Participation in Trade Fairs: Outdated or Still a Relevant Tool
Trade fairs where suppliers present themselves have been around for a very long time.
The oldest trade fairs (around 1900) were actually exhibitions where manufacturers showcased their machines and other products to the public. Consider, for example, the RAI (the ‘Dutch Association for the Bicycle and Automobile Industry’) which actually began with bicycles being displayed.
Later, a more commercial aspect was added to the story, and thus it became not only a meeting place but also a place where business could be conducted.
In this way, trade fairs became THE place where people met, where they could compare, and where they stayed informed about developments.
In short: the trade fair medium was an important source for meeting and doing business.
But…
We encountered Covid in our midst: from March 2020 until August 2021, NO trade fairs were allowed to be held, and other ways had to be found to connect people and companies.
The egg of Columbus seemed to have been laid! No more expensive trade fairs, but organizing online fairs from one’s own environment, working online, meeting online.
To this day, parts of the Corona-era trade fair and meeting culture are still in use.
Consider:
- Digital trade fairs: virtual events
- Hybrid: digital and offline mixed
- Working from home
- Remote meetings
According to many, this has made the future of traditional trade fairs less relevant.
What has become apparent?
When we were allowed to hold trade fairs again in September 2021, everyone involved, from the parking attendant at an exhibition hall to the stand builder and client, was happy.
Why happy?
- People had “missed” each other. Yes, even the grumbling about logistics, setup times, and accessibility was suddenly not so annoying anymore
- Face-to-face encounters proved stronger than expected (“together”)
- The “meeting place function” was still present.
- Tasting and holding a real product feels different than watching a video on Instagram or YouTube
- Importantly: the visit resulted in great satisfaction, and the number of leads that came from it were also very satisfying
But still!
Those who doubt the future of the trade fair medium point to several issues:
- Social media: the rise and importance of social media cannot be denied
- Costs for trade fair participation have risen sharply since 2022
- Environmental aspect: trade fairs cause a significant environmental impact
The post-corona trend is that the number of trade fairs has grown by 8% after Covid.
Beaufair believes in the value of human contact. This doesn’t necessarily have to be physical contact at all costs. However, the experiences from the restart of trade fairs after Covid have taught us that meeting each other on a trade fair floor does indeed have advantages.
We can assist you by considering cost-effective solutions such as our Stand-Upp stand concept and by placing a strong emphasis on reusing materials and reducing environmental impact when building our stands.
