As mentioned previously, I am looking forward to featuring other voices on Events Matter! in the next year. One of the writers I have followed for a while is Michael Hart, formerly of Expo Magazine and TradeshowWeek among a few other important industry media outlets.
I saw him in Los Angeles last month and had a conversation about the ‘trends’ of the future and what we can(or can’t) count on in 2015. Here’s how he sees one aspect:
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Like me, maybe you spent at least a little bit of time during the Christmas/New Year’s holiday reading “top trends in the events industry’” lists. And like me, you could nod in agreement at some of the items on these lists. But a lot of times I could only shake my head and say to myself, “This guy doesn’t have a clue.”
Allow me to present one trend some experts say will impact the tradeshow and events industry in the coming year that I say will be a waste of time: e-commerce platforms.
The idea of providing a way for exhibitors to deliver products and services to attendees before or after the event will not ultimately have an impact on anybody’s bottom line because it doesn’t really address the most significant challenges the events industry will face in the near future.
The events industry is growing and blossoming, but it is doing so in places that the most traditional forms of the industry can’t see, and it can only be measured by metrics that the traditional industry doesn’t have available.
The basic purpose of the tradeshow business has long been considered to be “to bring buyers and sellers together.” Unfortunately for the old-school tradeshow organizer, there are plenty of ways for that to happen now that are easier, quicker and cheaper than the classic tradeshow model.
The events business is thriving today where the purpose is to “bring a community together.” It is in small niche meetings and conferences that deal with communities so specialized and unique that convention center salespeople and traditional service contractors can’t see them. Likewise, it is in gigantic events that draw tens of thousands of ardent fans united in their passions (think ComicCon and TED-like events) that traditional segments of the industry don’t know are taking place.
They aren’t even being marketed, really. People know about them because of the constant communication their community members have with each other through social media.
The advent of the e-commerce platform was heralded as a way to allow a show’s buyers and sellers to continue to connect once the show is over – but who really needs a show manager to do that? And who needs an e-commerce platform to build a community?
The trends that will really be significant when we look at these lists a year from now will be those that help people with like interests get together, not the ones that help people sell things to each other.
The sweet spot is the point at which somebody figures out how to monetize all this community building. Those sweet spots are out there right now, but it’s going to take more than an e-commerce platform to find it.
Michael Hart is a consultant and writer who focuses on the events industry. He can be reached at michaelhrt3@gmail.com.