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Trade Shows

A TRADE SHOW, on a basic level, is an opportunity to meet face-to-face with people who might be interested in your products or services, and to display your goods in person. A trade show might be held at a convention center, an exhibition hall, a stadium or sports arena, inside a hotel ballroom, or in a public park or fairground.

I love trade shows. They’re a lot of fun, and a very effective form of lead-generation marketing. A trade show is network marketing at its finest. It’s a way for like-minded people to get together for a few days to talk about topics that are specific to their particular industry or personal interests.

For attendees, a trade show provides a “one-stop-shop” opportunity to buy or learn about products or services, and to talk directly with the people who make or sell them. In just a few days, the customer can get a good overview and understanding of their options. They can walk the floor at the trade show, talk in person with company reps, and compare products and services from different companies to see which are the best for their needs. They can speak to other attendees, who may serve as customer references for these products and services. They can see live product demonstrations, check out the newest and coolest products, and pick up valuable tips and information at seminars and panel discussions.

For the company or marketer, the trade show offers a great opportunity for in-person marketing and interaction with potential customers. In other lead-generation tactics such as direct mail, the company reaches out to customers, who may or may not be in the market for the product. At a trade show, the opposite happens: Customers come to see your company (and other similar companies). Often, the customers have a vested interest in learning all they can about your types of products or services. Depending on their needs, they may travel thousands of miles and pay thousands of dollars in travel expenses to attend a certain trade show. In addition, customers must pay an admission registration fee for the show, and the fees for some high-ranking industry shows can range from $2,000 to $10,000.

This is good news for your company because trade show attendees are more likely to have a need for your products or services, or at least a willingness to listen to what you have to say. Attending a trade show as a vendor provides an opportunity to put your products or services in front of thousands, if not tens of thousands, of potential customers who are looking to buy.

Trade shows are the oldest lead-generation marketing tactic. They’ve been around in one form or another for centuries! In medieval times, farmers, merchants, and craftspeople would go to annual town fairs and festivals to sell their goods and wares in makeshift booths or out of the backs of carts. Following the industrial fairs of the 19th century, where inventors and industrialists came to display the latest advances in science and technology, the trade show started to evolve into its current form around the beginning of the 20th century.

Even as we advance through the digital age, trade shows will continue to be widely used. Occasionally, such as in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and in the years following the recent financial meltdown, attendance at major trade shows briefly drops off. But the companies and the customers always come back.

There have been some attempts to develop virtual trade shows, where companies display their goods online while holding live chats with potential customers. But these have largely failed, because a virtual show lacks the personalized experience and one-on-one human connection that potential customers get by attending trade shows in person. Companies know the value of demonstrating their products or services in live demonstrations, and potential customers are always eager to come back to the show to see what new products or services their favorite companies have to offer this year.