GRIMCO CASE STUDY

Grimco’s 2020 Virtual Event Generates More Leads and Revenue Than Past Two Live Events Combined

Grimco’s customers attend the company’s annual distributor conference to feel products in their hands and see how solutions work with their own eyes. It’s a very tangible event with equipment demonstrations and materials on display. So, when the pandemic made hosting a live event impossible, Grimco turned to E3 interactive to replicate its distributor conference in the virtual realm.

The Circumstances

Grimco provides wholesale sign supplies and sign printing equipment exclusively to qualified sign making companies. With its selection of equipment, wide format print and laminating products, general and electrical sign supplies, and fully fabricated MUTCD and DOT approved traffic signs, Grimco is known for its easy and enjoyable buying experience. For more than 140 years and now with 50 locations across North America, the sign and graphics communities count on Grimco’s passion and ingenuity to help solve their problems and improve their businesses or operations.

Grimco’s reach and stature in the industry warrants the company holding its own annual distributor conference. And, they have for many years. However, 2020’s pandemic meant canceling the live event. Instead, Grimco held its first virtual conference event with remarkable outcomes.

OUR APPROACH

While it’s difficult to dispute the need for attendees to personally interact with products and solutions, holding a virtual event, in fact, liberated Grimco and its attendees from the restrictions of being on site. One, hosting a virtual event meant anyone could attend regardless of work schedule, personal conflicts, travel costs and time. Two, there were no longer any constraints to work around from the size and dimensions of a physical space.

The E3 interactive team broke down Grimco’s virtual three-day conference in to three sections.

1. Large Equipment and Printing Equipment Showroom

Virtual attendees could click in this area to explore the latest equipment from manufacturers like Hewlett Packard (HP) and Epson. Product information was available in PDF, spec sheets and 3D rendering downloads.

2. Consumables Displays

Virtual attendees could visit this area to browse substrates, laminates and more from companies including 3M. Monthly specials were featured.

3. The Theater

Three custom movies were created. Each day a new movie was uploaded to the virtual event’s Theater to drive virtual attendees back the next day.

Attendees’ contact information was collected via initial registration and forms throughout the virtual event’s sections. Data integrated into Grimco’s CRM for post-event follow up and future marketing opportunities.

E3 interactive designed Grimco’s virtual event with powerful, dynamic analysis. Reports detailed where traffic to the virtual conference originated, as well as how attendees interacted in the sections and for how long.

For a virtual event of this magnitude, E3 interactive’s team worked quickly to bring it together in a relatively short timeframe. Understanding the importance of this event to Grimco and its customers and the fact virtual events of this scale are new, our team kept in constant communication throughout the programming phase with Grimco’s team, ensuring they were confident in the approach and deliverables.