Trade Show Ideas: The Value of Face to Face Meetings
Trade Show Ideas to Consider: In a world where so much communication takes place in the digital realm, do face-to-face meetings still matter?
As someone who works in the trade show industry, I have to say that face to face meetings undoubtedly matter in marketing. In fact, face to face meetings seem even more valuable since it is so much easier to send out emails, tweets and other digital communications. Companies that take the time to come up with trade show ideas and shop online for amazing trade show booths to make a personal connection with attendees must have good reason for doing so.
This theory was tested at the Americas Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition, held in June. Rachel Wimberly wrote the findings for TSNN:
“Eighty-five percent of those surveyed reported that F2F meetings with suppliers were important prior to doing business, furthering the keynote address’ message (given by J. Walker Smith) that in-person connections still are ruling, even in a digital age.
In addition, 84 percent of respondents said that exhibitions and trade shows have the same or more value to C-suite executives, compared with last year, and 85 percent expressed that large internal meetings provided the same or more value.
The survey also showed that 52 percent of participants prefer external classroom sessions for workforce education and training ROI vs. internal sessions, e-Learning or self-help.”
Trade Show Ideas: the Importance of Personal Connections
So what makes these face to face meetings so important? Well, it has to do with creating a real connection between individuals. In emails and conference calls, it’s easy for the person on the other end to simply be a voice, disconnected from any real individual. However, in face to face meetings it’s clear that two individuals are meeting together to brain storm for trade show ideas or marketing campaigns. Being in the same room can help boost moral, creativity and openness. All of this together means better productivity. Face to face meetings are great in and out of the office.
In a trade show environment you can tell how potential clients are reacting to a sales pitch, a product or service giving you booth staff more trade show ideas for how to improve interactions with the next visitor or for the next trade show. In the office, employees can get to know each other better by meeting in person and boost moral. In turn, this can increase their openness with each other and increase their creativity. While it may be easier to send an email or a text, sometimes the benefits of personal meetings far outweigh the ease of an email.
If you’re looking for any trade show ideas visit APG’s new Trade Show Tips and Advise section of the APG website. Experienced trade show professionals are writing some of their favorite tips they want to pass on to exhibitors.
