Fieldays Online wins bronze at Global Eventex Awards

Fieldays Online live studio. Photo / Supplied

Fieldays Online has received a Bronze Award in the virtual expo category at the 11th Global Eventex Awards.

Fieldays Online was created in only 108 days in 2020, after the physical event was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Held over two weeks in July 2020, Fieldays Online allowed visitors to access live content from the comfort and safety of their own homes.

Exhibitors used the virtual platform to promote and sell their products and services, offer deals, and generate content, promotions, and activations.

Live content was also streamed through Fieldays TV, which hosted topical panel discussions, primary sector career profiles, cooking demonstrations, and guest speakers.

Fieldays Online attracted 90,455 total digital visitors, with attendees from over 75 different countries, while nearly 300 exhibitors hosted digital sites.

Fieldays partnered with Satellite Media to bring the virtual event to life, and had support from Trade Me which connected exhibitors with e-commerce capabilities.

The Eventex Awards recognised excellence in the event industry. This year there were 561 entries from 37 countries.

A bronze at these awards was impressive after a challenging year, New Zealand National Fieldays Society chief executive Peter Nation said.

"This is huge recognition for us...we took a challenging set of circumstances and invented a world-first event...keeping rural communities connected in a time of adversity."

Fieldays 2021 will include Fieldays Online as an extension of the four-day event this June, allowing a wider audience, locally and globally, to be a part of what is expected to be the biggest Fieldays event to date.

"Now we have shifted to a digital landscape, we are no longer constrained by gate opening and closing times and travel restrictions," Nation said.

"Visitors can have a seamless 24/7 Fieldays experience, accessing deals when and where it is most convenient for them."

For more information about Fieldays, head to www.fieldays.co.nz.