The Media Meet & Greet event series, launched in October 2020, has been something of a grand experiment. Initiated by Janet Greco, Founder and Principal Consultant at Broadcast Projects, she sees it as principally as a metadata play, based on her experience in that domain, to bring people together and find each other, based on searchable profiles that will help the industry gather and do business once again.
Neither hopeless nor flaky!
“There’s been lots of praise for the effort but it’s also weathered quite some derision and disinterest. I'm no stranger to people being resistant to my forward-looking ideas. One person informed me that it was "hopeless" and "flaky". Others say, oh, not another virtual event! It's easy to miss the point when you're not paying attention, stuck in old ways, or just plain depressed that things are no longer the way they once were,” says Janet Greco.
Media Meet & Greet events are not easy to classify – precisely because the approach is so new. That doesn’t stop people from trying, though. This initiative is not just about being virtual. The premium event platform used for the event, Deal Room, underpins physical, hybrid and virtual events just as well. It was designed to so you can find people based on relevant criteria (broadcasters vs vendors, for example, or even "who's attending IBC?").
A mix of sellers and buyers is critical to the success of the event.
Certainly there has been overload on virtual events. The fact remains that many event organizers, from big conference organizers to smaller event producers, have all experimented with a great many event tech platforms, and there has been something of an overload. Networking often doesn’t live up to the promise, because it is usually not a key objective of those organizers. On top, you find poorly structured data and apathy on the part of attendees to fill in their profiles or even attend.
This is understandable. There are hundreds of event tech platforms out there. Attendance at any event means a new learning curve both for attendees and the organizers. The effort that goes into making any platform work comes from learning, implementing and then educating those who will attend about how it works, and how to make the most of it.
The premium event tech platform is a point of distinction
Deal Room is a premium platform. It’s focus is on networking. It supports hybrid, physical and virtual events. Media Meet & Greet events so far have only been virtual, but hybrid events will be introduced.
The persistence of the platform across multiple events is another key feature. Rather than having to fill in your profile each time, it is stored for future events. You can also re-visit all of your previous events (just remember to always log in with the same email). The platform never is fully closed. For new events, the networking opens 10 days in advance of any live event, during which time you can chat with and discover other delegates, based on truly useful “offer” and “seek” information, and revisit and chat with past attendees.
Discoverability and recommendation for the content and TV technology industry
Our events are about providing a gathering place for the industry. One that offers useful discoverability and recommendation tools for connecting with industry colleagues. It it's based on profile metadata for matching relevant attendee.
As Janet says, “Boring old metadata again, something our industry still never got right. Seriously, all this nostalgia for the crap shoot that masquerades as "serendipity". Let's be more honest and just say it was way more fun to zip around a trade event and that we indeed miss seeing people. I completely get that. I miss seeing people too. But something a trade show never will let you do is give you full and transparent access to attendees. How about making it easier for us to find out who's attending in advance and who is worth meeting? I know the old trade show drill because I used to do it every year. What a time suck.”
Instead, the Media Meet & Greet event platform makes it easy whether you're attending a virtual or physical event (find the people you want to meet, and then meet them right there on site).
Old habits die hard
Let’s see where trade shows go next. Meantime, the Media Meet & Greet community is growing, with company showcases and multiple content streams and interactive sessions on offer, we have a lot going on at our events. Just like a trade show that you prepare for, in advance.
“For me it's just a matter of time, like it was with electronic program guides back in '91 - people told me "never gonna happen",” adds Janet Greco.
Join us at the next Media Meet & Greet. Save the date and get invited here if you have not already done so. The registrations process is simple, just get on the invitation list and RSVP to the events you want to attend. Stay tuned for the evolution of this climate-friendly platform!