EIMA Digital Preview, the first virtual review of agricultural machinery
Dedicated to agricultural machinery and technologies, which takes place from 11 to 15 November. Organized on the basis of the 14 product categories of EIMA International, the exhibition spaces of the digital exhibition are structured into virtual rooms. There are six types of stands provided, according to the square metres assigned to the companies participating in EIMA International
A constellation of fourteen “planets” corresponding to each of the fourteen product categories represented at EIMA International; over 1600 digital spaces, one for each participating company; six different types of stands. This is the architecture planned for the “EIMA Digital Preview” platform for the virtual exhibition spaces reserved for industries that have already booked for the physical event of EIMA International, scheduled in Bologna from 3 to 7 February 2021. The platform was presented in July, with a live streaming press conference, by FederUnacoma, the Italian association of agricultural machinery manufacturers, which is the direct organizer of EIMA International.
It will be the first agricultural machinery event in the world entirely media-based with a platform and digital technologies, as well as the first trade exhibition in 2020 after the Covid 19 emergency. The Preview represents a real bridge towards the 2021 edition of the event, capable of activating the sector’s business and to ferry it into the new year. Organized by the Italian federation of agricultural machinery manufacturers FederUnacoma, the digital event is a preview full of excitement. For five days - from 11 to 15 November - the exhibiting companies of EIMA International will turn on the spotlights of their virtual stands, accessible from all countries of the world with full 24/7 coverage.
To enter the web-based exhibition area, you must register on the portal and then select the dedicated access point. The platform has two other sections, one relating to conferences and events (Agorà) and one reserved for the organization’s interface with visitors. Once the exhibition area has been selected, the visitor accesses a “constellation” of fourteen planets, each of which corresponds to one of the product categories presented at EIMA International. Each planet hosts companies belonging to the same product category. To locate the individual manufacturer the visitor can search by specialization sector, by company name and by type of product. Once the visitor enters the selected area, he is greeted by an Avatar and enters a large virtual Hall, branded with the company logo and enriched with suggestive decorative elements. The Hall features the institutional video, which tells the company’s history and production activity, and the presentation of the top products it manufactures. Just like in a real stand, the room provides a space dedicated to meetings with businesspeople. Another three graphic elements displayed as small towers give access to the company catalogue, the company website link, the chat with the company’s representatives and the agenda to schedule appointments. These are the basic elements common to all virtual spaces. However, the design, architecture and surface of the stands vary according to the square metres assigned to each company for the February physical event.
There are six layouts available. “The more structured rooms, i.e. the oval or round ones, are multi-storey - explained the general manager of FederUnacoma Simona Rapastella during the press conference - and they allow to enrich the spaces with additional contents such as a second company video or the three-dimensional presentation of the top models”. The more structured rooms also offer the option to add a link to the simulator and configurator on the manufacturer’s website. “The exhibition spaces of EIMA Digital Preview - added Rapastella - were conceived in such a way that the visitor has an even more direct experience of the machines and he can familiarize himself with their features, thus preselecting the model that best suits his specific needs. In addition, inside their virtual area the exhibitors will be able to broadcast live events from their factories”.
