Company

Western Veterinary Conference (WVC)

Website

http://www.viticusgroup.org/wvc-annual-conference

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Modernizing and improving attendee engagement at a 90-year-old conference

OUR CLIENT

Since 1928, WVC (formerly Western Veterinary Conference) has established itself as a leader in the field of continuing medical education for veterinary professionals.

THE EVENT

WVC’s Annual Meeting is one of the largest, most influential veterinary gatherings in the United States. The event is highly complex, with nearly 15,000 attendees, 800+ hours of continuing education covering multiple disciplines, and more than 550 exhibitors. WVC goes beyond typical educational conferences with features like tour packages, free professional headshots, cash prizes, and live entertainment by Platinum-certified and Emmy-winning performers.

In addition to this event, WVC advances the field of veterinary medicine through specialized conferences, destination events, hands-on labs, and experience-based learning at their Oquendo Center headquarters.

THE CHALLENGE

While the WVC Annual Meeting is entering its ninth decade, its reputation as a cutting- edge, must-attend event remains strong. This reputation is critical to remaining relevant to younger audiences. The meeting is the keystone event for WVC, and with growing attendance every year, staff optimization and attendee satisfaction are crucial to success.

The specific objectives of employing ConferenceBot were to:

  • Drive greater attendee engagement and satisfaction at their world-class annual conference
  • Optimize the attendee experience by consistently delivering accurate conference-related information, keeping a clear record of communication and behavioral data to inform 2020 and beyond
  • Reduce total cost of attendee communication and support through easier setup, faster and higher response, and more efficient utilization of event staff
  • Open a communication channel for not only the conference but also to support year-round association operations

IMPLEMENTATION

Rover is a customized, branded ConferenceBot with a friendly canine personality. Rover covered 81 different topics (agenda, schedule, exhibitor, program information and more) that could answer attendee questions asked 7.6 million ways.

In addition to answering attendee questions, Rover delivered both scheduled and ad hoc messages and gave the WVC a branded voice for messaging.

Rover was also promoted in both pre-show and onsite communications to help drive adoption.

THE RESULTS

  • One in two reachable participants interacted with Rover
  • 96.2% Correct Response Rate
  • Over 11,000 questions asked
  • 432 Hours of real-time attendee support

Top 5 Inquiry Categories:

  • Agenda
  • Registration Information
  • Shuttle Information
  • Exhibitor Information
  • Program Information

IMPACT AND LESSONS LEARNED

Rover was an invaluable member of the WVC event staff, providing hundreds of hours of support and diverting 11,243 attendee questions that would have otherwise been handled via email, phone, or on- site staff. With record-breaking conference attendance, this 24×7 support reduced the cost of attendee communication and improved staff utilization.

Bot engagement was high, and attendees found it to be both helpful and easy to use. Answering questions quickly and accurately with no technological barrier improved attendee satisfaction. Based on questions asked, WVC has a clear written record of attendee communications that can be used to enhance and adjust the 2020 WVC Annual Conference and further improve the attendee experience.

ROVER IS NOW FULL-TIME!

WVC’s Rover ConferenceBot is supporting WVC events nationwide!