The 2021 edition of Batobouw will, like many other events, take place in a virtual version. Organizers hope to attract around 200 exhibitors and 150,000 visitors.
Visitors will be able to discover exhibitor services and connect with professionals using an online platform. Last year, the classic version of the show could have taken place to the extreme before the restrictive measures went into effect to combat the spread of the virus.
For this new edition, the organizers have developed an online platform that contains all the exhibitors’ information and in particular allows for virtual appointments to be set. First, visitors will have to create a profile, explain their project and needs via “chatbot” (instant chat with the program) using keywords. Based on this information, products, solutions and brands will be proposed and visitors will be able to directly interact with the exhibitors through video conferencing or messaging.
Product photos and videos
These interactions between exhibitors and visitors will be possible for the duration of the show and information from the specialists will remain available on the online platform until the end of March.
“The Batibouw 2021 online platform works on the same basic principle of physical exhibition, as Frederic DeVos, Gallery Director describes. We allow visitors and exhibitors to discuss together and” face to face “but hypothetically. It is what sets us apart and makes us powerful in search engines.”
Registration on the platform is not yet open, and it will be available to visitors 48 hours before the official opening of the exhibition. The event will be open from Saturday 27 February to Sunday 7 March from 10 am-7pm. A night stay is also scheduled for Thursday 4 March until 9 pm.
For this virtual version, Batibouw will be structured around three main themes. It will address the digitization taking place in construction processes (3D printing, virtual reality, augmented reality among others), water and in particular solutions to reduce their consumption during construction or material creation, as well as resilient habitats.
Since the health crisis, families have had to adapt their homes to meet family needs and many people are moving away from single-family homes in favor of shared housing, event organizers noted.
