4 Facts You Need to Know about Exhibiting at Virtual Trade Shows

With travel temporarily on hold, many event organizers have been “pivoting to virtual,” which means, by extension, many professionals who had been planning to exhibit at traditional trade shows are pivoting too. In this article, you will learn four key facts about virtual trade shows (accompanied by four quick tips to help you maximize your participation as a virtual exhibitor), plus a bonus fact and tip at the end!

1. All virtual trade shows are not created equally.

For better or worse, everyone pretty much knows what to expect from a traditional trade show – a big venue with booths arranged neatly in aisles, attendees walking by and, sometimes, other education, activities, or excitement around. However, there isn’t a tradition or standard definition for virtual trade shows yet.

Your “booth” may simply be a logo that links to your website, within a list of other exhibitor logos, or it may be an immersive 3-D experience, complete with avatars or video and some form of live chat, or it could be something else entirely… but that’s the point: so far, the concept of a “virtual trade show” means something different to everyone.

Tip: Ask the organizer to explain, in as much detail as they can, what is included in your “booth” package (including benefits, like data on who engaged with your company online) and, if possible, to share a demo of the platform they plan to use so you can get an idea of how attendees will discover, approach, and interact with your company. Do not expect that what you’re picturing in your head is what they’re picturing in theirs or what will actually happen – you aren’t speaking a common language yet, so you need to be much more thorough up front to avoid confusion later on.

2. Certain aspects of any trade show (online or face-to-face) will remain the same.

Just like there are similarities between any other sales/marketing/business development effort (e.g. social media, email marketing, cold calling, etc.) and trade shows, traditional trade shows and virtual trade shows will have similarities too.

Especially right now, many event organizers are utilizing virtual tools to replace or supplement their face-to-face gatherings; the intention is that they can help you accomplish the same goals and connect with the same target audience members (who have the same buying power and the same super short attention spans) by applying the same overarching strategic processes. The difference is how you apply the strategies or how you answer the question “what variation will work best in this (new) environment?”

Tip: Don’t skip steps. Just like you would apply my “five essential steps to exhibiting success” to support your efforts at a traditional trade show, virtual trade shows also require you to ensure you’ve checked all of the strategic boxes – starting with event selection (confirming that the event and participation method you’ve chosen are the right fit) and continuing all the way through to evaluation (determining the value, including takeaways for future improvement).

3. Attendees are more likely to engage in a virtual environment.

In a survey by ON24 of almost 5,000 professionals, 30% said they’re “more likely to speak to a salesperson in a virtual booth” and 47% said “they’re more likely to ask a question at a virtual event” than at a traditional, in person trade show. This may sound like a good thing (and, in many ways, it is); however, I’d imagine that part of the reason this happens is that virtual events are designed to make exhibitors appear more equal in approachability and other ways too.

So, if you had been finding success by putting in the extra work needed to get the extra top quality booth traffic you wanted before, you’ll have new challenges to overcome in this environment – specifically, finding new ways to set yourself apart from the competition (especially because the “easy wins,” like making sure your booth staffers are just the right amount of friendly and that your physical space is just the right amount of welcoming, aren’t so special anymore) and qualifying booth visitors even more efficiently (so you can attend to your extra, extra booth traffic without frustrating, or losing, your best prospects).

Tip: Take any time you would have allocated to your booth design/set up, travel, etc. for a traditional trade show and reinvest it in two key tasks instead – getting to know your audience (after all, the better you understand them, the easier it will be for you to connect with them and anticipate their needs, which is so important in the virtual environment!) and preparing to better serve your attendees (like training your staff, creating appropriate materials, and ensuring your pre-/post-event communications are on point).

4. Support is available, if you want/need it.

In addition to the many webinars, checklists, certifications, and other relevant resources available to event professionals (often for free!) right now, you have your event organizer, their preferred partners, and your favorite trade show experts in your corner as you get acclimated to exhibiting in the virtual environment.

But that’s not all… here are a few more human resources to consider:

• Your clients – more often than not, if you’ve helped someone succeed, they are happy to do what they can to help you succeed too (even if it’s just providing some insights on what their peers are likely thinking and prioritizing right now)
• Your peers – your industry partners are facing the exact same challenges you are, so they may be willing to swap ideas and/or collaborate on mutually beneficial initiatives
• Your coworkers and executive team – because trade shows can add value to your entire organization, it makes sense to include everyone in whatever way they can be helpful to you (as their leader for all things trade show-related) and your vision for your exhibiting efforts

Tip: Vet your sources carefully. Similar to when social media became a big thing and we quickly saw (what felt like) equal numbers of those who were just figuring it out vs. those who were self-proclaimed experts, it isn’t always wise to trust the first person who offers to help. Check their credentials, have a conversation about their philosophy, and ensure that you’re confident in their process before proceeding.

Bonus: Virtual trade shows aren’t the right fit for everyone.

Although it may seem odd to mention this at the end of an article about what you need to know if you’re planning on exhibiting at a virtual trade show, I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least make a note…

Virtual trade shows are a tool, just like traditional trade shows, just like social media, email marketing, cold calling, and just like so many other sales/marketing/business development efforts. They may be the newest, shiniest tool in the tool box right now, however that doesn’t mean they’re the best or most effective one for you… and it doesn’t mean that they aren’t either… it simply means that you need to do your homework to make a smart business decision for your organization; there is no “one size fits all” answer here (but don’t worry – you’ve got this!).

Tip: Ask yourself why you’re “pivoting to virtual” and to exhibiting, specifically. Make sure that, in addition to a good reason, you have the time, money, manpower, and expertise required to make your participation worthwhile before you commit (or, if you don’t, consider other ways to accomplish your goals, including other ways to support your event organizer/industry, instead).

It can be challenging to go from what you’ve always known (or, if you’re new to trade shows, what you were just starting to get used to) to an entirely different format, especially when so many other things are different and/or challenging right now, but hopefully this article has shown that exhibiting at a virtual trade show doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Equipped with the facts and tips above, you’ll be able to approach your virtual trade shows in an organized, step-by-step and strategic way (just like you would for your traditional trade shows) with confidence!

Let's discuss! Were any of the facts above a surprise for you? Even more excited about exhibiting at a virtual trade show than you were before (or reconsidering your decision)? Comment below to share your thoughts and ideas OR if you’d like more tips and advice, click here to learn more about our newest program, “Virtual Trade Show Value – Your 30-Day Crash Course in the 5 Essential Steps that Make Exhibiting Online Worth It!”