To exhibit or not to exhibit, that is the question.

At 4-Roads, we love an event. Whether it is a physical event, virtual event or, our preference, a hybrid event, there are valuable opportunities to gain industry insights, learn from your peers, network and give your brand exposure.

The conversation we always end up having is whether we should exhibit or attend as guests. Each option has its benefits and challenges, so I thought I’d share what we think before deciding to invest our time as an exhibitor or attend as a guest.

Making the choice

The starting point for choosing to attend or exhibit should always begin with your objectives. What are you hoping to achieve from your participation? Are you looking to generate leads, build brand awareness or explore partnership opportunities? You might want to engage with other industry experts or see what is happening in the market. There is no wrong goal for an event, but your plan should shape your approach.

Think about the benefits and disadvantages.

As an exhibitor:

Benefits:

Direct Engagement:? Exhibiting gives you more face-to-face time with attendees and puts your products and services directly into the conversation

Brand Exposure: Your brand will be prominently displayed at the event and in distributed materials, giving you more visibility and recognition.

Lead Generation: Exhibiting often leads to many leads, as visitors approach your booth with curiosity rather than you having to approach them.

Disadvantages:

Higher Investment: Exhibiting requires financial resources for booth rental, promotional materials and staffing costs.

Lead Quality: Exhibiting can bring many leads. Not all of them will be high quality, but they must be followed up. This can lead to an inefficient use of time after the event.

Resource Intensive:? As an exhibitor, preparing requires a lot of time and effort. You have to design a booth that entices and also train your people to talk to visitors.

As a guest:

Benefits:

Low Investment: Attending is typically a more cost-effective approach to an event than exhibiting.

Networking: As a guest, it is easier to engage with a select number of peers and potential customers that are most interesting and aligned with your business.

Learning Opportunities: You aren’t tied to your exhibitor stand and can take advantage of the daily presentations and sessions.

Disadvantages:

Limited Exposure: Your brand won’t be prominently displayed, and your reach will be limited.

Indirect Engagement: You might struggle to create meaningful conversations as other attendees will all have their own objectives for networking and attending parts of the event.

Before you exhibit or attend, research the event’s expected attendees to ensure they align with your target market. Exhibiting at an event that draws your ideal audience increases the likelihood of making high-quality connections and gaining valuable leads. If the audience isn’t fully aligned with your market, it may be better to simply attend and network with a select few attendees.

Networking at events

Networking at events is one of the key reasons to attend. You are put in a room, albeit usually a very large one, with like-minded professionals, potential clients and industry experts. Being at an event offers a unique opportunity to build a strong relationship that can lead to valuable partnerships.

One of the critical aspects of networking at an event that hybrid and online events have brought is the ability to ‘pre-network’. Event organisers began to create event communities where you can discuss topics and ask questions to experts and other attendees. Actively joining these communities is an essential part of networking at events. They allow you to start building relationships with other attendees, showcasing your knowledge and finding others you should meet with. Using these communities correctly can help you set up meetings with the right people at the event, making your time and interactions at each event incredibly valuable.

With Virtual Events, should you even attend?

The event landscape has undoubtedly changed post-pandemic. Virtual events have allowed participation from a broader audience. The trend in the event space is towards a hybrid setting, an event that caters to physical guests but opens up the closed room to anyone in the world.

With hybrid events offering networking and meeting facilities from within their online community, it provides an excellent opportunity to network from the comfort of your desk. This is good if you cannot attend the event, but face-to-face interactions make it easier to engage and create connections in a way that is harder through an online channel.

Technology for exhibitors has also allowed immersive experiences from home. VR/AR technology can enable online attendees to experience a product demonstration still. This is something that all exhibitors to a hybrid event must think about; there are some really smart ways to allow a home attendee to experience your products and create a potential new customer.

Online only does take away from your ability to network spontaneously. You might not bump into a person that can help your business.

If you can, attend; if you can’t, make the best use of the community tools available.

However you choose to attend an event, as an exhibitor, a physical attendee, or an online attendee, you should evaluate the event’s success. Measure your metrics, such as lead generation, brand reach, and attendee feedback, as part of your return on investment.

Tailor your approach to each event, and your efforts will be rewarded.