Put simply Connect has been designed to integrate all the tools necessary to thoroughly organise specific criteria such as meetings, conferences and product presentations in the build-up to in-cosmetics, as well as providing a comprehensive networking platform for industry professionals.
"The overall aims when launching the service were to provide a tool which would enable visitors to plan their trips more efficiently thereby saving them valuable time and money," said Cathy Laporte, Reed Exhibitions group marketing manager.
"Ahead of large events such as in-cosmetics, it is absolutely vital to prepare as much as possible to get the most out of the show," Laporte added.
To get up and running, the organisors require a simple registration process, outlining the exact interests of the industry professional and what objectives they wish to achieve from show attendance.
The registration process also serves to form the individual’s profile, which is searchable to all other registered users and helps to form the basis of the networking platform.
"So far, the profile of those who have subscribed has been very varied – a real mixture of smaller niche companies and major players. We have already had representatives from the likes of L’Oreal and Henkel register and expect many more from across the industry to do so as the show draws nearer," said Laporte.
What is the reason for attending in-cosmetics?
The user is required to choose from a list of 50 raw materials and ingredients areas, resulting in a detailed profile that helps to both orientate the user, as well as signaling to other users why they are attending the show.
Once the registration process is complete, a user name and password enables the user to access the Connect homepage, which is shown in the screen shot below.
The navigation panel includes access to the user’s profile, the search facility to find both visitors and exhibitors, a messaging service a diary to organise everything around the event to the nearest hour and a favourites folder to flag up the most interesting attendees, seminars and conferences.
Organising shows can often prove to be a mind-boggling, tedious and drawn out affair for show participants, who are often pushed for time, having the added workload of organising the trip to the event itself.
Housing all event planning in one platform
Connect aims to house all the necessary planning and administration in one integrated platform, ultimately helping to save time and making the whole process more efficient.
Connect forms part of a concerted effort by Reed Exhibitions to make this year’s event the most digitally interactive to date, tapping into the huge growth in digital business events management in the last couple of years.
As part of this aim, Reed has also tapped into the huge growth in social media platforms by providing in-cosmetics Twitter and Linkedin pages as well as a dedicated blog for this year’s in-cosmetics event.
"We plan on using Connect for successive in-cosmetics and in-cosmetics Asia events. Other exhibitions within the Reed portfolio are also offering the tool so we will be able to continuously refine it based on all parties’ feedback," Laporte said.