Michael Hart

Before Anyone Gets Carried Away …
April 2, 2008

The most recent issue of Tradeshow Week has a story that is news because it describes a first: the first acquisition of a virtual tradeshow (at least the first we know of).

As with most every transaction we write about, there is the standard “terms were not disclosed” statement. Because of the nature of the parties involved in tradeshow transactions, that isn’t unusual.

Of course, the vagueness of those undisclosed terms typically allows everybody with a show they’d like to peddle to let their imaginations take over. In this case, however, I wouldn’t imagine a lot of money changed hands.

We considered it newsworthy enough to put on our front page, but I would not jump to any conclusions about a trend in the making. That’s because, for the life of me, I’m not sure what an “attendee” gets out of a virtual tradeshow that some guy sitting at his computer doesn’t get when he jumps from Web site to Web site looking for a particular product he wants to buy, except perhaps a little convenience.
In the case of eComXpo, the buyer said he wants to “collocate” it with another virtual tradeshow that will take place a month before a physical tradeshow. How exactly does this differ from a show manager who allows his or her exhibitors access to the show’s Web site for marketing purposes a month in advance?

During the recession at the beginning of this decade, there was worried talk of the electronic media replacing face-to-face marketing. It didn’t happen. Now that we’re in an economic slowdown again – but one not likely to be nearly of the proportions of the last one – there might be some talk of that once more, but not as much.

I know that managers of traditional tradeshows do their best to minimize the value of virtual shows and that those who start the things believe it is the face of the future.

The truth, of course, is somewhere in between. However, if I had to choose a side, I’d stick with old-fashioned face-to-face marketing.

Posted by Michael Hart on April 2, 2008 | Comments (0)