A game-changer for the trade show industry, virtual VMX becomes the first trade show conference to blend virtual reality (VR) and gamification technology. The virtual hall transforms the world’s largest veterinary conference into a dynamic, “on-demand” year-round educational marketplace.
VMX Virtual is a 3D, immersive and interactive platform introduced by the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) that will help transform the trade show industry experience, connecting conference exhibitors and attendees 24/7, 365 days a year. The platform will launch January 8 prior to the opening of the VMX in Orlando and remain open 24/7.
In a related interview about VMX Virtual, Manolita Moore, Vice President, Exhibit Sales & Operations, NAVC, sees a benefit to the pet owner, “If veterinary professionals have access to current products and services, it also means they will be seeing the latest products and innovations in the veterinary industry throughout the year from a trusted organization such as NAVC. By having easier and faster access to this type of information, veterinary professionals will save time, money, and be able to focus and provide better care for their patients.Ultimately the pet owner will benefit from this new technology.”
VMX Virtual introduces advanced gamification and simulation technology and applies it for the first time to the virtual trade show industry. With companies spending $97 billion a year on trade show exhibitions in the U.S., this “On-Demand” platform provides a new way to reach and engage customers and opens the door for conference attendees to see everything they want, spend quality time at each exhibit, and expand the number of employees that can affordably “attend” and experience a trade show.
VMX, the world’s largest and most comprehensive veterinary conference with more than 700 exhibiting companies and 17,000 attendees from 80 countries, opens its virtual exhibit expo hall to the veterinary community with long-time industry partner Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. as its inaugural VMX Virtual Exhibitor. VMX Virtual is not a replacement for the live exhibitions, but rather an extension and additional year-round engagement opportunity for both exhibitors and attendees. The NAVC is the first to introduce this capability in the veterinary field.
VMX Virtual creates a unique trade show experience of feeling “virtually there” by incorporating advanced gamification and simulation technology developed by Simulocity, LLC. Visitors can digitally move through the VMX Expo Hall and experience the entirety of an exhibiting company’s virtual booth, talk live with company representatives, view and download content, watch webinars and videos and even load up on all the free giveaways.
“VMX Virtual is truly the next generation of trade shows, affording participating companies an avenue to better engage with their customers all year long and allowing conference attendees the opportunity to maximize their trade show experience,” said NAVC interim CEO Eugene O’Neill. “People and companies spend thousands to millions of dollars each year going to trade shows or sponsoring exhibits. VMX Virtual lets them get more out of their investment all year long.”
The virtual booth platform enables people to search by products, services, and content, bringing exhibits of interest directly to them, rather than having to walk the entire exhibition hall seeking booths of interest. A virtual concierge is available to help guide visitors through the virtual expo hall. Visitors to the VMX Virtual exhibit booths can also add content to their “virtual backpack” where it can be saved, organized and categorized to share with other members of their practice and to refer back to at any time. Exhibit sponsors get to spend quality time with people who are interested in them and through the platform’s robust analytics, follow up with visitors.
VMX Virtual is powered by a highly sophisticated and award-winning technology company, Simulocity, LLC. Simulocity was founded by Dr. Manny Dominguez, a former CIO for the U.S. Air Force’s Global Medical Modeling & Simulation Program and architect of a virtual reality-based hospital for the U.S. military. He is a pioneer in the areas of simulation technology, gamification, and immersive platforms. As CEO of Simulocity, he’s led the organization to numerous industry awards including Top 10 Simulation Solutions Provider.
Hill’s will use the VMX Virtual platform to showcase their products, such as the Hill’s® Prescription Diet® therapeutic pet foods, Hill’s® Science Diet®, Hill’s® Bioactive Recipe, and Hill’s® Healthy Advantage year-round.
The NAVC provides continuing education and training to more than 500,000 veterinary professionals each year through a variety of initiatives. VMX, its largest program, was recognized as one of the Trade Show Executive Gold 100 and Trade Show Executive’s Fastest 50 this year which recognized it as “One of the Elite Events” of 2018.