Description
Many events, especially conferences, feature a specific “sponsor hall” or “expo hall.”
The difference in a trade show? Those sponsor booths are the event!
There are often still workshops and classes, but the “main event” (so to speak!) is meeting with a whole bunch of sellers in a specific industry.
The value for attendees comes from meeting with vendors (aka providers) like yourself. And those interactions are indeed valuable. According to a report by the CMO Council and the Exhibit and Event Marketers Association, 31% of event marketers believe that trade shows, conferences, and events are essential, and 42% believe they are very valuable.
The fact that they are “industry-specific” means that they all have a specific target market.
That is one of the reasons companies use trade shows – to show off their newest products and features. You can bet competitors are trying to get a sneaky peak at their competition, too!
Trade shows can be utilized for both B2B and B2C marketers. Plus the audience for trade shows really is very specific!
Trade shows are often used interchangeably with the word “expo,” which means a large exhibition.
However, if you want to be one of those super smart people who understands the difference, expos are often open to consumers, and are either free or have a low ticket price. They don’t require the big entry fee that a trade show does, and the audience isn’t as specific.
