Feature article—
"What does information age mean for future of trade shows?"

In light of the changes we've seen in information delivery in the last year or so, it's reasonable to wonder about the future of physically sited, time-sensitive marketing. The short answer to the question is that trade shows are likely to take on an even greater importance in business-to-business marketing in the 21st century.

This prediction is not despite the latest revolutions in technology but rather because of them. Advances in digital image manipulation and speed compromise marketing and sales in four areas: Credibility, focus, competition and time. Trade shows solve these problems.

Credibility is perhaps the newest and most significant factor to differentiate trade shows from other media. Video has developed to the point where it's virtually impossible to tell the difference between fact and fantasy. Build-up time used to be a limiting factor; now the creation of fiction is much closer to real-time. That may be an asset for theatrical releases, but it can severely compromise your work in commercial purchasing cycles.

Executives rely on credible information for serious purchasing. Buyers still depend on their ability to walk up to an exhibitor's booth and watch a machine in operation — confirming an extended, zero-defect run with their own eyes and touching finished products with the same hands that ultimately will sign the purchase order. Their livelihoods depend on "reality."

In addition to needing to trust the marketing, you're faced with more choices. Your suppliers aren't just domestic these days, and your staff has been downsized — and the lean and mean survivors are no longer experts in the areas related to the choices they face. The need to focus is greater now than ever before.

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