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The Power and Value of Trade Shows

A Dose of Sass

By Steve Kemble

I KNOW, I KNOW. THE LONG HOURS. THE SORE FEET. THE LACK OF ADEQUATE F&B. The harsh lights. The cheesy give-a-ways. It’s the wonderful world of trade shows! Many of you may find this hard to believe, but I actually love trade shows, and here’s why.

First, the networking and business opportunities within the concentrated time of a trade show are seemingly endless. All of you know I love events; they truly are my passion. Yet, I can get an abundance of business done on the trade show floor without food, beverage and entertainment distracting me. Don’t get me wrong; these are not distractions in a bad way, but they sometimes make it difficult to conduct business, because all an event’s elements are so fabulous that I want to pay attention to them. At a trade show, though, I want to conduct business.

When I prepare to go to a trade show, I do research on the various vendors who will be exhibiting there. I like to do this research on my own, and I am very rarely influenced by the mountains of glossy marketing materials stating “See Us at Booth _____!” Additionally, I am not influenced by the chance to win something or receive a token give-a-way (with all due respect, my housekeeper and yard man won’t even take the T-shirts anymore...seriously!).

Once I have done my research, I contact the companies I would like to see and schedule my time accordingly. What I like best is that you get someone’s undivided attention face-to-face (and in this electronic age, that is in itself a wonderful rarity), and you can discuss business, negotiate and establish a relationship that could last for years.

Second, the monetary value of exhibiting and attending a trade show is unparalleled. Trust me, I understand that you must carefully weigh the cost of exhibiting or attending a trade show, but look at this way: If you seriously “work” the trade show, the business booked or business you were able to successfully negotiate will be greater than any expenses incurred. On supplier and planner sides, it is all about how you implement your business strategy for attending the show that will make the difference.

All in all, it’s worth the sore feet, the harsh lights in the exhibit hall and, quite often, the lack of F&B to attend and exhibit at a trade show near you. The networking and business opportunities in our industry are endless and bountiful. Hope to see you at a trade show soon. One+

STEVE KEMBLE has been the magic behind countless international events for more than 20 years, from celebrating NFL players' accomplishments to organizing parties for two presidents. Follow him at www.adoseofsass.com or on Twitter @stevekemblechat.