January 29, 2024
Spring Time is Show Time: Is Attending Trade Shows Still Worth It?
As we sit here in the depths of winter, one starts to think about sunshine and warm weather. Hope truly springs eternal, doesn’t it? And Spring springs hope; hope to get outdoors, to travel, to get/stay fit, to make new investments in technology, assets. Yes, some people look forward to Spring to consider making large purchases/investments such as procuring RVs or specialty industrial trailers. One way to conduct some research is by attending trade shows. However, are the trade shows still worth it, for both exhibitors and attendees? 
As we get ready to attend a few trade shows beginning in February, we take time to reflect on the benefits of attending shows. And we recognize and accept that some people and companies don’t attend trade shows, so we wanted to share some thoughts. So, grab a cup of coffee, shut your office door, and take 5…
Trade shows offer a dynamic platform for business & professionals to showcase products, network, gain industry insight and trends. Whether you’re an exhibitor or an attendee, being at a trade show provides a multitude of benefits, many which foster growths while enhancing business relationships.
As an exhibitor, trade shows serve significant opportunities to showcase brands, products, services, etc. to highly targeted audiences. Furthermore, the exposure gained within such narrow opportunity time frame allows you to talk to customers (prospective and current), vendors who may provide pivotal information and feedback on how to enhance your products/services for greater customer engagement. This time can create a unique value proposition for you for future market share gains.
Moreover, trade shows provide a platform for exhibitors to launch new products, generating buzz & excitement within the industry. Additionally, as earlier mentioned, allowing customers to provide you feedback through hands on demonstrations, firsthand info may provide long lasting impressions on those attendees who participated in enhancing your products and services, which may broaden (and, in some cases deepen) your customer relationship. All that would enhance sales and profitability.
Networking can also provide a pivotal opportunity for your company by forging new partnerships, collaborating with new connections, and securing new customers. Such networking opportunity may open doors for you that may not have been there had you not attended a trade show as an exhibitor. But what if you’re not an exhibitor?
Attendees also reap substantial benefits from attending trade shows. Shows can be a hub for knowledge gathering and dissemination. From attending speaking engagements to attending workshops & seminars, trade shows offer plenty of educational opportunities. An attendee can gain insights into the latest industry trends, technological advancements, & best practices. This knowledge can be implemented in their respective fields of expertise which could foster professional development and personal growth.
Network. Tradeshows are great for networking. You can connect with industry experts, thought leaders/provokers, industry peers and potential customers (or, perhaps, potential employees or employers). Mentoring and other avenues to foster career paths can also materialize during a show. 
For business, going to a show can provide you with a competitive edge, a refined unique value proposition. The connections you establish can help you gain insight into market trends, competition, market research, some nuggets that can foster strategic critical thinking and decision-making.
So, whether you’re an exhibitor or an attendee, going to trade shows can be valuable to you. Foster growth (professional or personal) may be one of the greatest benefits of attending. There are so many trade shows to attend, deciding on which ones may be a challenge, but decide, act, and push on. We are going to be at several shows ourselves, including Showmen in Gibsonton Florida; Disaster Expo in Miami; Oil & Energy in Midland Texas. We hope to see some of these where we can collaborate, share insights and develop a business relationship.
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Enjoy the Spring! Enjoy the Trade shows, and here’s to “Hope springs eternal!” from your friends at Recreation By Design and Workforce By RBD!
