Transforming EBCs: Powerful Best Practices for Engagement and Innovation
09.14.24
By Nell Lundy, Interactive Creative Director
Transforming EBCs: Powerful Best Practices for Engagement and Innovation
Executive briefing centers (EBCs) are vital for fostering meaningful interactions between companies and their clients, helping to shorten deal cycles and improve close rates.
However, as attention spans shrink and the business landscape evolves, how are brands evolving their immersive spaces to connect with audiences in creative and continually relevant ways? Increasingly, EBCs are leveraging the power of digital to unite partners, stakeholders, and innovation communities.
One of InVision’s industrial clients is a prime example. After opening an innovation center six years ago, they had to close it for nearly two years during the pandemic. Ironically, closing the doors led to significant changes, including a pivot to digital strategies and other upgrades that expanded their reach and enhanced the visitor experience. The following best practices summarize the strategies and tactics that contributed to the success of their innovation center:
Physical and Hands-On Experiences
Offering opportunities for visitors to engage with product samples and prototypes is crucial. Innovation centers provide access to tools, technologies, and insights typically unavailable to the public. Dynamic exhibits encourage active participation, going beyond traditional showcases by facilitating deep dives into product portfolios through interactive media and personalized consultations. This hands-on engagement allows visitors to explore and understand offerings in more meaningful ways.
Foster Creativity and Curiosity
Encouraging creativity and curiosity among visitors is key. Innovation centers inspire visitors to envision what they can achieve with the products on display, helping them see beyond the present and imagine the transformative impact on their own designs. Teams must be ready to pivot quickly in response to new challenges and opportunities. Building a foundation of problem-solving and guiding clients and partners toward solutions is integral to this approach.
Embrace the Shift from Physical to Virtual
The pandemic highlighted the importance of having a robust digital presence. Investing in digital infrastructure, such as 360-degree video tours and animated content, can significantly enhance the reach of an innovation center. These tools allow audiences to explore the center virtually, making it easy to share the center’s story and capabilities in various settings. This shift to digital not only complements physical visits but also extends the center’s impact to a global audience.
Showcase Products in Unique Ways
Creating memorable experiences lies at the heart of effective product showcases. Rather than merely describing products, demonstrating them in relatable, real-world contexts is essential.
Our client created a mini-satellite prototype with a digital experience component, enabling visitors to interact both physically and virtually with the product’s features and benefits. Incorporating prototypes and tangible objects alongside digital experiences allows for a more detailed and immersive understanding.
Education in Various Formats
Education forms a core offering, delivered in formats catering to different learning styles. Adopting an open innovation mindset, centers prioritize sharing information and experiences to foster a collaborative environment. Visitors engage directly with engineers and business development teams to create tailored solutions. Hosting events such as conferences, industry days, and webinars expands knowledge sharing and strengthens connections between innovations and customer goals.
Content Across Locations
Creating and sharing digital content across multiple locations significantly enhances the impact of an innovation center. Unique assets like touchscreen experiences, 3D websites, animations, and videos are leveraged not only within the center but also across the company’s entire network. This approach ensures that all centers benefit from the same high-quality resources and helps establish a unified global presence. Building a comprehensive content library supports the company’s broader goals and drives innovation.
Prioritize Outreach, Marketing, and Promotion
Effective outreach, marketing, and promotion highlight the work being done at innovation centers. Our client engages with local consortiums and groups to deepen connections within its community and partners. Streamlining visitor management systems enhances the registration process for events, making it easier to capture leads and engage with audiences. Upgrading these systems has also streamlined the process for visits and events, improving lead capture.
Invest in Site Redesign
Our client redesigned its physical space to better accommodate larger groups, adopting design trends from other community-focused workspaces. A well-designed space reflects a commitment to inclusivity and creativity, fostering collaboration among all visitors.
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By implementing these best practices, InVision’s client significantly enhanced the visitor experience at their innovation center. Their investment in digital content, expanded event and education programs, and a revamped promotion strategy contributed to these improvements.
Contact us at info@iv.com today to explore how we can help you achieve your goals. Let’s innovate together.