FAQ LIGNA.Innovation Network
All questions and answers about exhibitor livestreaming, matchmaking, business dating and new opportunities for your digital product presentation as part of the LIGNA.Innovation Network at a glance.
Participation Packages
How do we become exhibitors at LIGNA.Innovation Network?
Just like every year, you can book your participation via the exhibitor shop at shop.ligna.de .
Are there registration deadlines?
Registration deadline is on August, 31, 2021, after which registrations may still be possible by personal arrangement.
How can I book an "XL Package"?
If you are interested in an XL package, please contact us by e-mail. A binding booking will be made by e-mail, as long as XL packages are still available.
Where can I find all information about the digital packages?
At the exhibitor section on the event website (ligna.de) and at the LIGNA shop ( shop.ligna.de ).
Can individual services be booked in addition to packages?
It is generally possible to upgrade to a larger package. Alternatively, additional exhibitor accounts (for more company contact persons) can be booked in the shop. Additional added leads can be purchased after the event. Details on this will be announced later.
Exhibitor Live Streaming
Which additional value is offered by exhibitor live streaming?
At our digital trade shows, exhibitor live streaming is the equivalent of live presentations at a trade show booth: the exhibitor creates a live program on his own and streams it via the LIGNA.Innovation Network channels, for example to present his products.
How can I book livestreaming?
Exhibitor livestreaming is included in the Digital Packages M, L and XL. Information on the scope of the individual digital packages and all info on the process can be found in the exhibitor area .
Can additional minutes be purchased?
It is not possible to purchase additional minutes. Alternatively, you can upgrade to our digital package via our shop.
When booking a slot for live streaming, does that also include technical implementation or support?
The exhibitor takes over the production of picture and sound, streaming is offered by Deutsche Messe (see "Streaming / Organization"). You can find more information in advance in the "Streaming-HowTo".
Can content that is shown on the exhibition platform also be published on other channels without restriction, or are there any copyright claims by Deutsche Messe's copyright that need to be considered?
The exhibitor or producer of live streams and media library videos is free to use these outside the trade fair platform.
In which language should the live stream be broadcast?
In English or German. In the description of your stream in DailyFair you can announce the language as well as the title.
Are the livestreams provided with a copyright or watermark by the organizer (such as "Ligna")?
No, this is not provided for.
Where will the exhibitor live streams be located, and is it possible to embed the streams into the company's own website?
The exhibitor live streams can be viewed on the LIGNA website. It is possible to embed the streams on other websites, but tracking and lead capture by us would then not be possible. We therefore recommend linking to the URL of your stream on hannovermesse.de.
How do I know the direct URL of my stream (deep link) to announce it on websites and social media?
Since the publication of the program on ligna.de, a deep link is privided to each program item there, which you can use for your communication.
Will exhibitor streaming be made available on-demand after the show?
Yes, a few days after the event, all exhibitor streams will be available on-demand for logged-in attendees via the event website.
Are there any restrictions on the choice of provider through which the exhibitor transmits its stream?
The exhibitor does not have to take care of the streaming, only about providing the content to be streamed.
As an exhibitor, how do we transmit our own live stream to the LIGNA.Innovation Network platform?
You will receive instructions with access data (stream URL and stream key) for the transmission of your content in due time. In advance, you will find more information in the "Streaming-HowTo".
Can we produce and broadcast our live stream via a video conferencing tool?
Yes, video conferencing tools can also be used as an alternative to in-house production with camera or smartphone. For easy configuration, we recommend Zoom or WebEx in this case. You will receive the necessary parameters (StreamUrl and StreamKey) from us approx. one week before the event (on September 20, 2021).
Can the exhibitor also stream pre-recorded videos?
Yes, this is possible, because you are free to decide what content you broadcast. However, pre-produced videos must also be streamed live, they cannot be uploaded in advance. We generally advise live content because this meets the expectations of the participants: The media library should be used for pre-produced videos and the live area for live content. If you would like to stream pre-produced videos as part of the exhibitor streaming, we advise a pre-moderation.
Can the exhibitor freely choose when to stream?
The exhibitor can select a time slot on a first come, first serve basis. Popular time slots will therefore be allocated quickly.
Can exhibitors stream at arbitrary times in a time zone friendly manner?
The time slots for exhibitor streams are spread across between 6am and 8pm CEST. This means there are suitable times for attendees on all continents. If an attendee cannot watch a particular stream live, they can access it on-demand after the event.
Do streaming slots always have to fill 25 minutes, or can the 25 minutes be split?
It is not possible to divide the 25 minutes into smaller blocks. The fixed times provide a clear program overview for the visitor.
Are the streaming slots moderated?
The streaming slots of the exhibitors will not be moderated by us. If required, the exhibitor should take over the moderation himself.
How does the exhibitor reserve dates for streaming?
In the "Daily Fair" content management tool (accessible after order confirmation via the LIGNA Exhibitor Shop), exhibitors from Package M upwards can reserve live streaming time slots.
Is there a maximum number of participants?
No, the number of participants is not limited.
Can the exhibitor see a list of attendees' names in advance or during the live stream?
Participants in LIGNA.Innovation Network are not required to register for individual program points; each participant can move freely between the website tools and program points. Live analytics do not take place, we only log favorites list entries and views of program items afterwards and use these for lead scoring in order to provide you with the most relevant leads possible within the scope of your Qualified Added Leads (see there).
Can the exhibitor see the number of participants during the live stream?
Unfortunately, this is not possible.
Can events be preregistered by participants?
Already a few days before the events, registered participants can add events of interest to their favorites list.
Can viewers ask questions during live streaming?
Yes, there is also a Q&A tool for audience questions parallel to exhibitor streaming. In addition, each exhibitor with live streaming has the option to invite to a video conference room at the end of their streaming slot (see "Possibilities for interaction").
What opportunities do I have to interact with viewers of my stream?
After the live stream, the exhibitor can invite people to a video conference room: To do this, he edits his live event in the DailyFair system, selects that he would like to offer a video conference room afterwards, and provides a corresponding URL himself: e.g. to Google Meet, MicrosoftTeams or Zoom. The link is then displayed shortly before the live stream is completed. The exhibitor is responsible for hosting and accessibility of this video conference.
Conference Program
Is the conference program the "exhibitor live streaming" program?
No, the content of the conference program is designed by Deutsche Messe as the organizer and forms the framework program for the LIGNA.Innovation Network. The slots are very limited and cannot be booked.
Are recordings of the program items repeated across time zones during the fair?
No, the request for repetitions at other times is covered by the on-demand access for all participants.
Will the conference program also be streamed live?
Yes, the conference program will be streamed live.
Will the conference program be made available on demand after the trade fair?
Yes, every conference contribution will be available on demand for logged-in participants shortly after its end.
At what times does the LIGNA.Innovation Network conference program take place?
The conference program runs time zone-friendly between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. If a participant cannot follow parts of the program live, for example due to his or her time zone, each contribution can also be accessed on demand via the event program.
How can I take part in the conference program as an exhibitor?
If you are interested in submitting a contribution to the LIGNA.Forum digital, please refer to the Factsheet for further information.
We reserve the right to design the program based on its relevance to the focus topics Transformation of Woodworking and Prefabrication Processes in Wood Construction.
Can participants exchange information about the contents of the conference with one another or with conference speakers?
Parallel to the conference contributions, a tool will be displayed that can be used to ask questions. Depending on the type of conference contribution, these can be answered by the speakers in between or collectively at the end. In addition - for certain program items - video conference rooms are provided for visitors interested in a subsequent discussion round.
Exhibitor Media Library
What is the product media library?
A collection of the top videos of each exhibitor, which is selected from all of the exhibitor's videos according to the participation package. These videos are featured in the product media library as a separate area of the website.
Can you search for products in the product media library?
All media library videos are assigned to exhibitor profiles or product pages and are found under the terms used there - both in the media library search and in the comprehensive search on the event website.
How long will the product videos and the exhibitor presentations be available online?
The exhibitor media library as well as the recordings of the conference program are expected to remain available for registered participants for a maximum of 8 weeks after the show.
In which format do exhibitors provide these videos?
The exhibitor provides YouTube links. These are entered into the exhibitor profile or the product pages via the ECM portal. Depending on the participation package, a certain number of these video links can be activated for the product media library. The visitors do not see the videos on YouTube, but rather embedded in the LIGNA website.
Can you also embed product media library videos that are not publicly available on YouTube?
If you mark selected videos as "not listed" on YouTube, they will not be displayed in the YouTube search or on your YouTube channels, but can still be played on our event website.
For the videos, are there leaderboards with the top videos?
An interest-based recommendation of videos or a highlighting based on views or ratings is not provided. The media library can be searched for companies, products and trade fair topics on the basis of the associated company and product descriptions.
Is the product media library a central media library for all exhibitors, or does each exhibitor have their own product media library where their videos can be found?
Is the product media library a central media library for all exhibitors, or does each exhibitor have their own product media library where their videos can be found?
Are only product videos allowed or also image videos?
All types of promotional videos can be posted on your pages and marked for inclusion in the media library. The exhibitor can select and highlight any video (company or product video) in the ECM; the maximum number of highlighted videos results from the booked participation package.
Are the videos produced independently by the companies?
Yes, companies are responsible for producing their own videos.
Publication of Contact Persons
What is the difference between digital contacts and other participants in business dating?
Digital contact persons are assigned to a company and specific products of the company: We also call them "company contact persons". Every participant of the event can make contacts and hold sales talks in business dating. However, only company contacts are published on the company's profile and product pages.
The digital package includes a certain number of exhibitor logins. Is that the number of employees who can be available as contact persons at the same time?
The company assigns exhibitor logins to those persons who are to appear as company contact persons during the event. If the participation package contains 8 exhibitor logins, a maximum of these 8 people can be specified in the exhibitor profile and on the individual product pages of the company. An exhibitor login is linked to a personal profile with your own access data for the website and cannot be passed on to other employees during the event.
Can additional digital contacts be booked?
Yes, via the LIGNA exhibitor shop at shop.hannovermesse.de: for 120 euros per company contact person.
Is it possible to link directly from the profile page of a digital contact person to an external profile or dialogue page of this person, e.g. on the exhibitor's website?
Such external links are unfortunately only possible via the exhibitor profile, i.e. as part of the company description. The contact to the contact person takes place in the context of the LIGNA.Innovation Network in Business Dating. When making contact, however, alternative communication channels can be agreed via a text field and e.g. a URL can be exchanged.
Do the digital contacts have to be available on all days of the fair, or is it possible to change the digital contacts?
A change is possible. Each employee can control himself / herself in his profile whether he or she is published. This can be reversed at any time and another digital contact person (from the exhibitor's quota) will take the place.
Will there be a supervisor who will pass on incoming questions to your own digital contact person if the digital contact person is in a conversation, for example?
There is no such authority for the LIGNA.Innovation Network.
Networking Service & Business Dating
Does the participant receive suggestions for interesting contacts in advance?
A search for other participants and their inclusion in the interests list is to become available before the event, but the time for availability has not yet been determined.
Can exhibitors also approach visitors?
Yes, due to the equal treatment of exhibitors and visitors in Business Dating, exhibitors can also search and contact visitors digitally.
Why does business dating not include direct text chat?
Contact between Business Dating participants is established only by means of appointments for telephone calls or 1:1 video calls. This creates commitment and, if necessary, allows mentioning a topic beforehand.
What is the difference between Matchmaking and Business Dating?
Matchmaking and Business Dating together form the networking area of LIGNA.Innovation Network. In Matchmaking, interested visitors who match your topics and interests are suggested to you. Business Dating is then the concrete appointment for a meeting.
How do you find suitable participants for a contact in Business Dating?
All participants (both visitors and company contacts) specify their interests and their priorities of own offers when registering and are then individually recommended and sorted. However, Business Dating also allows a targeted search by name, industry, interest, company, country and more.
How does the Business Dating work?
Participants, which includes both exhibitors and visitors, search for other participants and send you an appointment request specifying the contact method (video call or telephone call). The appointment can be accepted by the requested participant or otherwise processed, e.g. by proposing a different appointment.
Is the number of "Business Dates" limited?
No, the number of business dates is unlimited.
Are business dates dependent on the package booked?
Business Dating is not dependent on company participation. Company contacts (who are set up via an exhibitor access) and other participants can both use the full range of functions, provided that they agree to the terms of use and data protection.
Does communication take place entirely on the LIGNA platform?
The website offers a 1:1 video call feature. The video calls take place directly in the browser via Amazon Chime without need to install any additional software. The calls are limited to 90 minutes. Alternatively, classic phone calls can be arranged outside of the Internet platform. On an exhibitor's page, visitors can also make contact by e-mail and leave a "digital business card". This sends the visitor's data and a short message to the exhibitor.
Do the 1:1 video calls take place in a secure conference environment?
These are video conferences that no third party can join. They are also not recorded and cannot be viewed again by the participants. However, due to the fundamental insecurity of video conferences against technical errors or hacker attacks, we recommend the telephone for very sensitive conversations.
At what times is Business Dating possible?
Appointments can be made around the clock during the LIGNA.Innovation Network.
Can other channels besides video chat and telephone be arranged for communication between participants?
In the accompanying text message to the contact request or acceptance or rejection, participants can also arrange to meet in other ways. Example: "Please contact me at xyz@company.com for a link to our proprietary networking tool."
Added Leads
What is the difference between Matchmaking and Added Qualified Leads?
Matchmaking is used to establish direct contact between attendees during the event. Added Qualified Leads, on the other hand, are attendee contact details for exhibitors without prior direct contact between them. The prerequisite is that the attendee has agreed to such data transfer and has shown interest in the exhibitor (by interacting with the exhibitor's offers).
Can additional Added Qualified Leads be booked?
Yes, at a price of 20 euros per Added Qualified Lead via the LIGNA Shop. More detailed information on reordering can be found in the accompanying texts within the Excel file with the Added Qualified Leads.
When are the leads transmitted to the exhibitor?
The data is made available to exhibitors via the LIGNA store a few days after the end of the event. Automated configuration and provision of lead lists is being planned for future events.
Which Added Qualified Leads will be offered to the exhibitor first if the number of captured leads exceeds the quota of Added Leads included in the participation package?
Added Qualified Leads are weighted using lead scoring based on the various interactions with exhibitor offerings (exhibitor profile, product pages, media library, live streams, watch list). Higher weighted leads are submitted first.
In which format are the leads transferred to the exhibitor?
For the LIGNA.Innovation Network in 2021, exhibitors will receive the data in Microsoft Excel format.
How can we avoid visitors being approached several times by the same exhibitor (but different contacts)?
Our system is not designed for internal coordination between contact partners. Exhibitors are advised to maintain their CRM system and make each contacted person visible to all colleagues.
Will there be ways to link or import the leads into the company's CRM?
In compliance with data protection regulations (including the right to be contacted once in the follow-up to LIGNA.Innovation Network), exhibitors can import the data and process it in their own systems.
Does the visitor give general consent to lead collection or can they individually determine where their data goes?
The subscriber creates a user profile and gives general consent or refusal with regard to tracking and the transfer of contact data. This selection can be changed in the user profile at any time. In the event of consent, the data will only be passed on to exhibitors in which the participant is interested on the platform.
When processing leads, is it possible to see which company contact has already processed which customer inquiry?
Unfortunately, this function is not provided.
Can exhibitors use the leads in a GDPR-compliant manner?
Of course. However, the exhibitor is responsible for further compliance with the GDPR in the context of a communication with the tracked participants. To check his further communication, the exhibitor can view the declaration of consent by the participants on the event website and request it from Deutsche Messe.
Are self-invited customers or attendees with a company ticket code part of the added leads?
No, these are not included in the billed Added Qualified Leads, nor are inquiries sent via Business Dating.
IIf the visitor has not consented to tracking, can they still access all content?
Provided that registration is completed and/or a ticket is available, all functionalities are available to the visitor - even if he does not agree to tracking. Passing on data to exhibitors is not a prerequisite for using the portal.
Are leads captured in real time during a live streaming and made available for direct contact?
Real-time lead delivery is not part of the lead concept for LIGNA.Innovation Network.
How may we contact the lead?
Visitors who participate in the transmission of their leads to exhibitors also agree to be contacted once by phone or (after GDPR-compliant opt-in) by email.
Will there be the ability to exclude suppliers and competitors or certain groups like students from the Added Qualified Leads?
Unfortunately, it is not yet possible for us to exclude visitor groups individually for LIGNA.Innovation Network.
Website
Where will the Exhibitor and Product Search, Exhibitor Live Streaming and Business Dating take place as part of LIGNA.Innovation Network?
Everything takes place on the LIGNA.Innovation Network website: at ligna.de.
Will there be a virtual image of the exhibition halls so that exhibitors can be found in this way?
There will be no virtual representation of exhibition halls. The LIGNA.Innovation Network focuses massively on the communication and visibility of exhibitor content in line with customer wishes. Visualization solutions can be individually implemented by exhibitors on external platforms and linked in their exhibitor profile.
Will there be a trial period to get familiar with the tools?
We will provide you with such a possibility. A lot of content will be available before the events. To test the exhibitor streaming, we will provide testing facilities two weeks before the event.
Are there separate exhibitor profiles in German and English?
The profiles should be entered in both languages and can then be accessed by participants in German and English.
Is it possible to link to external presentations such as a virtual trade fair stand or your own, more in-depth product pages?
Yes, the use of external links within your exhibitor profile is possible. At the same time, we strongly advise you not only to link to descriptions of your products, but to edit your product pages via the ECM system: This is the only way that all terms will be covered by our search and you will be found by the participants within the product search.
From when can the exhibitor data be maintained?
The date from which exhibitors will be able to maintain their company profile and products via the ECM (Exhibitor Content Management) system is yet to be announced.
Is there an API interface for exhibitor content maintenance?
No, these are only maintained directly in our ECM and Daily Fair system.
Are there ways to transfer visitor data from the event website to an exhibitor landing page, e.g., to allow attendees to more easily capture leads from exhibitors?
Such a data interface is not provided. However, exhibitors receive importable lead data as part of lead transmission (see "Added Leads").
Are there any restrictions on the choice of a browser?
The website is expected to work with current versions of all common browsers (e.g. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge). If certain functions - especially around live streaming - make the use of certain browsers recommendable, we will announce this in time.
What interaction opportunities are planned as part of the streams (e.g. Q&A, "raise your hand")?
Throughout the exhibitor streaming and conference program, we offer viewers the opportunity to discuss or ask questions via a Question and Answer (Q&A) tool. Additionally, speakers can use the tool to launch polls among viewers. The Q&A tool is displayed right next to the video stream. We also offer exhibitors the option of inviting visitors to a self-organized video conference following the exhibitor streaming. For more detailed information, see the section "Exhibitor streaming".
Which software systems are suitable for the transmission of a live stream by exhibitors?
From desktop PCs we recommend the "Open Broadcaster" software, from cell phones e.g. the apps "Larrix Broadcaster" or "RTMP Live". For more detailed information, see the section "Exhibitor streaming".
Which video conferencing or streaming providers are used?
For the exhibitor streams, the exhibitor can use his own video conferencing tool and provide a link via DailyFair, e.g. to Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Webex or Zoom. For the conference framework program, we are planning to use Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and possibly Zoom as video conferencing tools.
Pavilions
How is a joint stand displayed online?
The main exhibitor or organizer has his own exhibitor profile, in which all associated co-exhibitors are listed. The main difference to the display at past trade fairs will now be jump labels in all exhibitor profiles, which are thus now easier to navigate: among other things, with a direct link to the co-exhibitor list.
How do I become a co-exhibitor of a joint stand? From whom do I receive my invoice?
As a co-exhibitor at LIGNA.Innovation Network, you do not conclude your participation contract with Deutsche Messe, but with a main exhibitor. The main exhibitor organizes all participation, provides exhibitor streaming slots if required (e.g. by booking a "Digital Pavilion Package" as a joint stand organizer) and invoices all services and co-exhibitor participation directly to Deutsche Messe.
Does each participant in a joint stand have its own exhibitor profile?
Yes, each co-exhibitor still has an independent exhibitor profile. In it, the assignment to his main exhibitor (or his joint stand organizer) is prominently visible.
Other
Can FAQs also be found online?
Yes, FAQs for exhibitors (like this one) are available in the store at store.ligna.de.
Please contact us!
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