What was Avento looking for at the HorecaExpo 2017?
Although it was not the obvious thing to do for a business like Avento, we felt right at home at the HorecaExpo 2017. Avento attended the event in Ghent from 19 to 23 November targeting not the visitors but the exhibitors.
“We were a bit of an odd man out because we were doing something very unusual for an IT company. We were able to host interested parties, i.e. decision-makers from the other exhibitors, in a sociable atmosphere at our stand. We demonstrated our solutions on tablets and TV screens,” says Steven Joris, Sales and Development Manager.“It certainly made sense because a strong CRM for field campaigns is still an abstract concept for a lot of professionals.”
Avento therefore not only exhibited but also vastly raised its profile. On its stand, Avento thought of everything to make the decision-makers comfortable, including drinks and snacks from existing Avento clients.
“In fact, what we did with our products at the HorecaExpo as a service provider was what the food and drink manufacturers would do: create a distinctive experience, an interactive experience that made an impact.”
To see and be seen
“The most important thing at an exhibition with so many exhibitors is to see and be seen. The key was therefore the customer experience: testing, feeling, smelling, creating an experience…. as long as it exuded sociability. Whether it is food, drinks, interior or nightlife, this consumer ‘experience’, the atmosphere in which he or she consumes is becoming increasingly crucial to commercial success.
And that is important for Avento too. Just consider the many online platforms where experiences and ‘reviews’ are exchanged. Every opinion counts and digital channels give everyone a voice. Bringing warmth to people’s real life can therefore be an initial step towards success. We in turn tried to bring warmth to the exhibitors, in particular with our CRM story.
To measure is to know
In addition to the consumer experience, the visibility of the product is also very important. And that is exactly one of the strengths of Avento’s field solutions. The solution ensures the greatest possible product visibility, combined with an efficiently organised field team. Measuring the visibility of your product allows you to make improvements. And that is the first step towards progress for your business, because what doesn’t get measured doesn’t get managed.
