Are Trade Shows REALLY becoming Extinct?

I read a recent article today titled “Are bloggers & social networks killing the big shows?”  and was appalled at the forecast.  It is unfortunate that Apple, the media and the Internet are forecasting blogging and all social media may be replacing tradeshows in the future.  While this may be true for some of the larger technology shows like Comdex, Macworld it is not true for many other industries.

When the economy changes and people panic, the first thing companies do is cut back on marketing and tradeshows.  This is a mistake.  After the dot.com crash, the same thing was happening on the east and west coasts, yet the most successful companies were the ones who were actively involved in tradeshows in combination with the Internet and the beginning of social media efforts.  On December 16th, Apple announced that this is the last year they will exhibit at Macworld Expo.  Apple executives are reaching more people in more ways than ever before.  They believe trade shows have become a minor part of how Apple reaches its customers.  Apple’s main clientele is the younger generation. This goes to show the segregation beginning to happen and the generational marketing challenges we are facing today.  The generation under 30 likes more interactive social media (facebook, linkedin, my space, squido, plaxo, Konnects, pod casts, live videos online, and the social media list goes on and on).  

What I am seeing is a real disconnect with the customer if companies do not combine the efforts to market to all four generations including  the Matures (Born Prior to 1946), who communicate more formally through memo, one on one meetings, tradeshows; the Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964), who communicate face-to-face, telephone calls, trade shows, etc.; the Generation X (Born 1965-1980) who communicate through direct emails, telephone calls and also through meetings and shows, and the Nexters (Born 1981-1995) who connect through social media, e-mail, voice mail and cell phones, but not necessarily face to face.

Communication and Marketing are changing, if you are not involved in social media, you will be left behind. However, success will depend on how you utilize the best of both worlds – how you interact on the Internet, use social media for awareness and education, and how you build client relationships through face-to-face meetings, telephone calls and tradeshows.  Each mode of communication is necessary to gain the exposure needed to bring your company to the next level.

This is exactly what we are doing at EXHIB-IT!  Be sure to read our three different blog pages regarding marketing and leadership, graphic design and graphic production, and trade shows.  We are also active participants in Twitter, Squidoo, Facebook, Linked In etc.  and we will be moving into pod casts, webinars and videos in the near future. We see the value in social media, but recognize that combining these efforts along with traditional marketing ensures we are in line with the communication needs of our active and potential clients.