CONNECT MEETINGS, LLC

Leading Hosted-Buyer Event Replaces Event App with a Powerful Text A.I. Chatbot

OUR CLIENT

Connect is a leader in the meetings, events, travel, and tourism industries. Their hosted buyer trade shows are popular among both planners and suppliers who find the unique face-to-face opportunities Connect provides critical to growing their businesses.

THE EVENT

Connect partnered with 42Chat to bring our AI Chatbot to their innovative, reverse- style trade shows, the largest of which is Connect Marketplace. Marketplace, held in conjunction with Connect Sports, brings together thousands of event planners, suppliers, and experts across six industry markets in rapid-fire, 1:1 meetings. Each attendee has a curated schedule with dozens of meetings across the three-day event.

THE CHALLENGE

Connect is a tech-forward organization with a reputation for displaying the best in event technology in their own events. The specific objectives of employing an AI Chatbot were:

• Replace the Event App with a more intuitive and easy to use text-based solution
• Provide instant access to hosted-buyer schedules and all relevant show information
• Divert repetitive questions from on-site staff
• Reach attendees instantly with high-value information and last-minute changes

IMPLEMENTATION

Connect and the 42Chat conversation design team created ‘Connie,’ the official AI Chatbot for Connect Marketplace, Connect Sports, and all Connect events. Connie has a helpful personality and a smiling blue avatar to match.

As with most shows, cell phone numbers were required at registration, and Connie was promoted in pre-show communication, on-site signage, social media, and through personalized notifications to each attendee. The bot was launched 11 days prior to the event.

Connie, a fully customized AI Chatbot, was highly trained. She covered 92 topics for the Marketplace event and 84 for Sports. Users could ask for answers about the show in millions of ways. Importantly, Connie was integrated directly with EventSquid for registration and session information and with ISSI for hosted buyer schedules.

THE RESULTS

• 98.4% Correct Response Rate - Sports
• 97.7% Correct Response Rate - Marketplace
• 82.4% - Interaction from reachable participants
• 341 hours of real-time support
• 11.035 messages during event

What were participants asking Connie?

• My Schedule
• Menu
• Agenda
• Party
• Portal
• Program
• Transportation
• Manage Profile
• Exhibitors
• Registration

IMPACT AND LESSONS LEARNED

Connie quickly became a critical and beloved member of the Connect experience. Connie was intuitive and fun, and provided instant access to rich content such as Personalized Schedules, Speaker Search, Exhibitors and Attendee Profiles.

Most notably, attendees accessed their curated schedule through Connie nearly 5,000 times. 9 out of 10 bot users utilized this value- adding feature.

Connie diverted over 11,000 questions from on-site staff and provided personalized schedules to thousands of attendees.

‍NOTIFICATIONS KEEP ATTENDEES DRY

Unexpectedly stormy weather in Louisville created some concern among attendees that the opening celebration, held at Churchill Downs, would be rained out. The Connect team used Connie’s push notification capability to announce that the event would be held indoors. Guests were happy to have the information they wanted just when they needed it most.

...AND UP-TO-DATE

A last-minute update of the WiFi network name meant that event-wide signage was not accurate.

Connie’s conversation received a quick update, and the correct WiFi network was immediately available.