The trade show industry is booming, and it’s time to elevate your events. Get geared up for bumping elbows in the lead-generating, sales-increasing opportunities of the trade show world. We've compiled a list of 5 tactics to help streamline and improve the trade show experience for your event attendees.
But first, some trade show statistics pre and post-COVID. According to Statista, the B2B trade show market in the United States was worth 15.58 billion dollars in 2019. Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the industry saw a sharp decline to 5.6 billion dollars in 2020. The numbers are projected to rise steadily to pre-COVID numbers by 2024.
The trade show doesn't begin when the convention center doors open the first morning of the show. For you, it begins months ahead of time. You know what they say about prior proper planning... it prevents poor performance. If you don't plan ahead, your tools to streamline and enhance the trade show experience will flop.
Having a professional website with your branding, event details, and registration helps you market your event and makes registration simple for attendees. Capturing key information from event registrants with forms or surveys will be valuable in building a relationship with them. Providing registrants with a QR code enables them to print their badges quickly onsite and considerably shortens the wait time.
Providing an event app can be a massive help to attendees. They will have quick access to venue details, the schedule for seminars, events, demonstrations, and the show floor map. Vendors can showcase products, share information about kits, and make individualized recommendations for products or booths that might interest them. Communicating through the app saves vendors time and money. It also provides the opportunity to boost product promotions by showcasing key products.
Ordering software serves a multitude of purposes for both the customer and vendor. The ability for customers to place orders in groups and multiple units streamlines the purchasing process for them. Vendors spend less time taking orders and more time developing and nurturing relationships with customers.
Including the people who couldn’t make it in person expands your reach and builds trust with them. This broader audience can lead to increased attendance, higher sales, and more qualified leads. Online events also offer the opportunity to track attendees’ interests, this digital footprint provides valuable information for future business decisions. With this information, you can tailor your future content and offerings based on what your audience finds most beneficial.
See what Perenso's trade show software can do to enhance the trade show experience for your attendees: