Do We Need Trade Fairs?
When internet boomed during the first decade of this century, all businesses were supposed to move there. A couple of companies turned the idea of trade fairs to internet and started to promote digital exhibitions. There are a lot of modern arguments to support this idea: no traveling, no materials used for building the stand, free of schedules, material can be updated, product information can be downloaded, products can be purchased, etc. But: why do we still have fairs where exhibitors build stands, carry their products there and fill the stand with their personnel?
Simple answer is that potential and existing customers are still willing to come to those fairs. And why? Well, you would probably need a scientist of social and human behavior to give a thorough explanation, but it indeed has something to do with our ways to build relationships. We also have a need for unwritten information and a need to complete our facts with memorable experiences.
We want to strengthen our existing partnerships by meeting on neutral grounds and we want to get a feeling, how different stakeholders in our business are doing. Isn’t that what you think and check, when you look at your competitors, customers or suppliers stand? Are their people energized and enthusiastic, is their stand attractive and well designed? If they look exhausted and the stand is full of old products, you would automatically think their business is going poorly.
Traditional fairs will keep their place, but every time you start receiving invoices and make a summary of the costs, you consider what else could be achieved with this investment. This should keep all businesses (like organizers, builders, hotels, etc.) awake not to add the costs of exhibitors, because digital communication is so much more cost efficient.
The other reason is the magic issue called “customer experience”. It is the subject in which all companies are focusing. Transferring the business to digital world cannot happen with same ideas as the traditional, it should give something more and different to be successful. The digital exhibition organizers have not succeeded in this, yet
-SK
When internet boomed during the first decade of this century, all businesses were supposed to move there. A couple of companies turned the idea of trade fairs to internet and started to promote digital exhibitions. There are a lot of modern arguments to support this idea: no traveling, no materials used for building the stand, free of schedules, material can be updated, product information can be downloaded, products can be purchased, etc. But: why do we still have fairs where exhibitors build stands, carry their products there and fill the stand with their personnel?
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| KATKO Team @ Hannover Messe 2017 |
Simple answer is that potential and existing customers are still willing to come to those fairs. And why? Well, you would probably need a scientist of social and human behavior to give a thorough explanation, but it indeed has something to do with our ways to build relationships. We also have a need for unwritten information and a need to complete our facts with memorable experiences.
We want to strengthen our existing partnerships by meeting on neutral grounds and we want to get a feeling, how different stakeholders in our business are doing. Isn’t that what you think and check, when you look at your competitors, customers or suppliers stand? Are their people energized and enthusiastic, is their stand attractive and well designed? If they look exhausted and the stand is full of old products, you would automatically think their business is going poorly.
Traditional fairs will keep their place, but every time you start receiving invoices and make a summary of the costs, you consider what else could be achieved with this investment. This should keep all businesses (like organizers, builders, hotels, etc.) awake not to add the costs of exhibitors, because digital communication is so much more cost efficient.
The other reason is the magic issue called “customer experience”. It is the subject in which all companies are focusing. Transferring the business to digital world cannot happen with same ideas as the traditional, it should give something more and different to be successful. The digital exhibition organizers have not succeeded in this, yet
-SK