Remember how, in the mid-2000s, “virtual” tradeshows took the place of live ones?
Neither do I.
But, boy, did they try.
Back then, everyone was clamoring to virtualize everything … and get rid of its “real” counterpart. This caused several tech companies to offer, nay to PROMISE, fully-virtualized tradeshow environments that would be easy to use, deliver TONS of ROI, and take the place of live events. Show managements were promised they could rake in exhibiting, sponsorship, and advertising revenue, while brands would purchase virtual booths, attendees would purchase virtual passes, and no one would ever have to leave the confines of their office cubicle to encounter the latest industry products and ideas.
The results were as dismal as they sound.
It took this “trend” to enable everyone to RE-discover that nothing can replace face-to-face interaction with real people.
However, like many new ideas that fail spectacularly, they left their mark, and what emerged was the idea of virtualizing your physical tradeshow booth, which, in turn, GLOBALIZES it.
Imagine visiting a physical booth on a show floor, and then REVISITING it after you return to your office, your hotel room, or over a cup of coffee to review something that caught your eye. And if you couldn’t attend the show, imagine still being able to visit a company’s exhibit, learn about what’s new, and then interact, reach out to speak with a live human being.
This would be quite useful.
But, I hear you thinking … at what cost?
Consider:
- When your booth is being designed, it is not unusual to have 3D drawings produced.
- Media, messaging, signage, and other engagement interactions are being created for your live tradeshow presence.
- Prior to a tradeshow, your website is normally spiffed up to reflect your latest literature, branding, case studies, etc.
The point is, when exhibiting at a tradeshow, you create—and invest in—a large number of valuable assets. With a strategic boost, these assets could be leveraged, repurposed, and brought to life virtually for your clients, your prospects, and for those who may have never heard of you.
How? That’s a good question, for which there are many good answers … too many for a blog post like this. The important thing to remember is … it’s possible, and it’s possible to do cost-effectively. Heck, your entire exhibit could be delivered through a custom app …
The Spring tradeshow season is upon us, and the Summer & Fall seasons are just around the corner. Wouldn’t it be great if all the work you put into your tradeshow programs could be made available to anyone who wanted to visit it … anywhere in the world?