the most effective ways to source products and

services, meet potential buyers, benchmark competitors and network with peers, all in one

location. However, for a new buyer in the industry, the trade floor can be confusing and

somewhat daunting when attempting to locate an exhibitor, specific product or service. The

traditional layout of the grid-like format also risks becoming mundane, repressing the

customer-experience.

When considering current trends and proposed future inventions, specifically within the digital

realm, a good majority are focused on customer service, customer experience, participant

interaction and on how to maintain the competitive edge, so it is not difficult to imagine that

digital innovation and artificial intelligence can indeed complement the industry in which we

work, providing a more welcoming, accessible and manageable platform for the visitor to

integrate entirely into the exhibition experience.

INTRODUCTION

Innovative ideas born from the use of machine intelligence are seeping into the exhibition

world where they are inspiring the evolution and transformation of exhibitions and how

traditional business is conducted. Artificial intelligence seems to have rekindled our creative

thinking towards customer centricity and how we can further influence the customer journey

and overall experience.

Through the manipulation and implementation of digital tools, the appeal, effectiveness,

productivity, interaction and return for participants, as well as organiser, has the potential to

exceed current expectations. The incorporation and use of digital tools to enhance the

customer experience of tradeshows is not only elevating the quality of events but it is also

fostering the competitive edge of the consumer-supplier relationship, extending smarter,



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more creative ways for exhibitors to compete against a floor suffused with competitors often

rallying for the same potential clients.

However we also need to keep in mind that as fascinating as AI is, with its potential to benefit

our industry, it can also be used unethically, in ways that are not conducive. The scandal

around the political consulting company; Cambridge Analytica is a prime example, a cold

reminder that we have a responsibility to ensure that we retain a moral approach when

implementing and using AI, to safeguard our industry by adhering with regulations such as

GDPR which is in place to prevent any misappropriation and exploitation.

EXTRACTING IDEAS FROM ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO ENHANCE EXHIBITIONS

Of the many artificial intelligence originations that are impressing the business world, there

are a number from which we can extract ideas and adapt into the exhibition design. Focusing

on both the exhibitors and visitors, digital innovation may enrich the customer journey from

pre-event preparations such as interactive online services and personalised marketing

campaigns, post-event service such as individualised surveys and inventive pointed

suggestions for lead follow-up, as well as during the live event, where the exhibition domain

heightens all five senses through the use of interactive marketing and/or informative services

the moment the participant enters the venue.

INTERACTIVE ELECTRONIC ART

One of the most eye-catching, emotive, engaging digital originations is interactive electronic

art. Electronic art is where those viewing the art become part of the product through

interacting with the images. Moving beyond appreciating art from a distance, interactive

electronic art becomes more personal as the observer can integrate themselves with the art

by walking in and around or sitting and laying amongst the art.

The art also has no barriers when it comes to age, language preferences, race nor gender, it

is all inclusive, united in their shared engrossment of the surrealistic experience.



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Applying this to the exhibition floor, interaction is key to effective selling where much like

digital art, exhibitors need to capture the attention of the visitor and entice them through their

involvement within the floor, to have them interacting to a far greater extent with not only

sellers, but with the products and services themselves. The greater the interaction the more

enhanced the visitor experience where they can envisage themselves buying or using the

service and the emotive reward they feel from experiencing this propositioned ownership.

By integrating themselves, visitors start to form a more personal connection, which, when

considering that most people are emotional-buyers, may convince the buyer to purchase the

product or service in a shorter time-frame.

Apart from the individual products and services, using the concept of digital art we can also

start to influence the structured formats of the grid-like floor plan, inspiring a more organic

more participatory format that encourages greater involvement and a higher level of

connection thereby enhancing the customer journey.

Image from the Digital Art Museum EPSON



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CRYSTAL

Another ingenious digital invention is Crystal; a personality detection technology that helps

users improve their communication skills and how they interact with other individuals. Crystal

analyses publicly available data to create a personality profile that predicts behaviour,

motivation and communication style. Over 75 percent of the Fortune 500 companies have used

Crystal, which can help sales reps tailor communication to the personality of leads they do

now know very well and build relationships based on insight into the lead’s personality.

Used on visitors approaching your stand, or even in event marketing campaigns, software like

this can have a huge impact on first impressions and holding the buyers attention through a

more targeted sales pitch where, through effective verbal and non-verbal communication that

is appealing to the buyer, they can be convinced that the exhibitor understands their mindset,

personality and their unique needs, giving the exhibitor greater selling power and firmer

influence over the buyer, liking this to the exhibitor tapping into the buyers subconscious wants

and needs.

PREDICTIVE SHOPPING

Predictive Shopping is also one innovation that may be adapted into our industry, in the not-to-

distant future. Using AI and algorithms from big data, companies such as Amazon and Facebook

have developed a service that dispatches a variety of consumables to the user before the

recipient has even ordered them. From cleaning products to groceries, by determining the

user’s online behaviour, AI predicts the anticipated needs and delivers what is believed to be

required by the user with the intention (and optimism) that the recipient will accept the delivery,

thereby increasing sales before the consumers have visited the store and placed their order.

If we consider how this can be adapted for exhibitions, through the evaluation of buyer

behaviour, exhibiting companies as well as show organisers can pin-point to a larger degree,

what the buyer’s intentions are before they visit the show, allowing organisers and stand

holders the advantage of preparing, at a far greater extent, their selling tools specific to the

buyers they wish to target. Show apps can also be tailor-made and made more personal using

this analysis, not to mention match-making sessions, where a more precise pairing can result

in greater selling potential and a more effectual use of limited show time.



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FACEBOOK DEEP TEXT

DeepText analyses vast quantities of information, much of it from commercial data brokers.

DeepText can analyse and decipher your own words to direct you toward products you most

likely want to purchase. Similar to predictive shopping, by analysing your online behaviour and

isolating your preferences, it guides your future behaviour through suggestive content, leading

your attention to topics, products and services that are likely to peek your interest by matching

these suggestions to your personal interests and needs.

GOOGLE DUPLEX

A new development by Google, steering away from the cold, impersonal robotic voices usually

heard on pre-recorded sales calls, Duplex it is a automated system that uses a natural-

sounding human voice, so realistic in fact that most receivers of these calls are unaware that

they are speaking to a non-human.

During the 2018 “Google IO” it was explained that Google Duplex moves beyond a simply pre-

recorded message but is able to have an impromptu conversation. Google Duplex uses a

recurrent neural network (RNN) which is built using TensorFlow Extended (TFX). RNN

processing units are able to maintain information about previous input, much like looping

information, which allows the network to build a deeper understanding of the conversation by

putting things in context. It is capable of doing this through accurately identifying patterns and

applying them to new information, modelled on how neurons work using electrical circuits in

the brain. RNN has a complex understanding with different neural networks.

However the intention is not to replace humans altogether, but rather designed to assist with

specific tasks. This artificial intelligence innovation can make phone calls on your behalf for, as

an example, placing or taking orders from clients or reconfirming delivery details and so on.

This can be specifically useful when your client-base is situated within different regions and

across different time zones, making it difficult to schedule calls during your own working hours.



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DEEPFACE

DeepFace tool works on face verification algorithm, structured by Artificial Intelligence (AI)

techniques using neural network models. As with Google Duplex, Neural Network is a

collection of trained neurons which imitate the human brain. Neural techniques try to achieve

the abilities of human nerve cells, by making the machines intelligent.

DeepFace is used to identify people in photos and suggest that users tag people they know. In

reality, DeepFace can recognise any face in any photograph on its own. The accuracy of the

Deepface facial recognition algorithm is an impressive 97,5% when compared against the

human eye of 97,7% and FBI systems of 86%.

Imagine exhibitors having the capability to identify new buyers as they approach the stand, flag

them on a tablet/phone device and pull up their personal details as the buyer approaches. The

exhibitor can have instant access to the buyers likes, dislikes, preferences, rationale and

motivation for attending the event etc. this invaluable insight will help the exhibitor understand

the buyers needs at a far greater capacity being more effective in their selling pitch and

meeting the buyer’s requirements.

FB LEARNER FLOW

Targets on the basis of decisions that are yet to be made. It can accurately implement

predictive analytics, knowing which advertisements to show, to which users, for maximum

sales uplift. FBLearner knows what you want before you do. Through analysing adverts you

Facial feature recognition Profile details



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have clicked on, topics you have searched and even your Facebook newsfeed, it builds up a

personal profile on you and your preferences.

By using the intelligence applied to learning about individuals, this will highlight and flag the

state and appetite of visitors to…make a connection, engage and interact, at the level they are

ready for - flagging people most likely to be in a buying or discovery mindset.

WORLD-OF-WATSON

Until this point in the document you might doubt that digital can provide results, so as a final

example of effective AI, this report would not be complete without mentioning the World-of-

Watson, which offers proof that it is possible!

For those not yet familiar with Watson; named after IBM’s first CEO, Watson started life as a

question-answer computer system, initially developed by IBM’s DeepQA team to answer

questions on the TV quiz show Jeopardy. In 2011, Watson competed in Jeopardy, against

legendary champions Brad Rutter and Ken Jennings winning the first-place prize of $1 million.

In 2014 IBM created IBM Watson Group, a business unit focused on deploying Watson across

three divisions, Watson Discovery Advisor, Watson Engagement Advisor, and Watson Explorer.

The intention to allow enterprises to integrate and use Watson’s capabilities to develop

business and commercial products.



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The objective of WOW was to attract a projected 50% of conference attendees to a private

tradeshow, to generate sales leads and increase sponsorship revenue. Their strategy involved

creating a private tradeshow as part of a conference that illustrated the wide-range of data-

mining applications the Watson artificial intelligence is capable of.

The tactics they used was to divide the tradeshow into individual zones focusing on different

examples of how Watson has been used by genuine companies to cut costs, increase sales

and/or improve products. They employed augmented reality and multiple live examples in the

zones to convey the overwhelming range of industries, from airlines to chocolatiers, that

Watson has successfully helped.

To give you an example of what was on offer at the tradeshow, the Watson Welcome Immersion

area teased visitors with the sheer da Vinci-like scope of Watson's Renaissance-man talents,

the visitors flowed from that section onto a 400-square-foot responsive-tile walkway. When

they stepped on the flooring, weight-triggered sensors beneath the 24-by-24-inch tiles

activated a media server, which then triggered a projector to flash marketing messages onto

the fabric structures such as "You Envision/Watson Discovers“.

Another show service and product display rolled into one was the shuttle service – branded

“Olli”. Designed as an on-demand transportation device that passengers can hail with a mobile

app just as they would an Uber, the electric-powered Olli gave up to eight attendees at a time

a brief ride around the show floor.

Attendees could take a spin around the concourse in Olli, an autonomous, 3-D- printed minibus

partly designed by Watson. Once they boarded, they could chat with Olli about anything from

its technical specs to its tourist recommendations. Once guests boarded Olli, the minibus

acted like a souped-up Johnny Cab from the movie "Total Recall," using 30 sensors and a

natural-language interface to chattily field questions on the fly, including, "How does this bus

work?" and "Which restaurants nearby would you recommend?“



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After a short five-minute jaunt, passengers disembarked the driverless shuttle and then

extended the experience at an interactive digital kiosk upon which rested a scale model of Olli.

Here, guests learned how Olli can be printed and put together in about 10 hours and will first

be used on campuses and at airports before, perhaps, being rolled out for city-wide

transportation.

In a separate area, on display was the Cognitive Dress that Watson helped create for the Met

Gala, New York's extravagant annual fashion event. Collaborating with fashion designers from

Marchesa Holdings LLC and software developers from Inno360 Inc., Watson assisted in

designing a white tulle gown embellished with 150 LED-connected fabric flowers.

During the event Watson monitored tweets using the #MetGala and #CognitiveDress

hashtags, then painted the dress in kaleidoscopic hues via the LEDs, which glowed rose when

Watson detected joy and aqua when it sensed excitement.

A final example is the chat room area, where resting on acrylic bubble chairs, attendees tried

out the Virtual Immersive Data Analytics (ViDA) project, where they could converse with

Watson in natural language on various topics. Watson uncovered unorthodox information and

LED Cognitive Dress



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insights for the participants, then

graphically depicted them with both

3-D and 2-D objects in the virtual

world.

The success of this tradeshow

supported by artificial intelligence

features are in the results where of

the 20,000 visitors invited to attend the annual conference, 85% i.e. 17,000 converted into

attendees of which 90% visited the tradeshow (40% above target). The show generated 15,000

leads and contributed to 37% increase in sponsorship!

This is a solid case-study of where digital innovation can not only enhance the customer

experience but increase the revenue potential for both exhibitors and organisers.

A FINAL WORD

Considering how fast the world is moving, adapting and innovating and how the competitive

gaps are becoming smaller and smaller due to this digital evolution, as members of the

exhibition industry, we need to make proactive effort to ensure that we keep abreast of all the

new ways the digital world is and will influence the way we conduct business. It is

understandable however, that although a good majority are fascinated by the prospect of

fusing digital with the exhibition world, it is understandable that there may be some

apprehension by many colleagues, who are not convinced that the door of artificial intelligence

should be opened into an industry so invested in human interaction. However it is up to us, as

professionals in the exhibition industry, to decide which digital services will enhance and

promote the purpose of exhibitions and to ensue that there are guidelines on how we can

remain customer focused and at the same time respecting the boundaries of ethical behaviour

to ensure the credibility of the industry remains in tact.

Face-to-face business can and will remain a necessary and effective tool so far as we prepare

for, embrace and influence what the future holds for the benefit, evolution and sustainability



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of our industry. Personally, I am looking forward to a future of an integrated digital and

exhibition world, with endless possibilities of creative formats and customer centricity.

Should you be interested in discussing the contents of this report or talking more about this

subject inn general, please contact Matthias (Tesi) Baur on [email protected] /

+44 (0) 7375 063 919

About MBB-Consulting Group

With over 18 years’ experience working for the world’s largest show organisers such as Reed Exhibitions, Messe Frankfurt, UBM and many more, the team of MBB-Media is well equipped to support clients of the trade show industry in a wide range of consulting topics, including:

We are happy to provide testimonials and reference projects for each consulting topic we offer. Kind Regards Matthias Tesi Baur

STRATEGY

Company Strategy

Portfolio Strategy

Geo Cloning & Geo Adaptation

Show Development

Market Research

Company Set Up and Structure

Innovation Review

Content & Feature Strategy

Rescue Strategies

Team Coaching

SALES & PRICING

Pricing Strategies

Location Based Pricing

Rebooking Strategies

Profitability Review

Pipeline Management

Set Up of Sales Structures &

Reporting

DUE DILIGENCE

M&A consulting Targeting Research

Target Qualification

Commercial Due Diligence

Integration Management

Financial Modelling

DIGITAL

Digital

Transformation

Social Media

Digital Revenue Streams

Digital Onboarding

SEO

EDUCATION &

TRAINING

Management Courses: Strategy

International Project

Management Sales

Marketing

Sustainability

Digital Team Building

:

Experience and projects from these industry players:

mailto:[email protected]

tradeshow innovation through artificial ......tradeshow innovation through artificial intelligence...

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