Page 22 - Internationalist Magazine 2013 66

DIGITAL SOLUTIONS BEST B2B & New Market
Dubai: Customs,

WCO Digital Event Guide
Boeing,
Initiative (Local)

From Inspiration
The World Customs Organization (WCO) is the
to Innovation
only international entity that deals with Customs

DraftFCB (Local)
procedures governing trade between countries.
Boeing’s “From
For the last 12 years, the Organization has held
Inspiration to
an annual WCO IT Conference and Exhibition

Innovation”
to enable sharing of best IT practices and to
campaign tells the
encourage networking among member delegates

stories of Boeing
and industry professionals. And in 2013, Dubai
engineers and technologists who develop innovative Customs had the honor of hosting the event. Dubai,

solutions that literally change the world through a series being Dubai, is always out to wow and impress its guests
of short videos. United by the drive to do something and visitors.

important--to solve the next big problem, to develop
something that had previously been considered Additionally, the three-day event was under the patronage

impossible--these engineers shared their passion
of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al

for building something better. The “Inspiration to Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the
Innovation” campaign is a ive year initiative that sets out UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Event planners do their

to share these stories of Boeing engineers through videos best to provide welcome kits that include agendas,
and other supporting materials leading up to Boeing’s maps, schedules and other goodies. But these are often

centennial in 2016. Each month a new video rolls out ignored or discarded as they are cumbersome to carry
showcasing their game-changing innovations and will and information can be outdated even before it goes

continue to roll out once a month.
to press. Dubai Customs wanted to provide their IT
delegates a real-time guide that would help them make

Designed as a long-term initiative, the goal of the irst the most of their experience and keep them notiied of
year of the “Inspiration to Innovation” campaign was to
changes in schedules, venues, speaker engagements and
test and learn. Various strategies were tested from a web, other events. They also wanted to enable delegates to

digital, and story-telling perspective. The result of this connect, interact, and network with one another. From
irst year provided signiicant learnings of what worked the moment their prestigious guests landed in Dubai,

and what didn’t, allowing for very real benchmarks to be Dubai Customs did their best to give them the full Dubai
established. In year 2, goals were established to triple the treatment. WCO delegates were greeted at the airport by

amount of video views, site visits, and engagement hours Dubai Customs oficials and transported by limousine
generated for the ‘Inspiration to Innovation’ campaign. to the iconic Atlantis hotel on Dubai’s famous Palm

“Quartz” is a digitally native news outlet launched by the Jumeirah. Using GPS technology and Twitter, country
Atlantic Media Group providing a 24/7 digital guide to delegates received welcome messages appearing on live

the new global economy. This digital-only publication is electronic billboards in real time as they made their way

designed to serve business professionals who travel the to the hotel.
world, are focused on international markets, and value

critical thinking
For example, “DubaiCustoms welcomes the Russian
delegation to the #WCOITDubai 2013 conference,” or

Perhaps most important, job-seekers have submitted over “DubaiCustoms welcomes the Swiss delegation to the
71,000 qualiied applications for careers with Boeing #WCOITDubai 2013 conference.” But that’s not all, at

since the launch of this campaign. Stemming from over the end of the conference, delegates were able to keep the
2.6 million clicks by potential applicants, the campaign tablets, enabling them to continue networking among

has ultimately impacted over 870 new hires as a result
themselves and conference exhibitors. The campaign
of 4,400 interviews - a testament to the relevancy and
was a success with 500 delegates attending: at least 30
power of a well-crafted campaign at a time when highly business deals and 20 meeting requests initiated between

specialized skills are in high demand throughout the delegates and exhibitors using the app, 102 messages
industry. Boeing’s innovation videos, the videos all were exchanged among guest delegates, 186 feedback

scored well above the industry standards with one video questions were successfully fulilled using the app.
reaching 99% likeability. The intent of this campaign is

to showcase that Boeing people do amazing things and
are solving the world’s hardest problems.

20