New Ways to Engage Customers through the IFA 2021 Virtual Annual Convention

By Amy Cheng, Partner, Cheng Cohen LLC

Do you remember conventions? Standing on carpeted floors, under high ceilings, the hum of people walking down aisles of booths and having meaningful conversations about their businesses — the energy was electric. Now, we’re engaging customers differently.

Though COVID-19 has made conventions go virtual — including this year’s IFA Annual Convention — there’s plenty of great opportunity to sell to your customers.

The experience is going to be new for many of us. We won’t be able to meet in person like we usually do, but business will go on. We just have to reimagine the way we work.

Here are three reasons why exhibiting at the IFA 2021 Virtual Annual Convention is worth the investment. 

1. We can still engage with customers.
2. The learning curve is steep, but worth it.
3. Virtual has staying power.

We can still engage with customers.

Customer engagement will simply be different. Even though the pandemic reigns, our customers are still making purchasing decisions and finding ways to dialogue with vendors.

Although customers are conducting business remotely, they are still just as eager to connect and are craving new experiences to break up the routine of working from home. With IFA 2021, there will be plenty of networking opportunities through roundtable sessions, happy hours and more. The new platform being introduced reimagines how we sell to people.

The learning curve is steep, but worth it.

We have to be willing to try something new. This is not the way we would have originally wanted to engage our customers, but that doesn’t make it any less meaningful. The IFA 2021 Virtual Annual Convention platform will offer a new experience for us to exhibit, with features such as connecting 1-on-1 via video, 24/7 virtual booth, attendee incentives to visit the virtual tradeshow with fun and competitive gaming and more.

The way we virtually exhibit at a convention will require a different kind of lift from us, in the form of more proactive promotion directly to our existing marketing lists and through the IFA channels available as a sponsor of the event. As an exhibitor, you will be able to showcase your products and services through promotional materials, resources and video content. You will also be able to have 1:1 chats via text or video. You can set up appointments with attendees in advance and conduct business right from your virtual booth!

Ultimately, in order to be successful, we will get out what we put in. We understand that the learning curve for the virtual platform may be steep, and that means we have to put in the time to learn the platform, and the IFA is committed to help us learn to make the most of this unique experience at what will be the most important franchising event of the year.

Check out this demonstration of the virtual platform to gain a better understanding of how it works.

Virtual has staying power.

With all sessions at IFA 2021 streaming live and on demand, customers will have many reasons to continue logging in. The booths we set up as part of the Convention will be accessible throughout the event, but also for up to three months afterwards — giving us access to an audience beyond the event itself.

With the event going virtual, the IFA is making it more accessible and affordable for wider teams to participate — meaning more people for us to connect with.

Business will go on. This is not the way we’d love to be engaging our customers and prospects, but the IFA 2021 Virtual Annual Convention’s platform is going to give us many new ways to do so. Sponsoring events in a virtual setting can still be a worthwhile investment if you’re willing to learn something new, accept the learning curve and do the work to promote your exhibit.

I’m excited to see what the event holds and to meet with you there. To learn more about the IFA 2021 Virtual Annual Convention (February 10-25) and to register, visit franchise.org/convention.

Amy Cheng is a partner with Cheng Cohen LLC. For more information about International Franchise Association (IFA) supplier member Cheng Cohen, click here.