Due to COVID-19, our industry’s most notable trade shows have been postponed one-by-one over the last few months worldwide. This means companies within our industry must find other ways to connect with customers.
Rolled Threads Unlimited has chosen to attend but not exhibit at any shows since 2018, likely for the same reasons that many have when considering whether exhibiting is “worth it” from a ROI perspective:
- Increased costs to exhibit and travel
- Reduction of the “right” attendees
- Time away from the office
However, trade shows are also a great conduit to meeting with customers from all over the world under one roof; in hope of attracting those elusive new customers.
Not exhibiting in 2019 and 2020 has allowed us to explore and utilize other avenues to both reach out to current customers and actively pursuing new prospects, including:
- Redesign of our website, which allowed us to:
- Include more video
- Highlight parts and capabilities more fully
- Integrate a blog
- Developing and launching more dynamic digital advertising campaigns
- Increased use of business-based social media sites
These new marketing approaches will continue to be a great asset in the near trade show-less landscape that COVID-19 has left in its wake in 2020. However, trade shows will still be around.
“Those of us in the live events space have a clear-eyed perspective on the industry’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and liabilities. We have known change was necessary. We have invested in virtual platforms, understanding their value and long-assuming that hybrid events would become a critical part of enhancing any size event portfolio.”
The post-COVID world has certainly changed the world of trade shows as the CEO of Freeman comments on above and in more detail in this interesting Trade Show News Network article.