The Future of Trade Shows: Insights from Industry Professionals
Trade shows are a cornerstone of B2B marketing strategies, offering a unique opportunity to showcase products, network, and generate valuable leads. At Discount Displays we conducted a survey of over 100 participants to gauge the current trade show environment and explore future trends. The results provided valuable insights for businesses looking to maximise their presence at trade shows.
Key Factors Influencing Trade Show Participation
When it comes to choosing where to exhibit, the majority of respondents (46.2%) identified that the target audience is the most critical factor. This highlights the importance of aligning trade show participation with the specific demographics of target and potential customers. The show’s reputation and past performance are also a significant factor with 22.6% of respondents stating this is a key consideration. Interestingly, cost was a less critical factor with only 6.6% of participants ranking it as the most important factor.
Objectives and Success Metrics
The survey shed light on the primary objectives of businesses at trade shows. The results suggest that while sales are important, building a collection of potential customers and increasing brand visibility is seen as a more sustainable strategy.
43.4% of respondents believe that the number of leads generated is the most insightful metric. Return on investment (17.9%) and sales (12.3%) were also highlighted as strong measures of success. This reflects a balance between immediate financial returns and longer-term relationship outcomes.
Social media mentions and engagement (7.5%), website traffic (5.7%), and customer feedback (6.6%) were reported at a low percentage. This reinforces the ideology that long-term factors are more important than short-term wins. Some respondents also noted the importance of competition entries, attendance, and the request for contacts in their open text responses.
The Role of Technology and Social Media
Technology is playing a pivotal role in enhancing the trade show experience. However, the adoption of technologies like virtual reality and interactive displays are still in the early stages with only 18.9% of respondents having used these technologies at their booths. However, 9.4% are planning to incorporate these in the future, signalling a shift towards more immersive trade show experiences.
Social media is another area where businesses are making strides and valuing their platform presence more. A significant 75.5% use social media for pre-event promotion, while 56.6% engage in post-event follow-ups. Despite the rise of TikTok, businesses are not drawn to this platform with only 8.5% utilising this community. These figures highlight the growing importance of using digital channels to reach your audience and complement trade show efforts.
Display Materials and Visitor Engagement
When it comes to attracting visitors, traditional advertising materials are still adopted. Banners and posters were identified as the most effective by 31% of respondents, closely followed by digital displays and product demonstrations, at 26%. Interactive stations, while engaging and unique, were less commonly noted. This indicates that while they offer value, they are not yet a staple for most exhibitors. 
When following up on post-trade show leads from engaged visitors, a whopping 82.1% of exhibitors said they use email. This is unsurprising as email is often viewed as the most efficient, although less personal, method of contacting a number of potential customers. In contrast, the less modern method, phone calling is used by 53.8% of respondents.
Planning and Budget Allocation
Effective trade show participation requires significant planning, with the majority of respondents starting their preparations 2-6 months in advance. A further 12.3% needed 6-12 months to complete all their pre-show planning, and a brave 2.8% started 1-2 weeks before.
Budget allocation is a critical element of trade show planning with 40.6% of businesses dedicating 5-15% of their budgets to exhibitions. This indicates that where trade shows are of significance for reaching audiences, they are not a dominant component of overall marketing strategies. Interestingly, 18.9% of respondents allocated less than 5% of their budget to trade shows. This suggests that these businesses are deeming their presence important, possibly due to their industry, but were not able to allocate significant funds.
Challenges and Opportunities
Participating in trade shows does not come without its challenges. The most significant hurdles identified by respondents include the cost (58.5%), attracting leads (36.8%), and measuring return on investment (34.0%). These challenges highlight the need for strategic planning, resource allocation, and an effective post-show follow-up process.
The Future of Trade Shows
Looking ahead, 58.1% of respondents believe that trade show events will remain in-person. However, 24.8% of respondents are expecting a hybrid model with a mix of virtual and in-person events. Despite some predictions of decreasing importance, only 7.6% of respondents held this view.
When asked about the future importance of trade shows in their company’s marketing strategy, 61.3% of respondents believed it would be just as important as it currently is. A smaller proportion of respondents expect it to become either more important (19.8%) or less important (18.9%). These results lean towards a general consensus that exhibiting will continue to play a crucial role in marketing strategies moving forward.
Conclusion
The insights from our survey suggest that while the format of trade shows may evolve, their core value remains intact. Businesses are focused on generating leads, leveraging technology and social media, and balancing costs with the potential return on investment. Understanding and adapting to these trends will be key for businesses to stay ahead of the competition in the changing trade show landscape.
For more guidance on exhibiting, view our exhibition guides for helpful resources all in one place.
