Are Virtual Exhibtions The Future Of Business Exhibitions

Are Virtual Exhibtions The Future Of Business Exhibitions

By:


With Confex upon us and other conferences approaching. It seems like its conference season again. It really is amazing and overwhelming the sheer number of exhibitions and conferences held for the events industry every year. There is Confex and RSVP and The Event Show and Square Meal to name just a few. More recently there has been the Virtual Event World which launched the first virtual trade exhibition for the events industry. This boasted a full conference programme as well as exhibitors and networking. This also had the benefits of there being no cost for travel and of course a very low carbon footprint. The exhibitors spent thousands of pounds on their stands and visitors spent hours visiting them. Could this be the new way to carry out exhibitions and is a virtual solution the answer to carrying out exhibitions.

I think that the concept of these conferences is amazing it is great that at any time I can look in once place when I need new ideas or inspiration. Given the lower time commitment there is very little doubt that a virtual exhibition is likely to attract more decision makers than a physical one due to ease. The real question is though are employees going to take the time to browse the estands and listen to the wisdom imparted. It is also a worry that the virtual solutions are detracting from what our industry is so good at and why it works so well the joy of good old fashioned networking.

At LondonLaunch Live they had digital projected canvases which were used to project exhibitor images in the Saatchi Gallery. This avoided the costs involved to build stands or even to hire a huge venue to accommodate them. As a visitor I felt the exhibition was intimate and easy to navigate and presented a really slick image in a beautiful setting. In just a few hours I attended a seminar and networked and got all the information I needed. Perhaps this is the middle ground.
But do these exhibitions actually generate value. It always amazes me that despite the time I take talking to suppliers at exhibitions often they rarely follow up. I hand over a business card and request further information and receive nothing. Followup communication is vital. It is about being seen and heard. Then there are the introverted stand representatives who allow hundreds of attendees to pass by without inviting them for a chat expecting visitors to walk onto their stand and ask for business. It would be nice if it were this. Exhibitors must engage with their audience and take advantage of the fact that they are all in one place in order to really maximise their ROI.

The added value for me at least is the seminars that take place alongside an exhibition. These provide new perspectives and address challenges and issues and generally offer lots of food for thought.The key is to keep questioning your methods. Look for alternative ways to engage with your stakeholders and to communicate your message find the communications equilibrium. We typically work with our clients to combine f2f interaction at events with a programme of interactive virtual engagements.

So will the virtual trade exhibition take off. If so will the traditional exhibition become extinct and consequently have a negative impact on the industry. I do not know the answers but I certainly look forward to seeing how it evolves.

About the Author:
Aspect LTD is an events agency in London for b2b,



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

|

Loading...
Related....
Videos...

Recent Business Articles

Comments

Still can't find what you are looking for? Search for it!

Loading

Site Navigation:

Copyright 2005-2011 ArticleSnatch, LLC - All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service.