What really is the future of the trade show?

Sue Pelletier December 29th, 2008

I heard a lot of talk at IAEE’s Expo! Expo! about how trade shows are still a vital part of the marketing mix for most companies, how nothing has really changed—and how it really won’t change—when it comes to the necessity for trade shows. But is that true, or just wishful thinking on the part of those whose livelihoods depend on expos staying alive and well for decades to come?

I go back and forth on it. I’m definitely in the “live meetings still and probably always will fulfill a vital human need for connectedness.” I can’t imagine live meetings going away. But trade shows as a viable marketing media? I’m not quite so strong on that, though I regularly try to convince myself that they’ll continue in all their (I have to be honest here) 1950s glory, with aisles of salespeople handing out trinkets and trying to hustle up some interest in their wares from the passers-by. The booths and displays may have gotten glitzier, but the basic premise hasn’t changed much for at least the 30 or so years since I first set foot in an expo hall. Yes, people love to meet in person, and to get their hands on new gadgets, and develop relationships that endure. But is the trade show hall still the most expedient place to do all that? Just asking.

There was some talk on the industry listservs about Apple pulling out of Macworld, and whether or not that meant the beginning of the end for that show in particular, and trade shows in general. Like the good people at IAEE, consensus seemed to come down on the side of trade show survival, including Macworld’s. Again, reality or wishful thinking? You tell me.

And then I read this post from former Microsoft blogger and all-around tech guru Robert Scoble, about how social networks and bloggers are killing the big shows off. I’m not entirely sure I buy his argument as being relevant for the entire trade show industry (at least, not yet), but for at least some shows, he may well be right. I mean, I have no doubt that expos will continue for quite a while in their current form, just as print magazines will, for the older generations who can’t imagine giving them up. But they may well become loss-leaders for other, more profitable marketing avenues, not the major dollar-generator they historically have been for associations and for-profits. And once the younger generations are calling the shots? I’m not sure what the trade show of the future will look like, but I have a feeling it won’t be your father’s pipe-and-drape affair we all know and have loved for so long. Or even that it will still exist in a form recognizable to us older folks.

Anyone who organizes trade shows should at least be aware that change may well be coming, and thinking hard about how to adapt their business model to the new world of marketing. Do read the comments to Scoble’s post, as well as this interesting post on Confabb, for more.

I feel like this post is a little “the trade show is dead; long live the trade show,” but I really don’t have any answers. It just seems prudent to periodically ask the questions, especially as we usher in what in all likelihood will be a fairly tough year for all of us. I think the big winners will be those who stop trying to reinvent the trade show itself and find some other, as yet undiscovered “blue ocean” opportunity.

One thing I can’t imagine changing: There will always be money in bringing buyers and sellers together. We just have to figure out how best to do it. It may well still be the traditional trade show (or print magazine). Then again, it may not.

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6 Comments to “What really is the future of the trade show?”

1. David Patt Says:
   

   December 29th, 2008 at 7:14 pm

   Good analysis. “There will always be money in bringing buyers and sellers together. We just have to figure out how best to do it.” That’s the whole point.

2. rich westerfield Says:
   

   December 29th, 2008 at 9:24 pm

   I was going to write an essay on disintermediation and reintermediation but decided to be pithy instead

   A look at TSW’s “Fastest 50″ is pretty much proof that for most shows (those in unregulated industries and those not targeting huge capital purchases) the conference/education portion of the event has overshadowed the show floor activities.

   The more a show organizer focuses on providing value to the attendee and exhibitor (attendee first!), along with transparency of business practices and focusing on core competencies instead of defending outmoded practices for revenue generation (defending room blocks, securing speaking slots with sponsorships, etc.), the greater their likelihood of succeeding even in the worst of times.

   As for the Confabb post on tradeshows being all over social networking… thanks for the chuckle!

3. Dave Lutz Says:
   

   December 30th, 2008 at 7:21 am

   Sue, this is a very thought provoking post!

   One of the sessions that I attended at IAEE in Miami was about collecting showsite behavioral metrics and making business decisions to improve your show based on that data.

   We asked the question whether any of the show managers in the room were using the Exhibitor ROI Toolkit that was rolled out about 12 months ago. Less than 10% of the room raised their hand. Pretty sad, huh?

   What this tells me is that show managers in general have been taking their customers (exhibitors) for granted. If they are not equipping themselves to help their exhibitors understand the opportunity their show provides and then help them effectively measure their success, it’s just a matter of time before their retention rates plummet. Exhibit sales needs to be very consultative, not transactional.

   Exhibitions still are an extremely efficient channel for complex products and services in B2B. Where we are most at risk and threatened by the online channels are 1) B2C expos 2) Regional or small vertical B2B shows 3) Certain industry segments most effected by the economy.

4. Joan Eisenstodt Says:
   

   December 30th, 2008 at 10:18 am

   Some additional thoughts:
   1) For heavy equipment and other tangible products, there are different issues than there are for, say, services.
   2) F2F meetings will be different - period.
   3) Facilities and vendors (decorators) and how they can help create and consult to change the face of exhibits. The old face is the current face in most instances.

5. Doug Geist Says:
   

   December 30th, 2008 at 12:30 pm

   I recently read about Apple pulling out of MacWorld— that is huge. I don’t think it will kill the show but it will certainly reduce the size. I believe Apple will shift its marketing focus to, in-store promotions, web-based marketing and privately hosted events with their partner/suppliers to co-host. Now, not only is apple out of MacWorld, but several of their partner/suppliers may pull-out as well. I’ve have seen this with other industries as well– COMDEX. Once the cost of exhibiting and/or attending exceeded the value of the show….

   As Apple stated earlier this year, “trade shows aren’t as important as they used to be.” I don’t believe this means trade shows are unimportant, just that the marketing value is being diluted among other marketing strategies. I was surprised to see the low-usage of the ROI tool kit. More and more organizations are being brought to task on proving ROI for the tradeshow expense. With Apple’s decision, I believe other companies will want to explore other marketing avenues and compare ROI for their marketing efforts. We need to be able to help clients address ROI and bring them greater value at the trade show.

6. James Smith Says:
   

   June 5th, 2009 at 5:00 am

   There are some people who underestimate the usefulness of trade shows.
   Many have given up on them. In fact, more and more business owners are pulling out
   of trade shows. This is a wrong strategy. Instead of pulling out, they should think
   of various ways of improving their booths. This way, they would have better shot at attracting
   potential customers.

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