Are Trade Shows Still Working?
Marie Wiese
CEO @ Marketing Copilot | Microsoft MVP | Revenue Leader | Author | Speaker | Podcaster
As trade show season approaches, many businesses are asking the same question: Are trade shows still delivering the impact they once had?
Trade shows have long been a staple for industries looking to showcase innovations, network, and generate leads. But as we reflect on the past few years, our sense is that their effectiveness has been declining.
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The Post-Pandemic Spike
After the pandemic, we witnessed a spike in excitement around trade shows. People were eager to return to in-person events, hungry for face-to-face interactions and a break from virtual meetings. The initial surge in attendance and engagement was promising. However, as the novelty wore off and we settled back into normal business rhythms, the results started to fade.
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The Decline in Effectiveness
Now that the dust has settled, we’re left wondering if trade shows are worth the time, money, and effort. In an increasingly digital world, where information is available at the click of a button, the traditional format of trade shows may be losing its appeal. The question is, are we getting the return on investment we once did?
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The Follow-Up Challenge
One of the biggest challenges we’ve encountered is maintaining meaningful relationships with the people we meet at trade shows. How often and how long do we keep in touch with the connections made? Are they translating into long-term business partnerships, or do they fade into the background after the event?
Moreover, what emails are you sending or receiving post-conference? Are they full of generic follow-ups that go ignored? Is your inbox flooded with emails that fail to resonate or push the connection further?
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领英推荐
My Question For You: Are Trade Shows Still Working?
So, what’s the answer? Are trade shows still worth the investment? I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
Are you still seeing value from attending trade shows? How are you maintaining connections, and what kind of results are you seeing in the months following these events?
Let us know what you think as trade show season begins.
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What we’re up to:
Over the next few weeks I’ll be travelling to a few different trade shows and events:
·????? Fem.AI Summit, Menlo, CA. Oct. 1
·????? Community Summit NA, San Antonio, TX. Oct. 13-17th (see below for the full details of where you can find the Marketing Copilot? team at Summit)
Let's use data to share the stories that connect with customers
17 小时前Trade shows & events work...just as most intelligently planned marketing tactics work. It's more of a comparison question. From my experience, when you measure the cost of qualified leads and opportunities, live events are the most expensive. Unlike digital activities, they are difficult to scale. But it's not an either/or. As one of the other commenters said--face to face is valuable. Events give you this. So, it's a matter of understanding what you expect from them, and setting measures accordingly.
Human2Human approach to book sales calls and fill your pipeline via LinkedIn. No pushy tactics, no cold calling, #nobots. CEO, PropelGrowth
1 个月This is a critical question. While connecting in person is very important, I’m honestly not convinced that sponsorship gets a meaningful ROI. If firms have a clear follow up strategy, and it’s customer centric rather than just ongoing pitches, they can get an ROI, but few firms do that well. What about your company Marie? Do you see ROI?
Building Successful ERP and CRM Teams for Customers & Partners
1 个月Short answer: yes I believe they do Here’s why, When you establish a presence online and then meet in-person, it creates a stronger level of trust. Putting a face to the name helps solidify those connections. From a knowledge-sharing perspective, there’s value in a curated, focused environment like conferences/events. It fosters deeper engagement and more meaningful connections. You get out of it what you put into it. I’m speaking more from intangibles rather than $$$ ROI though
As a TEDX speaker, best selling author of “Feel Better” and family physician, I empower individuals & organizations to improve culture, performance and communication by optimizing emotional and mental health
1 个月Definitely a post that calls for sharing.