Building trade fairs - to be or not to be...
Trade fairs are an excellent opportunity to showcase products and build business relationships, but many companies are rethinking this form of promotion, considering instead an online presence or organizing their own events. So is it worth it to be at a trade show? And can you afford not to attend them?
In the age of virtual reality, artificial intelligence and ubiquitous technology, the analog world is dying out. We stop talking, meeting in person, and forget the importance of direct contacts and spontaneous stimuli in sales and image relations. We are withdrawing from industry events, taking away the opportunity to interact and - colloquially speaking - to touch things before buying.
On the one hand, this digital approach carries great potential. But on the other hand, without an analog counterbalance, it may turn out to be a bubble that will burst sooner or later. We need both forms of relationships. And one way to effectively combine them is through industry trade shows.
Who are construction trade fairs for?
For all those who are directly or indirectly connected with “construction” and want to stay up to date with technologies, solutions and construction materials.
For manufacturers, contractors, technical advisors and traders in the industry. For companies that care about promoting or maintaining their brand image. For investors who are building, renovating or trying to build a house. For developers, architects, representatives of the scientific and academic communities, for whom the fair provides an opportunity to interact not only with products, but first and foremost with other people, also involved in construction.
Business among experts
or a festival in a construction anthropology?
It's worth, when choosing a specific event we want to participate in, to look at its profile beforehand - is it, for example, an international trade fair aimed at professionals, where hard substance, expert meetings and an offer for the “knowledgeable” prevail, or is it more of a local, loosely formulaic festival, varied only by construction products?
Often this is clear from the organizer's message and gives us an immediate picture of what we will find on site: European and global brands, technical advisors and salespeople, knowing their solutions very well, or, for example, hosts or hostesses, with a charming smile handing out manufacturers' gadgets and inviting us to “refreshments”, at the stand.
We do not value - let everyone choose the kind of meeting with the product that suits him best, but it is good to know in advance what we will spend our time on.
What are the benefits of attending a trade show?
The benefits are many, on a variety of levels, both for exhibitors and people who merely visit the trade show. Direct contact with potential customers is more effective than electronic communication, and face-to-face interaction allows you to gather their opinions and possible needs.
Also, establishing business relationships with trade partners, suppliers or peripheral entities is easier if it takes place in a trade show environment, where everyone is gathered literally under one roof.
It would take many weeks, if not years, to build such a wide network of contacts individually.
