In the relentless digital age that we now live in, it can be hard for businesses to see the value and importance of exhibitions. This raises the question – is it worth exhibiting anymore?
The face to face value you experience at exhibitions is continually battling against the increasing reliance of digital media. In a world where large corporate brands categorically dominate television marketing, smaller business have found the use of the internet to maximise their brands and market their presence.
The internet, social media in particular, has provided a free platform where smaller business can flourish and grow their business opportunities.
Whilst some may say that this is now the preferred channel of communication and marketing, others will agree that exhibitions provide a face to face, more personal interaction that heavily adds value to your brand.
There’s no doubt that in the business world you need to be digitally capable and aggressive with your tactics, but a well thought out and clinically organised exhibition, that is backed by the use of advanced digital marketing will provide the winning combination for your business.
Exhibitions provide a fantastic opportunity to make a name for yourself. Exhibitions are highly competitive as everyone is competing for the attention of the same audience.
A survey completed by Exhibitors Survey Inc suggests that 82% of exhibition attendees have buying influences. If you can attract the attention of a handful of these visitors, or even just one, then you can build longer lasting, more personal relationships which will have a significant impact on your business.
Exhibitions provide an invaluable platform for networking and developing relationships with your target market. Most events now provide a networking event which usually takes place after the first day of exhibiting. This is the perfect opportunity to deploy a different tactic and engage with people you didn’t get the chance to in the day, or simply to better develop relationships with people you have already met.
Whether you are new to exhibiting or your considered a pro in the exhibition world, there are always things you can learn. It’s a chance for you to size up the competition and to see what new and innovative things are going on in your industry.
Exhibitions provide an opportunity for you to take notes of competitor’s strategies and the products and services offered. This not only gives you a great chance to compare yourself against the competition, but, it can spark new ideas which you can emulate into your own branding for the future.
Exhibitions give your target market a chance to experience your brand, and allows you to gauge the reactions and opinions of people you meet. This interaction is invaluable and gives clear direction for the event debrief. This is where you evaluate what worked and what you could do to improve your strategy for the next event.
Not only do you meet many potential contacts during an exhibition, you are presented with a sea of industry professionals who hold a wealth of knowledge. Their feedback and opinions may hold the key to your success.
There’s no guarantee that your first exhibition will be a total success, or that you will come away from the event with a multimillion pound contract in your pocket, but one thing is certain, you will engage and interact with your target audience. You will develop valuable relationships with new business connections and you will learn so much about your competitors and your industry.
Whilst you gain so much from having an online digital presence, face to face interaction is the back bone for building relationships and developing your brand to the next level.
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