Utilizing Virtual Events to Reach a Larger Audience

Milacron Plastics Technologies, one of our plastics manufacturing clients, recently hosted an open house at its Ohio manufacturing facility for customers, media and industry personnel. The three-day event showcased a variety of technical demonstrations, expert presentations, product overviews, facility tours and other programs.

While aggressive promotion resulted in high turnout at the event, there were still many individuals who couldn’t attend.

Because the information and demonstrations presented at the open house provided significant value to those in the industry, Milacron didn’t want to limit its scope to only in-person attendees. The company decided to consolidate the content and make it available online in the form of a ‘virtual open house.’

Hosting a virtual event like Milacron’s open house can provide visitors with an interactive experience of the event, which can include:

• Video demonstrations
• Attendee and exhibitor interviews
• Photo slideshows
• Downloadable presentations and collateral
• Links to media coverage of the original open house

Milacron launched its virtual open house through an email campaign to customers, prospects and media. PlasticsToday summed it up by saying: “…We don't need convincing that a virtual event can be just as instructive, and a lot more convenient, than traveling somewhere.”

Look for more open houses and other events to go ‘virtual’ in the near future. It’s a great way of leveraging technology to reach a broad audience. And, by hosting an in-person event and following it up with a virtual event, you may be able to get the best of both worlds.