Feature article—
"What does information age mean for future of trade shows?"
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Timing always
has been a traditional strong suit for exhibitions. Busy executives on
both the buyer and seller side historically have carved out time to deal
with one another at trade shows. They know the central role of the
face-to-face link; trade shows easily beat one-at-a-time treks to
customer locations over a calendar year. An electronic information
superhighway can't address these issues. A fixed time and place also
force the coming together of buyers and sellers unlike any other
marketing medium. This can be a godsend in an era of information
overload, where the most common decision is to "decide later."
The notion of
a specified time and place may seem limiting, given the everywhere,
around-the-clock promise of the Internet. But here's the rub: It is just
a promise. Dialogues across time zones are no more real-time than any
other communications outside of office hours. Inquiries that can't be
addressed through fixed on-screen menus must wait in a queue.
That takes us
back to the opening question. The answer: In the 21st Century, trade
shows will become an increasingly vital, competitive vehicle for
business. They will be the engines necessary to deliver results on the
broader marketing reach provided by the latest revolutions in
technology.
