Pre 2008, the UK conference and event market was unquestionably booming. However, with the black cloud of recession came huge uncertainty.  What was dubbed the ‘credit crunch’ also brought more negotiation on rates; reduced spend on catering; organisers opting for room-only rather than day delegate packages; and increased use of in-house facilities.

However, it would seem there is a split in opinion about the direction the industry is taking and the important issues that need to be tackled, and it’s not all doom and gloom. In fact, business tourism accounted for almost a quarter of total inbound tourism in Britain in 2010 (Visit Britain, 2011).

Going green

Sustainable Balance is a consultancy specialising in supporting those in the events industry to integrate sustainability into their business practices. Amy Hutchins, Co-founder & Partner of Sustainable Balance, gave us her views on the challenges the industry faces in 2012:

"One of the key challenges for the events industry in 2012 is building in sustainability.  Despite the economic downturn, sustainability has remained on the business agenda and no doubt will increase in importance.

“So what has sustainability got to do with technology I hear you ask? Quite a lot in fact – as using technology can make you more efficient and cost-effective as a business. Whether this is using technology that manages your logistics to minimise the number of journeys and the need to move equipment around to new applications that allow a paperless conference to be held... The possibilities are there for the taking now and need to be exploited. Technology and greening events can go hand in hand to meet some of the key challenges of the event industry.”

The above response highlights a focus on environmentally-friendly business practice despite economic restraints imposed by the recent recession. Whilst purse-strings may need to be tightened, abandoning your business ethics and long-term objectives will not support future success, and will make it difficult to differentiate your company in an increasingly competitive market. In addition, new standards brought in by the British Standards Institution in 2007 provide a framework to which events must adhere to in order to manage the overall environmental, social and economic impact of any given event. Companies need to look at the bigger picture, investing in technology that helps support a robust and reliable business plan.

Survival of the fittest

However, with the financial crisis came a new focus. Whilst sustainability still sits high on the agenda, perhaps understandably, survival is now the number one focus for a lot of companies.

Saville Audio Visual is the UK’s largest supplier of audio, visual, multimedia and videoconferencing technology, with a broad client base across the events industry. Chris Lawson, Conference & Event Manager for Saville Audio Visual had the following to say about the industry:

“I think everyone accepts the landscape has changed for the perceivable future. In the corporate financial services sector in particular, many are too scared to commit what little budget they have to an event until the very last minute. Lead times therefore have been drastically cut which obviously can affect the integrity of events and push up costs, not only to the client, but to us as suppliers, meaning margins are squeezed and blood pressures raised.

“To survive you must adapt and be as fluid to new ideas and ways of working. Smarter not harder! Strive for efficiency in all your processes from booking to logistics.”

With adaptation and process efficiency comes investment. However, too many view it as expenditure, as opposed to investment. Short-sighted savings will not make money in the long-term but rather damage your brand image and company reputation.

Events companies must leverage opportunities, which are set to bring in considerable economic benefits for the UK, such as London 2012, and the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. To do so you must stand apart from your competitors. This is where your website can help you - make sure people are finding your company online for keyphrases that are descriptive of your company’s offerings, though efficient SEM (search engine marketing) and differentiation. Additionally, making sure you provide engaging landing pages will encourage customers to take further action.

Monday’s blog will continue on this theme, looking at the remaining challenges of technology, changing consumer behaviour, and the employment market, and providing our recommendations on how to turn these into opportunities.

Have your say here or follow the discussion on LinkedIn…  

...Read Part 2 of the research here.







References:
Visit Britain (2011), Inbound Tourism Facts - Updated July 2011, Available at: http://www.visitbritain.org/insightsandstatistics/inboundtourismfacts/index.asp

Research shows an average 63% basket abandonment rate on transactional websites. Whilst leading research organisation Customer Experience Management (2010) adds that 31% of customers who abandon online shopping baskets do so due to unreliable or unstable websites.    

The inflexibility of existing systems leads to discouraged users and lost sales. This can often be attributed to a lack of transparency on prices, leading to customers progressing through the sales process and abandoning the cart at the last hurdle due to unforeseen charges or their expectations not being appropriately met. Alternatively, overly complex and disconnected ecommerce platforms generate confusion and today’s increasingly time-poor consumer has very little patience for such issues.

The Arts: Ticketing systems
Similar to commercial ecommerce sites, basket abandonment rates continue to rise on arts websites that offer the capacity to purchase tickets online. Evidence suggests that effectively integrating a suitable ticketing system helps to streamline purchases and increase sales. This became ever more evident when analysing Alienation’s work with the Pitlochry Festival Theatre, whereby the new ticketing system solution has resulted in 82% of people who enter the online box office completing the sales funnel, a massive 25% above the industry average of 57%.

Recent studies show that 70% of companies who invest time in targeting basket abandoners experienced increased sales as a result. Therefore, integration efforts must be supported by customer relationship management and complimentary marketing, whereby basket abandoners are targeted appropriately to convert them back into sales.

• Ensure seamless integration between your website and ecommerce/payment/ticketing platform;
• Display clear Calls to Action to guide the shopper and facilitate navigation;
• Provide a simple display of the customer’s progress through the checkout process;
• Ensure the efficient collection of customer information to reduce the need for duplicate entries;
• Clearly display all relevant information to enhance transparency, avoid misinterpretation and consequent irritation, and ultimately boost trust;
• Isolate the checkout process to simplify visual impact and reduce the likelihood of the customer linking off to other areas rather than completing the purchase;
• Target basket abandoners to convert them back into sales.

The arts and culture industry is increasingly recognising the need to implement an efficient ticket booking system to streamline ticket transactions, CRM, and administration, thus remaining competitive.

These technologies are products developed specifically for the arts and culture industry, offering an integrated database for online ticket booking, donating, fundraising, and other forms of online transactions, whilst monitoring customer activity and marketing amongst other tasks. Sophisticated software allows visitors to select a seat of their choice for shows, whilst the ticketing system simultaneously updates seat availability information. This technical capability creates real-time updated results for staff and customers alike and enhances overall synergy.

1. Think about the future now! Will you want to integrate any future website seamlessly with the ticketing system?
2. If answer to above is yes, choose a ticket booking technology that provides a fully accessible web API (application programming interface). This will provide yourself and your web agency with a lot of flexibility in regards to both style and functionality, and give you the best chance of a seamless integration process.
3. Always have a plan B! There is more than one way to skin a cat, so if a seamless integration is not available there will be some other way of doing what you require. Whether it is passing value via session variables between the systems or via URL – always have a backup plan.
4. Make sure that the ticketing system providers offer a good level of support and full documentation for any chosen system. This will prove invaluable when implementing any integration, and if both booking provider and website provider can work side by side and communicate, the chances of project success are greatly improved.
5. Keep it simple and re-usable! If you develop a bridge between any CMS and a particular booking API then this can be re-used over and over with many different clients, with only a few parameters needing changed each time.

• HTML5 and CSS3 are changing the way web development and design function.
• With HTML5 and CSS3, features that used to be largely dominated by Flash, such as videos, transformations and vectors, can now be implemented with open technologies that take full advantage of the browser and are not intrusive for the user.
• As more and more browsers grow to support these technologies, they have also evolved to make considerably more resources available to webpages for designers and developers (in no small part by making proper use of graphics acceleration).

• HTML5 is much more ‘syntaxically’ correct. It does away with a number of redundant features introduced by its predecessors, whilst adding a number of new ones, and encourages well-formed, data-driven content.
• Seasoned HTML users will already be well acquainted with many of the features in this latest version and new elements tend to build upon existing structures, facilitating the switch to HTML5.

• Even though we are just getting rid of Internet Explorer 6, which has plagued the web for nearly eight years by slowing down the development process, a large portion of the browsers currently in use are still not compliant with a number of current technologies, let alone HTML5 and CSS3.
• The browsers that are compliant with new web technologies are doing a relatively good job at it, unfortunately most of these browsers jumped the guns and started expanding HTML5 and CSS3 by their own accord, even though the standards had not yet been properly defined. This introduces a fragmentation similar to the one witnessed about ten years ago, which causes a considerable amount of additional effort for web developers and designers who want to target all platforms.
• While this is widely accepted, the transition also requires all web developers and designers to move on and learn the new technologies. Not only does this require time and money, but this also means that best practices will take a while to settle in.
• Similarly clients who are not particularly tech-savvy and had to learn HTML4 for content formatting and such, will now have to learn HTML5, meaning additional training costs.

• In an ideal world, all major browser makers will agree on a standard way of implementing, well, standards.
• Flash and other intrusive technologies will be supplanted by proper web standards that run as an integral part of the browser.
• Medium to large organisations' IT departments (the biggest culprits for the slow upgrade process of browsers) will realise that to take full advantage of new web technologies and save resources in the long-term compliant browsers have to be used, as well as updated on a regular basis.
• HTML and CSS will grow to provide additional features, particularly to do with media handling.

• There are a number of benefits to using HTML5 in modern day web development, it comes with a variety of exciting new features that help the way we interact and build websites daily.
  

• Offline capabilities and Application cache are proving to be the most exciting features released. Allowing users to continue to interact with your web apps offline will provide massive benefits to the end user. It will not only help bridge the gap between desktop and the web but offers a great potential for media rich applications. There are a number of web apps that utilise these technologies already, however this is very much in its infancy.  We are really excited to see how these applications will evolve and get involved in creating some ourselves.
• Improved semantics are also going to offer a huge benefit for us moving forward. Since HTML mark-up is becoming more standardised with the introduction of HTML5, we are going to see a real benefit in the way our code is understood by machine-readable formats. Not only will it help provide a better understanding of how our page is structured, it will also be advantageous to those who require assistive technologies to browse the web. They should gain a fuller online experience, which is something Alienation Digital strives to achieve with every project.

• Previously developers and designers would spend hours creating fully featured info graphics, animations, video integration etc. We now don’t have to rely on third party integrations. We can realize this interaction using a number of HTML5 techniques. For example, media embedding has never been easier with video and audio. The use of the <canvas> tag offers the ability for rich interactive elements to be used throughout the web.

• HTML5 offers a real opportunity to allow users to engage with your site more effectively. Interactivity has been carefully considered with this version and is the beginning of great things to come with the web.
• One thing to always bear in mind is that we always have to offer some sort of fall back content to these features. Although the technology exists, the vast majority of online users are using out of date browsers.

• One disadvantage that still remains to this technology is not with the technology itself but the speed in which it can be implemented. Online users have to become aware of the benefits in updating their browsers. As an agency we strive to create the best possible online experience for our clients and users.

There’s endless amounts of information surrounding the best practice in online marketing, but here’s my top 10 simple rules, which will help stand your business in good stead for future success. For now I’ve kept them short and sweet as, let’s face it, that’s always the best kind of advice, but feel free to start a discussion underneath or contact me for further digital marketing information.

1. Integrate online and offline efforts – all your marketing communications, whether it’s your twitter feed, display advertising or your print brochure, should speak with one voice. Ensure that you create consistency with your brand values and develop a strong brand image accordingly.
2. Analyse value of content – ensure all content is rich and meaningful from the offset, and then support this by properly optimising keywords and phrases within. This will ensure greater success in search engine optimisation (SEO).
3. Build in measurability – make sure measurability is built into digital marketing from the start, as this makes performance review considerably simpler. Also ensure that all staff involved continuously monitor and record performance, instead of letting this lapse and having to retrace your steps at a later date. Ten minutes a day keeps the headaches away, and measurable marketing is the way forward!
4. Consider meaning and value – analyse what your performance results mean to you and why they are important. Set measurable and attainable online marketing goals, which reflect your company’s aspirations. Also try to look below the surface – if trends are occurring, even if they are not what you are trying to achieve, what can you do to translate these into results?
5. Link up – work to create valuable links from sites with high page and domain authority. It’s like hanging out with the popular kids – the more people who like their site, the better reputation you’ll get for being associated with them.
6. Update content – keep your website content ticking over by creating a blog and a news feed. Fresh content encourages visitors to return to your website and can be invaluable to search engine optimisation (don’t forget to optimise your news articles just like your core website content). Remember that because your news stories can be archived on your site they create a rich bank of keywords and phrases.
7. Take a subjective look – it is vital to look at your communications from a user’s perspective and to recognise changing user trends, such as increasing user sophistication. Such trends mean that user queries are becoming increasingly advanced, thus keywords are becoming less relevant and keyphrases are much more pivotal to search engine efficiency.
8. Don’t get too big for your shoes – compete at a level that is achievable for you. Use keyphrases that are specific to your business, more niche than general terms and, therefore, are less competitive.
9. Don’t paint everyone with the same brush – segment your target users/visitors. It is crucial to recognise that all users are different and so they will search and react differently. Analyse your user groups, create personas by which to identify each group’s typical characteristics, and develop content and online marketing efforts that specifically target each individual group.
10. Be open to criticism – creating an open environment in which employees feel they can tell you honestly what they think of your online marketing efforts is key. Each individual within your organisation represents another type of user and a new perspective, one which is usually more subjective than those at the core of the activity. In addition, customer and user feedback can be at the heart of generating more meaningful and relevant online content, i.e. “we came to Company X because it offered quality products with quick results”.

• Return an unsuitable online purchase to a store
• Open a bank account in a branch and access it online
• Place an order online, and pick it up from your nearest store if you’re not at home to take delivery

• If you advertise a product offline, make sure these products feature prominently on the homepage of your site. This might be the sole reason the customer visited the site, and they should never have to work to find what they’re looking for.

• Use paid search for products promoted offline.  A carefully targeted, and well-planned advertisement will allow customers to see quickly that they’ve found what they’re looking for, and click directly through to the relevant page.

• Don’t remove negative reviews, but respond to them.  Act on the criticism, and tell your customers you have done so.  This will gain respect from your audience, and if negative reviews feature alongside positive ones, it becomes clear that the reviews are trustworthy.
• Monitor the online conversation about your brand. Set up Google Alerts and social media monitoring tools so that you are notified whenever your brand name or keywords are mentioned online. Many of these tools are free to set up and you will often be able to respond before anyone has seen the negative comments.
• Finally, consider how you can influence the feedback your company gets.  Provide impeccable customer service and the genuine reviews you receive will be outstanding.  You can rest assured the wealth of positive reviews will far outweigh the negative.

In Focus: Digital Marketing in the Charity Sector

1. Speed: How fast the new Google can load results.
2. Accuracy: How accurate the results are to the search term.
3. Real Time Search: How well the site captures breaking news.
4. Index Size: How many websites the search engine has indexed.

• Good quality, regularly updated and keyword rich content
• A well structured and accessible site
• Relevant inbound links from authoritative sources

• Above the fold has a new meaning.
• Websites will need to get more tactile.
• Flash websites will lose out.

This week it has been announced that Tesco, an international retail superpower, has implemented an open source based virtual learning environment (Joomla/Moodle) for its 470,000 employees. Bizarrely this news seems to be more radical than the news that the retailer was to ban sleepy shoppers from getting their weekly shop in their pjs.

But how shocking is it really? Our newly elected BOGOF government has committed to back open source technology in the future for all public sector projects. In an environment previously loyal to locked down proprietary or trusty Microsoft systems, why is everyone beginning to jump on the open source shopping trolley?

One thing that is certainly clear is that open source technology such as Joomla is no longer considered to be only for smaller websites and start up business, but is now seen as a serious web platform that is hugely scalable, something that we've been talking about for a long time.

At Alienation we firmly back open source technology and here’s why... We believe open source technology:

• Has higher reliability
• Provides more flexibility
• Is user driven
• Is more cost effective
• Provides huge scope for functionality to be quickly realised
• And best of all stops clients being locked down by agencies

So there you have it. Open source. Better than shopping in your pjs.

Hello All,

As you some of you will know, I like to travel - especially road trips. That's why when my girlfriend, Laura, and I discovered the Northern Lights Rally we knew we had to get involved.

What's the Northern Lights Rally?  First of all, its not technically a rally (there are no time trials and no winner). Its more of a challenge. A challenge to drive a cheap, run down banger from Glasgow to Tallinn, Estonia. When we get there the car will be auctioned (or scrapped, I'm still finding that out) to raise money for the Estonian charity, the Sunflower Foundation.

The challenge officially begins in Amsterdam on April 17th so we will be leaving Glasgow on the 16th.  We will be covering about 4000 miles in 10 days on a route that will take us through Denmark, Sweden, up the Norwegian west coast all the way to the "top" of mainland Europe, then south through Finland, ending with a ferry ride to Estonia.

In order to defer the cost of buying & fueling a car across Northern Europe we (the Tartan Eagles Rally Team) are looking for team sponsors.  In professional racing you usually see a couple of giant logos on the car from its main sponsors - we are going in a similar direction.  Everyone who sponsors our car with at least £5 ($8) will get their name printed on the car!  And the more you sponsor, the bigger your name gets.

If you're curious as to who is already part of the team, take a look at http://www.tartaneaglesgonorth.com/sponsors. You'll see Alienation Digital has already got its logo on the car, so if you want to join them, check out our website at http://www.tartaneaglesgonorth.com.

Feel free to forward this on to any racing or charity enthusiasts you know.

Thanks for your support!

John (Eagle) & Laura (Tartan)