Why Do Trade Shows?

Trade shows are exhilarating . . . and they are difficult . . . and they are hard work for both the buyers and the sellers. Although buyers who like trade shows like them to be exhilarating they know trade shows will be hard work. They would like them to be less difficult to work. That may be "the impossible dream." Trade shows are hard work for buyers because they require lots of walking, information gathering and, yes, sometimes even decision-making.

Trade shows are exhilarating for buyers for several reasons. First, they are a change of scenery from their daily routine. Secondly, they will be seeing new products, services and ideas that will stimulate their thinking and planning processes. Thirdly, they will be seeing and talking to people they do not get to see very often, suppliers, people in the same business, and yes, even competitors. They can all laugh, cry, brag, and commiserate together. They can exchange ideas and solutions to common problems. And lastly, they may buy some product or service that will help their firm or their firm's customer be better at what they are doing.

For those who exhibit at a show, I am not saying that it is not hard or difficult work. It is! It is hard work! Anything worth doing demands hard work. It is difficult because most of the people who staff a trade show exhibit are either outside salespeople, telephone salespeople, management (who are told that they should "press the flesh") or, often, not even salespeople. And, to make matters worse, they are being asked to work in a temporary and unfamiliar work environment.

Trade shows, no matter where one is in the distribution system, are a form of retailing -- the customer enters the seller's territory. Just as it is difficult for a "retail type" to be asked to knock on doors, it is difficult for someone who has not been trained in a retail selling situation to do a good job. People who are uncomfortable working at a trade show cannot do a good job!

It is for these reasons that trade shows are more difficult for buyers than they should be. They are having to shop in stores where the sales help does not really want to be there. This leads to inattentive salespeople or unattended booths. Another reason is that most trade show exhibit spaces are not arranged and/or signed to make it easy for first-time customers/buyers to know the nuances of what is being exhibited.

Not all buyers have the same abilities or experience. Some are professional buyers in their field. Anyone who exhibits, wishes there were more. Most buyers are not. Between 40% and 60% of the people attending a show have never been to a show, or that particular show, before. Most exhibitors do not realize this!

To uninitiated buyers, a trade show is a "cacophony of vision." There are 500 different musical groups who are all playing simultaneously. Some are orchestras, some are trios, some are soloists. Some are playing classical music, some are playing last year's tunes. To the uninitiated, they are all playing hard rock. Musicians (exhibitors) hears only their own music (merchandise or service). Buyers would like them to play one at a time. And it is not just the uninitiated who feel this way.