Like the fibrous internet cable that connects people with limitless information, so too must trade show and convention exhibitors be flexible with their messaging and engagement strategies to reach event-goers of all backgrounds and interests. The modern exhibit “is far from a one-size-fits-all, it is a one-size-fits-one scenario,” said Todd Sussman, vice president of creative
Like the fibrous internet cable that connects people with limitless information, so too must trade show and convention exhibitors be flexible with their messaging and engagement strategies to reach event-goers of all backgrounds and interests.
The modern exhibit “is far from a one-size-fits-all, it is a one-size-fits-one scenario,” said Todd Sussman, vice president of creative at Derse, a Milwaukee-based marketing agency and exhibit builder.
Long gone are the days when exhibitors can simply present “brand monuments” to lure in people, said Andy White, Derse’s vice president of sales and marketing. Exhibits are now more like “mobilized experience centers,” White added.
“We’re not looking at just one way to be able to engage an audience, now we’re having to look at multiple channels within an exhibit environment to be able to engage the skimmers, the swimmers and the deep divers into content,” Sussman said. “We have to come up with those strategies to say what’s going to be the quick hit, or what’s going to be that deep dive into whatever the products or services are.”
The ideal delivery method can shift based on factors as large as the target industry or as specific as the individual attendee. For instance, said Sussman, a father and son who together own a construction company likely interact with booth vendors in different ways. The dad may want a hands-on demonstration of a piece of equipment, while the son may be more interested in what information is available digitally.
Large LED screens, which provide easily tweaked, catchy message opportunities, have remained popular stretching back to before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, according to experts at Derse. There is limited interest in virtual reality, since not everyone is comfortable with putting on a pair of goggles at an event. Augmented reality is more common to see at a vendor booth because it offers similar benefits but on cell phones. Sussman said vendors look for ways to create “Instagrammable moments” at their booths, as social media sharing can further amplify their brand.
[caption id="attachment_574782" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Examples of trade show booths built by Derse.[/caption]
“(Clients are) using technology not for technology’s sake, but really as an educational tool on the trade show floor,” he said.
With increased technology usage comes increased demand for bandwidth. Event planners now look for robust Wi-Fi and cellular in prospective convention venues, said Marty Brooks, chief executive officer of the Wisconsin Center District, which operates the soon-to-be-expanded Baird Center and other downtown Milwaukee event venues. The strong connectivity is needed to support both exhibitors and attendees, Brooks said. WCD has increased the Wi-Fi strength in its facilities to meet demand.
Attendees and organizers now expect more out of a facility than large conference areas and trade show floor space, according to Brooks. They desire small breakout areas or tucked-away places to get work done. The project team behind the Baird Center’s ongoing expansion has that top of mind. In addition to doubled exhibit space, the expanded center will have significantly more meeting space. It will also have power stations and numerous seating areas.
“I hate going to hotels and meetings and seeing people sitting on the floor to plug into wall outlets,” Brooks said, adding the Baird Center will have power built into virtually anywhere someone could possibly sit.
“(We’re) looking at how people use the space and what amenities they need,” he said.
Brooks added that event planners still inquire about audio-visual capabilities in order to livestream their events, though demand for that has waned in the years following the pandemic.
[caption id="attachment_574783" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Examples of trade show booths built by Derse.[/caption]
“As COVID gets further into the rearview mirror … it may start to go away, but it’s still a factor people want to address as they can provide their content and message to people who may not be able to get to their event in person,” Brooks said.
It’s undeniable that demand for large events and conventions evaporated at the onset of the pandemic – first due to government shutdown orders and later from hesitation to gather in large groups.
Then, demand returned as quickly as the switch of a light, said White. Derse heard from clients that the lack of trade shows left gaps in their typical sales process. A Zoom call simply couldn’t replicate a personal demonstration or conversation in a convention hall.
“I think there’s been an infusion of energy and investment back into our space based on that idea that you don’t know what you have until it’s gone,” White said.
One product of the pandemic that appears here to stay is the added focus on facility cleanliness and safety processes. The convention center upgraded to hospital-grade air filtration systems and boosted health and safety standards following the onset of the pandemic. WCD is “not taking any steps backward” as far as those standards go, said Brooks.
Sussman said the only constant in the trade show business is change. And one thing rings true through all that change, he noted: “The buzz on the trade show floor is more important than ever.”
