Are trade shows “back”?

• January 12, 2011

By Linda Forrest

It’s been busy around these parts the past few weeks as we had several clients exhibiting at marquee trade shows, and our own Francis Moran attended these shows to support our clients and get a finger on the pulse of our clients’ industries. If his Tweet, upon experiencing Retail’s BIG Show, the annual conference and exhibition of the National Retail Foundation (NRF) is any indication, 2011 is off to a good start: “Mood at NRF, the major retail trade show, is very upbeat. Quote from a veteran CES attendee equally applies here: ‘Woohoo, America’s back.'”

When I saw this, I was curious to know if this positivity denoted an upward trend across the conference and trade show universe, as, with so many marketing activities, investment in trade shows and conferences had waned in recent years for a variety of reasons – lack of budget, increased focus on no-travel events, virtual tradeshows and webcasts, podcasts and other reasonable excuses to put dollars elsewhere.

But as with all things, the pendulum swings and we’re seeing at least what seems to be a renewed investment in attending trade shows and events. Gone, however, are the days when participation in any and all industry events in your sector is a given part of your marketing strategy and budget, as seemed to be the case prior to the dot-com bubble bursting.

Both unofficial and official data seem to indicate that participation is on the rise. Take for instance, this graph of CES attendance. Not quite back at peak levels, but getting there. The latest data from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (see page 10) shows that as of Q3 2010 key indicators of the industry’s health, including exhibitors, attendees and revenue, were all up from previous quarters.

If your organization is putting trade show participation at a higher priority from recent years, here are some questions to ask yourself:

What cost factors should you consider when deciding which shows to attend?

When considering whether to participate, many companies do a good job of itemizing and weighing the obvious costs, including design and manufacture of a promotional booth, design and production of promotional literature and brochures, promotional items to be included in delegate bags, travel and cost of living while on site. What can be overlooked, however, are the less obvious costs of having resources on site, rather than at the office, conducting their usual day-to-day business. This hidden cost can in fact be the greater investment of the two, especially if senior executives from the company are attending.

Once a company has developed a realistic estimate of the cost of participating, that cost needs to be weighed against the benefits.

How can I make the most of my trade show investment?

There are many paid opportunities to promote ones participation in a show, from promotional items to sponsorship, but there are also a number of potentially valuable earned opportunities – like speaking slots and awards submissions – that can cause your phone to ring once you’re back in the office. Over the years, inmedia has helped dozens of clients determine the best course of action for finding and executing against these no-cost opportunities and it’s often these rather than paid activities that result in business being closed, justifying the other costs associated with taking part in the conference.

Develop and execute a comprehensive communications strategy around your trade show participation. Since the advent of social networking and web 2.0 tools, attendance at trade shows has become a more participatory activity, with delegates and attendees Tweeting and blogging live from the show floor, instantly critiquing speakers and panels, and extending the reach of your conference message to those not attending. Be sure to consider these tools when developing your trade show strategy.

Do you see an uptick in the number of events your organization is planning on attending this year? What role, if any, do virtual trade shows play in your events planning?

Picture: “The Badgemaster” from epromos