How to Leverage an Online Community for Year-Round Engagement
October 29, 2019
Trade shows and events have long been the premiere place to engage audiences, connect with constituents and develop meaningful relationships with other industry professionals. The face-to-face aspect of events can’t be replaced, but event engagement is traditionally limited to the actual on-site activities. That begs the question, how can you create an event that doesn’t end on the final day of the show? An online community can help you do just that.
An event-based community gives event organizers, attendees, exhibitors and sponsors a place to centralize their communication during the offseason. Let’s explore some of the opportunities it presents for a show.
Audience Interests, Trends and Industry Updates
The exhibitors and attendees at your show have a deep knowledge of topics within their industry verticals. Facilitating conversation within your online community helps you stay on top of these trends and share your expertise. You’ll be able to create your own discussion topics and posts to drive conversation while engaging directly with your event audience.
The best part about your event community is your members. With the ability to assign levels to different community members, community managers can create member moderators that continue the discussion throughout the year. For example, moderators can maintain discussions on how to maximize booth visibility, activations to entice attendees or topics that are related to your specific industry. Having a pulse on the concerns and questions posed by members of your community will allow you to make informed decisions about the future of various industry verticals.
Increased Sponsor Visibility and Revenue
With an online community, sponsor visibility is extended to your online platform. Not only do your existing sponsors enjoy more opportunities to connect with your audience directly, you have additional sponsorships to sell. New digital advertising opportunities enable a new source of bottom line revenue and sponsors are treated to year-round visibility with your audience.
Consider how you might leverage digital packages on your community platform to generate additional revenue or maximize the value in existing sponsorship levels.
New Attendee and Exhibitor Promotion
No one knows the value of your show better than your exhibitors and attendees. They’re the boots on the ground and among your best resources for attracting new audience members to your show. The online event community creates a direct connection between your current audience and the prospective newcomers.
As a product consultant with Personify, Benjamin works closely with our Personify Community solution to build, maintain and engage online communities with members and constituents from associations, events and nonprofits around the United States.
Partner Voices
HERE, hosting responsible meetings and caring for our communities are top priorities. Through its 'Focused on What Matters: Embracing Humanity and Protecting the Planet' philosophy, MGM Resorts commits to creating a more sustainable future, while striving to make an impact in the lives of employees, guests, and the communities in which it operates.
Water Stewardship Efforts
MGM Resorts understands the importance of using water efficiently, especially in the desert destination of Las Vegas. Conserving water has always been part of the mission, but MGM Resorts has expanded its ambition into water stewardship.
In 2022, MGM Resorts President and CEO Bill Hornbuckle signed the CEO Water Mandate—a UN Global Compact initiative mobilizing business leaders to advance water stewardship. MGM Resorts International was the first gaming company to take this important step.
MGM Resorts replaced 200,000 square feet of real grass with drought-tolerant landscaping in Las Vegas.
MGM Resorts pledges to reduce water withdrawal intensity by 33% by 2025 and by 35% by 2030.
From 2007-2021, use of more than 5.6 billion gallons of water was avoided because of conservation efforts.
Caring for One Another
MGM Resorts’ Food Donations Program collects and preserves unserved food from conventions held at MGM Resorts properties, then safely donates to food insecure people in the community. Since the program’s launch in 2016, more than 3.7 million meals toward a 2025 goal of 5 million meals have been donated into the community. Donations include:
Unserved perishable prepared foods from events
Perishable unprepared food from MGM Resorts’ kitchens
Nonperishable food items from minibars and warehouses
The collaboration with Southern Nevada’s primary food bank, Three Square, has developed the infrastructure needed to safely collect, transport, and store food from MGM Resorts properties in Las Vegas, reducing food waste while serving the community.
Fostering Diversity and Inclusion
To MGM Resorts, a diverse and talented workforce is essential to success. By cultivating innovative strategies that consider multiple perspectives and viewpoints, the company creates an inclusive workplace culture that benefits its employees and community. MGM Resorts takes pride in being a welcoming home for veterans, individuals with disabilities, people from diverse backgrounds, LGBTQ+ community members, and more. This commitment to inclusion is reflected in the company's recruitment and hiring practices and its social responsibility initiatives. From the workplace to the community, MGM Resorts' commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion remains unwavering, and its efforts continue to create a more equitable and sustainable world for all.
MGM Resorts understands its responsibility to contribute to the social and economic progress of the communities in which it operates. HERE, we embrace humanity.
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