| I met Lawrence Dvorchik around 2006 as his self service event overlapped one of my client’s events and I wanted to see if we could create some synergies by working together. Sadly nothing happened with that, but we remained in loose touch. As I got to know Lawrence better I realized his was a man of largely impactful ideas, so I was thrilled when he agreed to pen this post for Events Matter! Enjoy!
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Is the Trade Show a Dying Elephant? Only If WE Don’t Become CHALLENGERS
I find that many of us don’t listen and learn to and from our attendees. They frequently say about our events: “They are not efficient uses of my time or resources anymore. They’re really not fun, and quite often, not worth my investment.” When asked why, they simply stated “There were better face-to-face mechanisms to better engage with meaningful dialogue with colleagues and vendors.”
From them, OUR challenge is to learn. I challenge you to meet the bull head-on, and talk to these people, if you are not already. Engage with them. Understand what they like in events, develop programs that are engaging and entertaining, not just educational. You CAN accomplish all three. But you must take the challenge to ask, listen, and respond positively to their message.
The traditional trade show is not dead, and it never will be, nor is it a dying elephant. Trade shows are the perfect storm, a gathering of thousands of like-minded colleagues, coming together to educate, network and see a potential partner, supplier or client face-to-face and get to know them better, or even more magically, conduct business with them, right there at YOUR event.
There are large, annual, industry events that will never be replaced (or so we all like to think). These events are the center of an industry, are THE place for everyone to meet, and have survived through the highs and lows, economic booms, bubbles and busts, always coming back out on the other side better than ever. Face-to-face events remain a valuable and viable part of the ecosystem for any industry and their constituents. But, be warned, traditional trade shows, as a whole, do not hold the magical answer nor the mystique they once did. While success comes to some, others feel it’s an inefficient system to get face-to-face with prospects with lots of non-qualified people to wade through.
However, I am seeing more non-traditional events spring up, having just as much impact on companies, and quite often, taking the budgets from the traditional trade shows. From meet-ups to hosted buyer events, from “summits” to “speed dating”, marketers and sales executives are seeking the best way to get face-to-face with their prospects. Good events are always innovating, and are built on the answers to three key, yet simple, questions.
1. What do Attendees Really Want? An Experience. They want to feel as though their time out of the office was a worthwhile EXPERIENCE. They want to learn, network and have fun. There are many ways for an event organizer to pull this off, but the reality is the attendees can afford to be picky. They have a lot of options, and those who make the time to understand what their audience REALLY wants, are the ones who will be the leaders in the future. Understand what makes your audience tick – more than just what they want to learn.
2. What do Sponsors & Exhibitors Really Want? As obvious as this seems, the sponsors and exhibitors desires have not changed much over the years. Do they want to show off their bells and whistles? Sure. Do they want to look like they are the leaders and the “haves”? Sure. But more than anything, they want as much face-to-face time with qualified prospects as is humanly possible in the time permitted, and even more, to follow up and ‘move the needle’ with those prospects post event. Marketers are able to measure ROI much more accurately than ever, and they must show a return on every dollar spent.
3. How do we deliver this to them? Now this is where things get interesting. Because there is no “one-way” to do that. It’s not a set answer, but rather an ever evolving one, that zigs and zags. A myriad of formats are being developed by entrepreneurs thinking outside the box, and not taking “because we’ve always done it that way” as an acceptable answer. The Challengers are here. The last 10 years have seen the “traditional” trade shows have to respond to the Challengers. Omni-Channel Approaches. Community development. Content Marketing. Webinars. Responsive Web Design. Email Marketing. Retargeting. Creating Engaging Experiences. Traditional trade show companies have had to adapt to these Challengers, and it is not going to stop anytime soon.
To steal from Mission: Impossible, “Your mission, should you choose/decide to accept it, is to become a Challenger.”
How do you become a Challenger? Open your mind. Look inward at your event with a critical eye and ask “Would I want to do that if I was an attendee?” Ask, “Is this a positive experience for me? Did you just “process” me, or did you take the opportunity to engage me with an experience I won’t soon forget.
Ideas are everywhere. Become a Challenger. Become an Experience. |
