This is the case of Cairo, where our partners are trying to inform the public that Dialogue in the Dark has survived the pandemic and is open again.
The DiD Egypt management shared with me that majority of the audience in Cairo is eager to visit in-person eventsagain. The challenge is to attract them. It is like marketing the DiD exhibition for the first time.
One campaign they did to gain visibility was Sandwich in the Dark.
They were offered a physical space at Cafex, a 3-days show related to all activities regarding coffee shops, hotels, and restaurants where exhibitors showcase different types of coffees, teas, bakeries, furniture, hotel supplies, etc.
So the DiD Egypt came with this idea of Sandwich in the Dark. They were offered a 12 SQM space free of cost where they set up a small black box with a table, a chair, plates with single wrapped items (jam, cheese, butter, mayo, bread, toast, ...). Single visitors were asked to make their own sandwich. In the black box they met a blind guide with whom they could chat and who offered them help to prepare their sandwich.
Sandwich in the Dark was presented during 3-days and two different guides took part every day. Over hundred visitors came. The experience was short – about 10 minutes in the dark. Most of the visitors didn’t know about Dialogue in the Dark, but their experience in the dark thrilled them so much that they promised to visit dialogue with family and friends.
The main goal was to present the dialogue. The visitors and exhibitors should learn more about Dialogue in the Dark, bring more attention to the exhibition and thus get more visitors in the future.
In addition, this was also a completely new experience for the blind guides, outside their comfort zone, but one that they mastered perfectly. Before the visitors faced their sandwich challenge in the Black Box, the guides explained to them what the Dialogue in the Dark was all about. The guides took the lead on everything and felt very comfortable doing so. A great encouragement for their commitment and motivation when the exhibition starts again.
The dialogue has survived the pandemic, now it's time to gain visibility again!
If you are in Cairo, contact DiD Egypt here.