As with most physical exhibitions this year, InfoComm SEA was cancelled and its place the organisers, InfoCommAsia Pte Ltd, launched a powerful virtual platform, branded as InfoComm SEA 2021 GoVIRTUAL, to serve businesses in the year-long lead-up to the actual physical exhibition that will take place from 20 – 22 October 2021, at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre, Thailand.
On the need for the platform which is named InfoComm Southeast Asia 2021 GoVIRTUAL, Richard Tan, the Executive Director of InfoCommAsia, said: “With the worldwide disruption to industries and events, it is more critical than ever that exhibitors continue to have the platforms to seek out new clients, and for visitors to search for cutting-edge technology solutions to meet swiftly evolving needs in the new digital era. “GoVIRTUAL is an intuitive platform we have developed which allows businesses to meet those needs, anywhere and anytime. This will allow our exhibitors and visitors to continue doing business from wherever they are in the run up to InfoComm Southeast Asia 2021.”
The platform, which is already running, will not only functionally replicate the in-person show experience with a range of easy-to-use features, it goes beyond to augment the business experience for all participants.
A Powerful Twin Engine
In addition to webinars and product showcase pages, the platform’s unique features include Virtual Product Demonstrations – which enable exhibitors to demonstrate their products and solutions anywhere including from their offices, experience centers or onsite and carry out real-time dialogues and interact with buyers who are watching online – and Livestreaming, which allows thousands to observe and hear the proceedings from around the world at the same time.
In addition, GoVIRTUAL utilizes AI algorithms to generate valuable lists of the most relevantIRTUAL prospective clients for exhibitors. These lists are derived based on visitor registration data, and data collected over time on how these visitors interact on the platform – the webinars they attend, the solutions they search for, and the exhibitors they network with.
Networking and interaction can be conducted 24/7 via multi-layered chat tools from one-to-one chats to private meetings and small-group networking lounges.
Mr Tan said, “As tech event organizers, this is also an opportunity for us to embrace new ways of helping businesses to achieve the greater outcomes. GoVIRTUAL not only allows our exhibitors to promote their solutions both visually and with audio in real-time while conversing with buyers, the AI helps them to pre-qualify their prospects. It is exactly what they would be doing in their booths at our show.”
New Date for InfoComm Southeast Asia 2021
InfoComm Southeast Asia 2021 is rescheduled to take place from 20-22 October 2021, while the venue remains unchanged at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre.
Last announced that it would be held from 19-21 May 2021, the dates were pushed back owing to new COVID-19 developments in Southeast Asian countries, some of which are still grappling with managing the situation. Vaccines, if successfully developed, are not likely to be made readily available until mid-2021.
Said Mr Tan, “We therefore rescheduled our show to October to de-risk it and ensure that our exhibitors and visitors will have a safe and enjoyable experience. But what is key is that our exhibitors remain invested in Southeast Asia, which has been identified as a growth market in 2021.”
According to a report by research and consulting firm Frost and Sullivan, the region is projected to become the world’s fourth-largest market after China, the European Union and the United States, by 2030. Its GDP is forecast to increase from US$2.4 trillion in 2015 to US$5.2 trillion in 2025. The COVID-19 pandemic has also driven up demand for digital applications and innovations in the region.
Added Mr Tan, “Through GoVIRTUAL, and InfoComm Southeast Asia 2021, businesses can leverage the growing potential of the Southeast Asian region, and be a part of its post-pandemic growth story.”
