Basic Event Information
Date: 13 – 15 October 2021
Location: Greece, Europe
Organiser: Alpha Marketing Greece
Client: Major Cities of Europe
EVENT CATEGORY: CATEGORY B2C
EVENT SUBCATEGORY: Best Association Conference, Congress
EVENT FORMAT: DIGITAL
Event description and key objectives
“FROM HERE TO WHERE? SUCCEED IN THE POST COVID TRANSFORMATION”
Major Cities of Europe holds its conference each year in a different country with the objective of giving to the participants the opportunity to share international and local experiences. It is the annual occasion for distinguished international speakers to present the latest digital innovations and to share successes and issues. In recent years, the conference has taken place in Venice, Berlin, Prato, Vienna, Zurich, Hamburg etc.
The 2020 conference was postponed to 2021 due to the 2020 epidemic. At that time, the OC, with our advices, decided to have the Conference in digital mode. We needed participation of delegates and dissemination of the event. We needed, support of Companies & Auspices. The main question, was also, how to have the communication and networking as much as the live conferences. Our target was to have about 250-300 participants as previous events.
Key challenges
• The Organizing Committee, the Organizing Municipality and the Association to have an agreement for a digital event, and pay for that
• Have about 300 participants (as much as the previous live conferences)
• Have auspices and sponsors
• Have a conference budget without a money-losing
• 89% declared Absolutely satisfied
Creativity
Creativity focused on being able to digitally create an environment as close as possible to the familiar one. So there were the familiar banners of the Sponsors on the home page, the info kiosk from where he could also connect to an online video conference with the secretariat, as well as chat with any other conference participant. Also, the way in which the speakers and their presentations appeared, as well as the panels, were designed and implemented in such a way that they referred to a familiar television broadcast with the significant advantage of the possibility of interaction.
Innovation
We have chosen to have the Conference in a digital platform area. The innovation was at the below customized points that the platform had:
• Digital Event with functions as in live conferences
• Having through the platform polls, gamification, Surveys, Q&A, E-mail Facility & Notifications
• Simultaneous Live Stages and direction
• Expo with Digital Booths
• Networking & Lobbying area with chat, video call and B2B matchmaking facilities
• Real Time Metrics
Execution
The organization developed without any problem and the participants declared themselves completely satisfied according to the data gathered from the satisfaction survey made with an electronic questionnaire.
• 89% declared Absolutely satisfied and satisfied
• 8% said they lacked real-time communication
• 3% said it did not satisfy them as a live event
The organising & management team was in 5 cities in Greece and Europe (Thessaloniki, Larissa, Athens, Hamburg, Prato) that all communicated in real time through chat platforms.
Measurable results
• The event had 553 participants all over Europe and some from USA, Israel, Turkey, Emirates etc
• We had auspices from all Greek authorities that are in the target of the conference
• We had 7 Sponsors
• We had 12 Communication supporters, from the biggest companies in Greece and targeted editors
• We had a surplus of 3000€ although the conference had high budget
• The Association decided to give us the assignment ALSO for the live Conference in November 2022 at the City of Larissa Greece.
Communication
There was a large advertising campaign before the conference was held in all industry media, as well as promotion of the conference through industry Exhibitions, hybrid and online. After the end of the conference there was a lot of publicity about the discussions that took place and the results that were obtained
The use of sustainable practices
• Zero carbon footprint as there was no printing involved and everything was done online.
• There were no commutes.
• There were no meals etc. On the other hand, the thematics of the conference was about sustainable cities, good practises, green development of cities etc. Our target to to minimize all potential negative impacts on the environment and leave a beneficial legacy for the host community and all involved was successful
