Freeman, a design-driven company known for providing brand experiences, is investing in the future of the meetings and events industry with the launch of Freeman Digital Ventures.
Announced globally today, Freeman will invest in innovation that supports meetings technology to help exhibitors, organizers and corporate clients deliver business results and customer experiences. Freeman Digital Ventures has already formed its first partnership, investing in mobile event technology provider DoubleDutch of San Francisco.
“With the impact digital is having on the entire brand experience ecosystem, there is no way Freeman can do this by ourselves,” says Richard Maranville, chief digital officer for Freeman. “We want to be a part of that and help direct it.”
Maranville believes Freeman’s nearly 90 years of trade show experience, including producing thousands of events annually, provides insights and data few other companies can deliver. By teaming with DoubleDutch, Freeman’s goal is to help improve integrated digital experiences and thus push meetings technology forward.
The partnership calls for Freeman’s customers to integrate the company’s online exhibitor interface with the new DoubleDutch for Exhibitors product. This integration will allow event exhibitors and sponsors to launch digital campaigns that can target the best attendees for what they are selling.
Lawrence Coburn, CEO for DoubleDutch, believes his company’s new exhibitors product will provide game-changing meeting technology that can offer effective ways to drive booth traffic among many other benefits.
“What DoubleDutch has done is build a mobile app so we can understand what’s happening on the trade show floor,” Coburn says. “We believe it’s mostly running blindly.”
DoubleDutch for Exhibitors allows suppliers to manage their company profile and upload collateral. Exhibitors will also be able to create tailored messaging to drive traffic, generate leads and ensure that face-to-face meetings are with the right people. One of the key components will be lead retrieval through mobile devices.
“DoubleDutch is the first digital advertising network for live events that enables event organizers, exhibitors and attendees to have more efficient processes, create richer experiences and build more purposeful relationships, thereby improving the ROI for all parties involved,” Coburn says.
