Defined an Ambitious Five-Year Digital Roadmap for a Leading Exhibition Organizer

Defined an Ambitious Five-Year Digital Roadmap for a Leading Exhibition Organizer

Florent Jarry • September 9, 2022
Florent Jarry • September 9, 2022

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Client and project overview

We worked closely with the Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), a leading exhibition organizer, on defining an ambitious new five-year digital roadmap. From strategy development to implementation planning, we helped IEG begin a journey of transformation. The project was considered vital for IEG, as the pandemic radically changed the expectations of its customers – both attendees and exhibitors.


Our innovative thinking has helped IEG create a new post-Covid vision. It is the ‘community catalyst’ concept that has been integral in shaping IEG’s 2022-2027 strategic plan.


IEG embraced ‘community catalyst’ because it takes a fresh approach – significantly enlarging the role of event organizers. The concept puts events at the heart of IEG’s communities, serving their needs and creating value for a wider audience.


Key objectives

In developing IEG’s digital roadmap, we focused on the following questions:

  • What is IEG’s current digital offering, and how does it vary across brands?
  • Is IEG’s management ready for digital change? What is IEG’s company vision?
  • How well does IEG understand its customers? What are their customers’ needs and pain points – both for physical and virtual events?​


Implementation

  • Identify the required workstreams to deploy the roadmap
  • Pinpoint resource requirements, revenue costs, and investments
  • Outline the risks and mitigations from implementation
  • Set a suitable governance structure to support digital transformation


Our methodology

  • We conducted in-depth interviews with IEG’s management to fully understand the business. We also interviewed IEG’s customers so we could clearly identify their main pain points and opportunities​
  • We analyzed IEG’s internal data, including surveys conducted and digital offerings across show brands​
  • We held an in-person workshop that defined the company vision and helped drive substantial excitement around new digital initiatives ​
  • We worked with IEG management to identify the main digital opportunities in the short, medium and long term​


Results

  • IEG developed a compelling five-year digital roadmap and company vision. This positions the business for long-term growth and digital transformation. We are proud that the ‘community catalyst’ concept is now fundamental to IEG’s business model
  • Our work with IEG’s management team also included developing roadmaps with clear objectives, deliverables and KPIs, plus determining financial and human resource needs – all spanning the five-year timeframe


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