The Show Must Go On
We just returned from the Atlanta Decor Expo show, and I'm glad we were part of it. These days there is a lot of whining about how trade shows aren't like they used to be...like in the good old days. Some of our competitors for the first time chose not to exhibit at this major industry event.
There is no question that trade shows are not as important as they were 3, 5, or 10 years ago. That's not just in our industry, but across the whole economy. The biggest factor is that the internet has made image searching and communication instantaneous. So let's accept the new reality and adjust. We don't do as many shows as we used to, and we're taking somewhat smaller booths. But shows serve a valuable role.
Trade shows offer a "high touch" complement to our increasingly high tech world. You get to create your own environment in your booth that lets customers see, hear and feel who you are and what your company stands for. You get to meet face to face with almost all of your top customers in a 72 hour period - I'm not sure what could be more efficient than that. There are opportunities for client dinners, meetings, and even the occasional late night party when people might just let down their guard (sorry, no stories here, in accordance with the sacred code "What goes on the road stays on the road"). Shows also provide the time and place to meet in large groups to address important issues, as the Art Copyright Coalition did in Atlanta.
The frustrating thing for us is measuring the return on investment of a show - and shows are painfully expensive! It used to be that you'd add up the orders you took at the show, and if the number was more than you spent, you won. But with easy ordering over the internet, quick shipping, and everyone's desire to keep minimal inventory, customers use the shows more to shop and gather information than to place orders. When they subsequently do order, it's hard to know whether it was your catalogue, website, telephone conversation, personal visit or trade show that generated the order.
Call me old school (I'm used to it - my kids do all the time), but I think trade shows remain an effective part of the overall marketing mix. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
