If there is one constant this year, it is the fact that everything is different, and life in many ways has been turned upside down. For divers, dive shows are a part of our life. They are fixtures in our annual calendar, and many of us travel far and wide to attend. Not so in 2020. Instead we took the opportunity to partake in the opportunites offered by the Asia Dive Expo ADEX, but more recently we attended the first (intentional) digital dive show of its kind – Scuba.Digital – a couple of weeks ago. Here’s how it went.
What it was all about
If you haven’t come across Scuba.Digital yet, the concept was a three day digital event aimed at bringing together divers, dive operators, brands etc. from all over the world. Just like you would expect from a pre-corona dive show, as an exhibiting business you had a booth. Each exhibitor was asked to ensure there was some kind of entertainment available at the booth in case it wasn’t manned. We were also asked to put on a special offer for visitors and make sure they know how to find out more about us and our products. Basic stuff, really.
On top of that, there were presentations scheduled on the ‘main stage’. If, like in our case, you were late to the party and missed out on slots, you could offer any amount of ‘sessions’ – topical talks held right at your booth. (They were recorded and we will post the links to the recordings in due time. Topics covered transitioning into tech diving and Sidemount diving.) The main stage was well worth visiting in any case, even if you were just keen on the prize draws!
Lots of banter
What else was there? Lots of banter – and that’s important. The diving industry is quite small, and it’s very social. In fact, one of our favourite things to do at dive shows is to catch up with friends. And Scuba.Digital made that possible. There were quite a few ‘I can’t believe you’re here also’ moments. And whilst we may not have been able to shake hands or share a hug, we got to catch up. How? Either by dropping into someone else’s booth or, for example, by hopping on to group chat sessions hosted by dive operators.
Over the last few months, many of us have become familiar with video conferencing apps, and we may well have love/hate relationships with them. However, being able to share a screen and just ‘chew the fat’ felt almost like the real thing.
What about the presentations?
Presentations are a great way of connecting with a new audience and potential new customers at dive shows. They can sometimes be a bit of a one-way street, however. Offering sessions from our booth turned out to work rather well in that respect. As a presenter you could see the amount of attendees, and they could join you on screen. Beyond just sharing your computer screen, it was possible to have a conversation. Not having to raise your hand in a room full of people meant that there was less of a barrier for questions. From a personal perspective, it felt like attendees were happy to ask more questions than they may have done in person. For a presenter that’s great because it creates an opportunity to truly start a conversation. Plus, it provides feedback on the presentation and which parts worked better than others.
Any downsides?
Admittedly, if you are looking for new dive gear, a digital dive show has its limits. It’s simply not possible to touch a new wing, try on a new exposure suit or feel the weight of those fins. So, there are limits there, especially for manufacturers. However, give it a year or so, and we wouldn’t be surprised if there is an app for that! Then there are those among us who simply don’t like chatting via video and prefer physically meeting, and in that respect a digital event will always have its limits.
As with many digital events there were a few technical problems. But, considering that everyone involved, from organisers to exhibitors to speakers and visitors, was doing this for the first time, our impression was that it went amazingly well. That’s largely thanks to a dedicated support team, none of whom slept for a week or so it seemed!
In conclusion
Would we do it again? Yes, absolutely. There are simply too many positives, and this list is incomplete: a dive show that is beyond cost-efficient to attend; a booth that is easy to ‘man’ – a welcome video and a playlist keep visitors entertained if you are away, plus they can leave a message and you can connect later; an opportunity to quite literally meet the diving world without having to travel to different continents for a show; opportunities to connect to divers who are committed enough to pay for tickets to access the show; and, last but not least, an engaged audience for presentations / sessions. Is it the same as meeting in person? No, but meeting in person is not always practical, even if we leave the coronavirus out of the argument for a moment. So, I believe this concept is here to stay.
One last thought
Actually, more of a confession. Dark Horizon Diving was late to this party. In fact, we have ScubaPsyche’s Laura Walton to thank for the introduction. With about two weeks to go, we didn’t get a chance to spend that much time to prepare. What stood out, however, was the support of the Scuba.Digital team. Everyone we interacted with was beyond patient when it came to getting us caught up, set up and informed about all of the different opportunities available. A heartfelt thanks for that & see you next year.