Why trade shows work
In the wake of our economic downturn, many people are debating the value of most marketing efforts. So how do you make informed decisions about continuing to invest in face-to-face marketing efforts like trade shows and events?
Exhibitions work because they are face-to-face. They provide us an opportunity to accelerate the selling cycle by matching needs with a company's ability to fill those needs. They work because adults are visual learners. Exhibiting is a visual medium - the exhibit, products, the graphics, collateral materials and promotional products are visual elements. Buyers are also experiential. Trade shows and other face-to-face events provide an experience through the dynamics of the display process.
A Unique Shopping Mall
Exhibitions can be compared to a portable version of a company that's temporarily placed in a unique type of shopping mall that attracts an exclusive set of shoppers. It brings sincere buyers and sellers together under one roof. Trade shows provide a unique opportunity that cannot be replicated in any other type of venue. Charles Allen, Chairman, American Exhibition Services, said it best. "Trade shows are about human interaction. Face-to-face conversation gives us a 'feel' for the other person that a data transfer never will."