Trade Show InsightsNews, tips & tools to expand your knowledge of exhibiting

Ever since I wrote my book, Build a Better Trade Show Image — ten years ago — I’ve been trying to convince both show managers and exhibitors that doing shows the same way won’t cut it anymore. If you look at the statistics for many expos (especially association shows), you’ll see the primary demographic is age 40-plus, with many averaging even age 50-plus. But if you want your show to stay alive, you better figure out how to reach the 20- and 30-somethings, and you better do it quick!

Someone recently told me about this video featuring a company in South Korea who has created a supermarket in the subway. The key to the store’s success is their use of QR codes. In case you’re not familiar with them, they’re little bar code-like squares that are popping up everywhere from print ads to packaging to business cards. The way they work is that you snap a photo on your smart phone, which takes you to a link or some other kind of information embedded in the code. Although they’re not yet mainstream in the U.S., they’ve been popular in Asia for quite a few years already.

Image from Stock.XCHNG

In this post from the Influential Marketing Blog, author Rohit Bhargava shares his predictions for 2012 marketing trends. Several of them should be of particular attention to trade show marketers, including:

1. Corporate Humanism:  Companies should use trade shows to reinforce their corporate personality. It’s the perfect opportunity to humanize and build relationships with clients and prospects.

3. Social Loneliness:  People need personal contact beyond their computer screen. Studies are demonstrating that even though we may have more “friends” than ever, we are becoming more and more isolated. So it’s important to start your promotions in advance of the show, then encourage people to come meet your team in person at the booth.

Although it was a short work week, here are some tidbits from the first few days of 2012:

How Many Exhibitions, Venues Are There?
According to a recent study by UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, there are 1,197 exhibition venues worldwide with a total gross indoor exhibition space of 106.9 million square feet. Only one U.S. venue makes the top 15 list … and it’s not the one you probably expect! (Do these numbers seem a bit off, or is it just me?)

While January is isn’t filled with lots of trade shows, there are several benchmark ones across the country. Whether or not they have anything to do with your line of business, it’s worth paying attention because they often set the tone for attendance at other shows throughout the year.

So here’s your “must-watch” list for January:

PPAI Expo
Jan. 4-6 in Las Vegas (est. 20,000 attendees)
http://expo.ppai.org/
PPAI Expo on Facebook
Follow PPAI Expo on Twitter 

North American International Auto Show
Jan. 9-22 in Detroit (est. 735,000 attendees)
www.naias.com/
NAIAS on Facebook
Follow NAIAS on Twitter