And in a 1994 Hyatt Hotels Corp. survey, more than half of the CEOs and middle managers polled believed videoconferencing might replace in-person meetings. In pre-Internet 1989, half that number attended just 3,289 shows covering half the square footage. And fully three-quarters of those visitors leave exhibitions having made at least one purchase, notes Tradeshow Week's 1999 Data Book . These figures are not surprising when you consider that 86 percent of trade show attendees either make their company's purchasing decisions outright or strongly influence them, according to Tradeshow Week. First and foremost, by producing profitable results.
Companies keep investing in shows because they generate profitable returns.
Yours Initially, the exhibition industry was slow to embrace new technologies, fearing that virtual tradeshows, Web conferencing, and other impersonal marketing alternatives would diminish demand for traditional venues. Once perceived as a direct threat, show managers have adopted virtual technology as an adjunct marketing supplement for real-world shows. ICES leader Gary Shapiro underscores why virtual shows will always be value-adds for physical events. When you go to a trade show, you're getting a sense of what that company's standing is in its industry, the excitement level of the company's representatives, and you're creating essential relationships. And they have come a long way from the brochureware of the mid-90's.