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Tradeshows and Events A Tale of Resurrection and Transformation by Chris Kappes
C
harles Dickens famously began his novel A Tale of Two Cities with a paradoxical description of the French Revolution. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way...” What if we apply his words to our own times, especially to the event industry that has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic?
A Look Back Before COVID closed our doors, our industry was riding high: domestic revenue peaked at $15 billion thanks to attendance and the quantity of new shows. However, exhibitor criticism could be heard across convention halls: “tradeshows are a necessary evil,” “we don’t need to be here,” “a waste of time and money.” Best of times... really? BAMM. COVID shutters our industry. Options to engage with one another are limited, and virtual engagement takes over. 18 Oct/Nov/Dec 2023 Exhibit City News
Best of times for virtual tradeshows... really? The message in A Tale of Two Cities is this: “resurrection and transformation are possible on both a personal and societal level.” We’re seeing that today in our industry. Silver Lining The silver lining of COVID is a reminder that we are all social creatures. We thirst for human connection. We desire exploration. We love experiences. We relish communities. Tradeshows and events make this happen. However, our industry does have its challenges: the cost to exhibit, a labor shortage, city crime, travel friction, marketing channel competition, budgets. Despite all, I would suggest that we have reason to celebrate an industry rebirth. From the “worst of times,” we’ve managed to manifest progressive ways to add new value for industry stakeholders. How? Attendees... Now fully appreciate the value of face-to-face (F2F) interactions after lockdowns and virtual fatigue. Attend events with renewed enthusiasm, experiencing better content presentations. Expectations are high. Spend more quality time with exhibitors using apps
and meet-up sessions. Realize “seeing is believing,” and there’s no substitute for show experiences. Can safely attend shows with safety protocols now standard. Exhibitors... Fully appreciate the value of F2F interactions after lockdowns and virtual fatigue. Deploy robust omnichannel marketing programs to engage buyers throughout the buying cycle and at shows. Use new activation technologies to tell stories. Leverage a plethora of rental exhibit options to reduce expenses. Invest time with more high-quality prospects versus tire-kickers. Capture and aggregate data with better lead gen tech. Event organizers... Deploy omnichannel marketing channels to motivate buyers to attend shows and nurture their communities post-show. Reinvent business models to become media companies, recognizing exhibitors are looking for new ways to build and reach buying communities; a new monetization opportunity.
Increase the value proposition of their events by deploying new apps and engagement strategies that connect sellers with buyers. Use new technology to improve conference content and interaction. Our industry fosters unique opportunities for human connection, learning, and growth that cannot be replicated by virtual platforms. By embracing new technologies, strategies, and channels, we (and events as our by-product) are delivering valuable, engaging, and sustainable experiences for all stakeholders. But we must remain vigilant, embrace change, and focus on enhancing event value. A tale of our industry. Chris Kappes is a three-decade executive who has served as CMO, CSO and President of leading event agencies. Kappes is a published author of two trade books, The Noise Behind Business. How to Make Tradeshows Work & How to Master the Art of Selling at Tradeshows co-written with sales expert, Tom Hopkins. Kappes shares his industry experiences and views at conferences and publications like Exhibit City News. His contact information: kappes52@gmail.com