Trade Shows: The Cinderella of Events

Trade shows are the Cinderella of the events world. They’re often overlooked and underappreciated, but they have a lot more potential than most people give them credit for.

If you do it right, trade shows can be a great revenue engine for your event. And yes, that is possible even in the virtual environment. But you’ve got to think a little differently because it’s no longer about aisles of booths, but you’ve got to put your exhibitors in the spotlight.

I’m Marlys Arnold, trade show consultant and author, and in this video series, I want to show you tips, tools and strategies to make your trade shows a success for you and your exhibitors.

Now in the virtual world especially, a lot of events have really done well on the conference side, but the trade show side? Not so much.

So if you really think about it, whether face-to-face or virtual, exhibitors need a way to connect. They want to connect with their customers and their prospects and generate leads.

And if you’re billing it as an expo, then you better be providing some elements of engagement. And also remember to provide expo-only hours. Again, face-to-face or virtual – doesn’t matter. You don’t want to force your exhibitors to have to compete with other aspects of your event.

So remember, exhibitors still need to market and they’re spending their money somewhere and getting the word out there. So if you can show them how your event can really produce that ROI, you can become that perfect fit.