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EVENTS VIRTUAL SHOWS
THE SHOW MUST GO ON? Tiger King, banana bread, home schooling, hand sanitiser … a product of lockdown as much as a glimpse of a possible future, virtual shows gained ground while the exhibition centre doors remained firmly shut. But do they deliver what B2B professionals want? And what might they look like once ‘normal’ service is resumed? Paul Farley investigates …
They may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but trade shows have always been an essential step in the sourcing journey – as well as an invaluable source of inspiration, information and networking opportunities. Yet, from the moment in March 2020 in which personal contact was fearfully curtailed, what hope remained of bringing people together under one roof to peruse the latest ranges and renew commercial and personal bonds? With the trade’s exhibition circuit in ongoing disarray, a new breed of show
sprung into action, promising a wealth of engaging sourcing opportunities unavailable elsewhere, and striving to scratch the trading itch many were acutely feeling. But did the virtual events deliver? In this feature, Furniture News hears from the people behind three of the newcomers – two physical event ‘pivots’ plus an original concept – and attempts to gauge the furniture industry’s feelings on digital sourcing opportunities as those lockdown restrictions recede …
www.thefurniture-show.co.uk Spokesperson: Julian Cox, director of furniture & home, Associated Independent Stores (AIS) Give us a brief summary of your event The AIS Furniture Online Event was created to reconnect members and retailers with suppliers, enabling them to view and purchase products. Members were given exclusive access for a week before the event opened to the trade. When and why did you get involved in the online event business? The physical AIS furniture and bed shows are important to our members and, whilst we’ve been unable to run trade shows during this unprecedented time, we wanted to support retailers, working with the supply base to deliver a solution. We embarked on this venture with an open mind and the support of our valued suppliers. It was a long journey, and the team learned many lessons along the way, enabling us to adapt the platform as we moved through the process. From exhibitors to content, interface and engagement, there’s a lot to consider – but which is most crucial? For us, the most crucial part of the event was to include content across a
wide range of suppliers, offering options across a breadth of product categories. Our event was supported by key brands, helping to generate interest and purpose for buyers to visit the site. Our site traffic was very positive, showing that retailers had made a conscious effort to visit. Whilst the event was not fully interactive, suppliers were greatly encouraged with the responses, which continue to deliver new account opportunities, enquiries and orders. Also, in the same way we would approach the layout of a physical show, it was essential that the site be easy to navigate. Should online shows try to mirror physical events, or go their own way? You will never be able to emulate a physical show, and there’s no true substitute. However, you can deliver vital elements – reviewing product and understanding the items available in a range. The event has been a useful tool to create interest in newness, highlight new initiatives and reinforce bestsellers. What do you do better than anyone in the virtual furniture show business? Fundamentally, we have a very loyal supply base, and without their continued support and input the event would not have been viable. Looking to the future, we can see the online event evolving to
Julian Cox
AIS FURNITURE ONLINE EVENT
support our physical shows. Whilst we have a robust event foundation, we can see ways to evolve the site, providing a higher level of interaction with users, incorporating live chat and video calling. Do you think physical exhibitions will ever be the same again – and what future do virtual shows have? We’re looking forward to getting back to physical shows – there’s nothing quite like them! Our industry thrives on faceto-face contact and the ability to interact with product. When it comes to furniture, it is so important to be able to touch and feel the product. The sit of a sofa, the feel of a mattress, being able to see and touch the finish on a cabinet, enabling you to appreciate the product quality, and buy more effectively. That said, we recognise the opportunity to run an online element to support physical shows, and will be looking to support this initiative in the future
