Over the course of just 90 days or so, the team here at the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas produced what many have suggested was the best virtual event they have ever participated in — Dealer Week 2020. The secret to the success with this event, in my opinion, was that we never treated it like a virtual event. We treated it like any other highly important, mission-focused event, and we delivered accordingly.

 

With this event now behind us, we can very clearly outline how companies can produce high-quality virtual event, like the boat show you are probably preparing for right now. MRAA recently produced, in partnership with Discover Boating, a powerful guide to boat show success, but here are a few tips I can offer that could help you prepare and produce your first or next virtual boat show.

 

This is how I would approach my boat show.

 

1.    Boat shows are the great equalizer, a place where every dealership looks the same with the same color carpets and the same shiny boats. If you want your dealership to stand out in a virtual event, you need to be prepared and polished like you normally would be. Most dealers spend months planning the inventory they’ll showcase, how they’ll arrange their physical booth and how they’ll both attract customers and stand out for the competition. Nothing should change with that.

2.    Make your business and your brands stand out by showcasing a video tour of your business. Nothing demonstrates professionalism and customer service better than demonstrating the character and personality of your team, your facilities and your service. Don’t just concentrate on new boats, either. Make sure you capture your team, the service department, your certified techs, your parts or pro shop, and more. Give the video the same personality that an in-store experience would offer.

3.    Pre-record walk-throughs of every boat in your inventory to showcase what you have to offer. Shoot the videos in a clean, quiet environment to prevent the distractions of background noise or clutter. Make sure the lighting is good so the product comes off as polished as it would be at an in-person event. Use this how-to guide. What? No inventory to video? Surely your manufacturer partners have video of the products they offer. Substitute factory videos where necessary.

4.    Mix in live Q&As with your sales professionals. Depending on the platform’s capabilities, it would be ideal to do a “live broadcast” (of pre-recorded content) of those walk-throughs, immediately followed by a live question-and-answer session to provide deeper insight and context. Check with the show producer to see if you can schedule live events on the show’s public calendar; otherwise, find a way to promote the live conversations outside of the platform, in a Zoom or other environment. Consider using a host to moderate the sessions and ask the sales team the question, and prepare a few questions as starters for each product.

 

5.    Find a way to reward customers for stopping by your booth. Give away pro shop gift cards for everyone who comments in the chat. Provide a special contest and enter people into a significant drawing if they schedule a meeting with a member of your sales team. Include a pro fisherman or team rider in one of your live events. Pre-record or offer live how-to programs to establish yourself as the expert and help customers get the most out of boat ownership.

6.    Create your exhibit schedule with the consumer in mind. Your virtual event attendees will likely be visiting your exhibits from their homes, oftentimes “after hours.” If they log into the chat, will someone be there to respond? Make sure you’ve got someone ready to respond immediately during show hours, and consider and strategize what response times should look like after show hours. Virtual exhibits are challenging in that you never really know if someone is “in” your exhibit until they physically reach out. When that finally happens, you need to be ready.

7.    Create your follow-up plan before the event starts. There have been many best practices shared over the years of dealers who are following up and thanking customers before they’ve even left the convention center or texting or emailing them before they arrive home. What will your follow-up plan be for virtual attendees? A well-thought-out strategy with customized follow-up materials — links to those videos you created, brochures, meeting schedulers, and other enticements, for example — could make the difference for capturing the business.

8.    Particularly this year, when many dealers are going to be trying to figure things out, the better prepared you are and the more you can stand out, the better. Spend extra money on marketing your virtual booth. Find creative ways to attract people to your products. Make sure you fully understand the technology and platform well in advance of the event so you can maximize its value and stand out from the crowd.

 

My final piece of advice here is: Please don’t apologize to your customers for being at a virtual event. We get it. We’re social beings, and we love the person-to-person interaction. We also know, however, that you don’t have a choice, and they don’t have a choice to do business with you in any other way. Prepare yourself to be successful, and be confident in the way you present and deliver your business. And by all means, do NOT apologize for successfully adapting to today’s market place.

 

More than 80 percent of a purchase decision is made online, anyway. Your presence in a virtual boat show is actually just meeting the customer where they are. If you plan, prepare for and execute your virtual event strategy as though it’s the best way a customer can make a purchase with you, you will win the day at your boat show. Have a great show!