CASE STUDY
Delivering the First Workspace Design Show in the Netherlands
Workspace Design Show is a business trade show exhibition focused on the commercial real estate, workplace interiors, and design industries. Following the success of the show in London, the event was launched in Amsterdam in October 2023. The goal was to introduce a new, highly targeted event to the Benelux market (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg), catering to interior designers, architects, developers, and workplace professionals.
This case study highlights the challenges, strategies, and results of delivering the first edition of the Workspace Design Show in the Netherlands—a market that had not been previously tapped by the event. This project was managed singlehandedly to ensure a successful launch in a new region.
Campaign Objectives
Establish a new presence in the Benelux market, focusing on driving visitor engagement and exhibitor participation.
Achieve a target of 2,500 unique visitors, building on initial market penetration and ensuring exhibitors had access to quality leads.
Surpass pre-registration and attendance conversion goals, focusing on high-quality interactions between visitors and exhibitors.
Build strong brand recognition for the Workspace Design Show in the Netherlands and lay the foundation for future growth.
Challenges
New Market Penetration: The Benelux market had never hosted a Workspace Design Show, and its brand recognition in the region was low.
Post-Pandemic Market Conditions: The market was still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, making it crucial to position the event as essential for both exhibitors and attendees in a challenging business environment.
Local Competitors: Competing with well-established regional events in the commercial interiors and design sectors required creating unique value propositions and differentiating the show.
Strategy
Localized Market Research and Audience Targeting
Given the uniqueness of the Dutch market, the marketing campaign focused heavily on localizing the brand and content to appeal to the Benelux region. Audience segments were divided based on industry roles, including designers, architects, corporate decision-makers, and developers. Each segment received tailored messaging across digital and offline channels, ensuring relevance and engagement.
Strategic Partnerships and Media Outreach
The show established partnerships with local and international media outlets, resulting in coverage in prominent industry publications and amplifying the event’s presence. A targeted PR strategy generated buzz, with press tours ensuring strong engagement with media representatives onsite.
Optimized Campaign Timeline
The campaign rollout included key milestones such as the launch of the PR campaign in October 2022 and the introduction of new branding in June 2023. The digital campaign went live in July 2023, with increased frequency leading up to the show in September and October.
Content-Driven Marketing Campaign
The campaign was data-driven, leveraging multiple channels to build awareness and drive pre-registrations:
Email Marketing: Targeted emails were sent to segmented lists, with newsletters and updates focused on exhibitors, new products, and speaker highlights. The highest-performing email campaigns achieved open rates up to 36.7% and strong click-through rates, contributing to significant pre-registration and conversion.
Social Media: A focused social media campaign on LinkedIn and Instagram generated significant buzz. Over 52,000 impressions were achieved on Instagram during show week, with LinkedIn seeing 2,184 page views leading up to the event.
Exhibitor Marketing: Exhibitor collaboration was key, with over 63% conversion rates from exhibitor marketing efforts.
Engaging Onsite Experiences
To ensure the show was not only about product displays but also provided valuable knowledge-sharing and networking opportunities, the event featured:
Workspace Design Talks: Industry thought leaders led discussions on future trends in workplace design, sustainability, and technology, attracting hundreds of attendees to sessions.
Networking: Dedicated networking zones facilitated meaningful connections between attendees and exhibitors.
Results
Visitor Engagement and Attendance: The event attracted a total attendance of 2554 visitors. The quality of visitors was high, with over 80% from the Netherlands and 19% from international markets, demonstrating significant interest in the region.
Pre-Registration and Conversion: With 4,227 pre-registrations, the campaign delivered strong engagement, achieving a 55.24% conversion rate from pre-registrations to attendees.
Exhibitor Satisfaction and Engagement: The event hosted 75 exhibitors, and exhibitor-led marketing efforts contributed significantly to visitor engagement, with a 63.37% conversion rate from exhibitor-led campaigns. Exhibitor feedback was positive, with many reporting high-quality leads and valuable business connections made during the show.
Social Media and Digital Success: The social media strategy significantly boosted event visibility, with over 52,000 impressions on Instagram and a substantial increase in LinkedIn engagement. This laid a strong foundation for future editions, particularly for attracting a younger, digitally-engaged audience.
App Adoption: The event app saw a 26% adoption rate, providing visitors access to real-time information on speakers, exhibitors, and the agenda. This enhanced the onsite experience and helped facilitate smoother navigation and engagement during the show.
The first edition of the Workspace Design Show in the Netherlands was a success, establishing a strong foothold in the Benelux market despite challenges. The event attracted high-quality visitors and exhibitors, and the marketing strategy successfully built brand awareness and engagement across digital channels. With a solid foundation in place, the show is set to continue growing and expanding its influence in the European workplace interiors industry.
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