{"id":9801,"date":"2021-02-08T16:53:45","date_gmt":"2021-02-08T16:53:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vfairs.wpengine.com\/?p=9801"},"modified":"2025-10-28T12:18:56","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T12:18:56","slug":"how-solid-solutions-virtual-launch-event-increased-their-event-attendance-by-30","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/case-studies\/solid-solutions-30-percent-attendance\/","title":{"rendered":"How Solid Solutions Virtual Launch Event Increased their Event Attendance by 30%"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Solid Solutions accounts for almost 80% of all SOLIDWORKS CAD software sales in the UK and Ireland. They provide engineering software solutions to more than 15,000 customers. Their services range from engineering software sales and consultancy to training services, and 3D printers. They also have a highly certified SOLIDWORKS support team which provides best-in-class technical support. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>The Challenge<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prior to 2020, Solid Solutions was used to hosting about 16 events a year across the United Kingdom. When COVID-19 struck and strict restrictions were imposed on social gatherings, they were forced to reconsider their plans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In such unprecedented circumstances in their 20 years of experience, hosting roadshows was no longer possible. Looking for alternatives, they decided to move forward with a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/solutions\/virtual-product-launch\/\"> virtual launch event<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The key objectives of the Solid Solution virtual launch event were:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Attract existing customers\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Educate customers on the latest version of the software<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conduct skills development sessions to benefit customers\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Create product and brand awareness.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The organizers also wanted to offer a way for sponsors like Dell and NVIDIA and other exhibitors to pitch software and services to a really targeted audience.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Why vFairs?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The team at Solid Solutions heard of<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">vFairs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from another company within the engineering software space. They had a look and were instantly impressed with the virtual event platform vFairs offered. For Solid Solutions, what worked best was the ease with which vFairs was able to replicate the actual event environment through immersive 3D designs, lifelike lobbies, and custom avatars.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The platform was also easy to use from an attendee\u2019s perspective. The interface was user-friendly and promised an effortless experience. Bidding adieu to a face-to-face environment, Solid Solutions was convinced that vFairs was the way to go to host the first Solid Solutions virtual launch event.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The vFairs team was great right from the onset. Nick said;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cvFairs was highly responsive and did a great job with the clock ticking and deadlines approaching. When they started looking for digital solutions they were apprehensive. However, the responsiveness of the vFairs team and flexibility of the platform made them reasonably confident with how the event would turn out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>The Solution<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Undeterred and well prepared,<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/solidsolutions.vfairs.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> the\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Solid Solutions Virtual Launch Event<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> took place on November 5th, 2020. Solid Solutions designed its virtual event platform with acute attention to detail. They incorporated<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/features\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">features<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that helped them set the right impression with their customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Replicating the In-Person Feel with 3D Animated Lobby<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Right from the very first step, Solid Solutions wanted to captivate its incoming audience. Therefore, designing an attractive lobby was important for them. With customized avatars roaming around the lobby, it replicated a real-life event lobby.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These 3D animated avatars added \u2018depth\u2019 and \u2018interest\u2019 to the lobby according to Nick Sibly, Group Operations Director at Solid Solutions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They even placed a welcome video, which guided the audience through the entire event. This helps the participants get comfortable with the virtual environment, knowing what to expect from the rest of the event.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10074\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183234650-min.png\" alt=\"solid solutions virtual lobby \" width=\"1894\" height=\"857\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183234650-min.png 1894w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183234650-min-300x136.png 300w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183234650-min-1024x463.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183234650-min-768x348.png 768w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183234650-min-1536x695.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1894px) 100vw, 1894px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10073\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183178130-min.png\" alt=\"solid solutions virtual lobby\" width=\"1894\" height=\"914\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183178130-min.png 1894w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183178130-min-300x145.png 300w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183178130-min-1024x494.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183178130-min-768x371.png 768w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183178130-min-1536x741.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1894px) 100vw, 1894px\" \/><\/h3>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hosting Unique Speaker Sessions In The Auditoriums\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Solid Solutions\u2019 virtual launch event had two auditoriums. A main auditorium and a 3DEXPERIENCE auditorium. Sessions in both were semi-live, meaning they used pre-recorded videos and hosted live Q&amp;A sessions through the chat feature. Along with a keynote speaker, the sessions were mostly educational, serving to explain new additions to the software. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10075\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183776695-min.png\" alt=\"solid solutions virtual auditorium \" width=\"1896\" height=\"947\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183776695-min.png 1896w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183776695-min-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183776695-min-1024x511.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183776695-min-768x384.png 768w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183776695-min-1536x767.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1896px) 100vw, 1896px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, in the partner sessions, Dell and NVIDIA among other exhibitors explained their services and product benefits to the audience. These sessions were a primary part of the in-person events. Presentations took place in auditoriums followed by product displays in an expo hall, which also facilitated interaction between attendees.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10076\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183792348-min.png\" alt=\"virtual auditorium speaker sessions \" width=\"1459\" height=\"822\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183792348-min.png 1459w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183792348-min-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183792348-min-1024x577.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183792348-min-768x433.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1459px) 100vw, 1459px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creating Maximum Awareness With Exhibit Halls<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The team at Solid Solutions designed the exhibit halls themselves and them divided according to:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Subject<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: included booths on manufacturing, 3DExperience, and SolidWorks Composer among others.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Sponsors and exhibitors<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: included booths of Dell and NVIDIA, DriveWorks, SolidCAM, and many more.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Solid Solutions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: booths were specific to training, customer service, and a proprietary solution, SolidQueue.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These booths had information specific to each of these subjects, sponsors, and exhibitors. There was a clear distinction between all three. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10077\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183901707-min.png\" alt=\"virtual exhibit hall\" width=\"1897\" height=\"951\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183901707-min.png 1897w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183901707-min-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183901707-min-1024x513.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183901707-min-768x385.png 768w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183901707-min-1536x770.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1897px) 100vw, 1897px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Informational Magazines &amp; Resources\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Solid Solutions virtual launch event included a rather unique feature: a magazine. It was a digital replication of the physical \u2018swag bag\u2019 they have at their in-person events, which includes a few giveaways plus a magazine that included detailed information on subjects such as Product Data Management, SolidWorks Electrical &amp; PCB, manufacturing, technical communication, and even sponsors and exhibitors. Customers had the option to download or print the magazine. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10078\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183930208-min.png\" alt=\"solid solutions magazine \" width=\"1730\" height=\"887\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183930208-min.png 1730w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183930208-min-300x154.png 300w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183930208-min-1024x525.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183930208-min-768x394.png 768w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183930208-min-1536x788.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1730px) 100vw, 1730px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The virtual platform also hosted resources such as videos and documents. These resources provided additional information and overviews of the sponsors and exhibitors offering greater insights for the customers. The resources could be added to the virtual \u2018swag bag\u2019 and downloaded later.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10079\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183944384-min.png\" alt=\"Resources \" width=\"1346\" height=\"608\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183944384-min.png 1346w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183944384-min-300x136.png 300w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183944384-min-1024x463.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183944384-min-768x347.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1346px) 100vw, 1346px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10081\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612184386508-min.png\" alt=\"video vault \" width=\"1347\" height=\"610\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612184386508-min.png 1347w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612184386508-min-300x136.png 300w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612184386508-min-1024x464.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612184386508-min-768x348.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1347px) 100vw, 1347px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Opportunities To Network<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Solid Solutions virtual launch event platform featured chat rooms for each sponsor and exhibitor. This facilitated customers to engage with the exhibitors and sponsors they wanted additional information from. Live audio, video, and text chat options allowed customers to easily engage with them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183959428-min.png\" alt=\"solid solutions virtual chat room \" width=\"1919\" height=\"897\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183959428-min.png 1919w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183959428-min-300x140.png 300w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183959428-min-1024x479.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183959428-min-768x359.png 768w, https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/screely-1612183959428-min-1536x718.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1919px) 100vw, 1919px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><b>The Result<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nick Sibly, Group Operations Director was happy with the outcome of Solid Solutions\u2019 first venture into the virtual world. He says<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c[A virtual event] was a very good replacement to in-person events. I was pleasantly surprised by the overall outcome\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He felt it was a good platform to share content and build awareness. Moving forward there is a place for digital events. Solid Solutions really enjoyed the easy user interface. Attendees could effortlessly navigate on their own.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Given the circumstances, virtual events increased the efficiency of events for Solid Solutions. They didn&#8217;t have to send people across the country in a van with banners and equipment. Moreover, even the sponsors had an improved experience. They were able to extract greater information about the participants and their digital footprints.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over 2000 people attended the Solid Solutions virtual launch event. This is a <\/span><b>20-30% increase in attendees <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as compared to a physical event. Apart from this, Solid Solutions called their virtual launch event a success because:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They were able to demonstrate the new version of the software to customers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customers developed skill sets and knowledge<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They created networking opportunities for customers\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a business, they were able to share the wider portfolio to generate sales leads.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Solid Solutions accounts for almost 80% of all SOLIDWORKS CAD software sales in the UK&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":34560,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-case-studies","industry-computer-software","region-eu","region-uk"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9801","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9801"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9801\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vfairs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}