A flourishing show or conference is hard to sustain in today’s busy world, and yet if the right audience is invited, they maintain their position as the most productive form of networking and information gathering. This blog post will explore just some of the reasons why events are still relevant and important in this modern post-pandemic world we find ourselves in.
Communication
Communication lies at the heart of any event. At a B2B event of any size conversation flows between peers, suppliers, customers, and even just between colleagues whose daily lives don’t normally allow that interaction to happen as freely.
A high-quality B2B event will also enable conversations to flow with a wider audience of potential customers. Not only is it the ideal platform to spread your brand and message into new customer areas, but it also facilitates growth across existing clients. Any delegate attending any event will be there to learn and expand their knowledge – the perfect scenario to find out the latest updates on what your customers would like to achieve, what help they need, and ultimately which partners will be able to provide that solution to them.
We never stop communicating, but the way we do that has moved on enormously. The personal relationship between supplier and provider has changed, and while we are able to be in touch globally at the touch of a button, do we really still know the people we do business with?
Relationships
This is where the trade show, conference or exhibition still has a vital role to play. Face-to-face meetings, shaking hands, sharing a joke on an exhibition stand, and catching up on personal changes both in and out of the workplace are so important, and all vital parts of building relationships and trust. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to be that trusted supplier who over the years becomes an instinctive go-to for the client. That is much harder to do purely on a remote basis.
Relevance
One size does not fit all. A key consideration is also ensuring you have the right style of event. Knowing your audience, and what makes them tick will not only attract the right potential customers into your network, but will ensure the success and longevity of your event moving forwards. As an example, a niche conference with a content-led seminar program and a well-profiled selection of supporting exhibitors and experts will ensure delegates feel they have had a productive day away from work.
Research
It is all too easy to get blinkered into a rut. Processes, approaches and concepts get honed over the years into a size and shape that fits like a good pair of slippers. You start to take them for granted because they “just work”. But what happens if something happens to change the shape of either your slippers or your feet? They don’t fit quite right, but you put up with it because they are “your” slippers. They have always been “your” slippers, and when you replace them you buy the same ones again, probably online out of habit, despite them no longer really suiting your needs. But imagine if you went into a shoe shop with a whole range of slippers to try on. You touch them, try them, discuss them and compare them. You leave with a totally new style of slipper that is the perfect fit and also two other pairs of shoes that you hadn’t even considered.
This is exactly the same for B2B events. From exploring new products and techniques to gathering information by listening to industry thought-leaders and experts sharing their most recent innovations and developments, your knowledge and understanding are kept relevant and up-to-date.
Market positioning
Most B2B events are a multi-faceted experience. An exhibition stand is just one piece of the puzzle. Conference speaker slots, workshops, round tables, theatre presentations, media interviews and more all present opportunities to position your key people as thought leaders in your industry to a relevant and interested audience. The exhibition element is merely the showcase that backs up the expertise available.
Personal growth
Events are a learning curve. It doesn’t matter whether that is as the organiser, a speaker or a delegate. They are designed to facilitate knowledge-sharing. Even event organisers pick up tips from other events and use that knowledge to enhance their own delivery success. Continuous personal development (CPD) is a key element of any individual journey, and finding a variety of sources to learn from can only enhance the effectiveness of that process.
Effectiveness
Time is a precious and rare commodity. A well-balanced event will grant time back by proving it’s worth to all involved. Whether that is by improving our knowledge of a critical or relevant topic, or by introducing us to the right people to enable a project to move forwards, gaining insight and knowledge from industry leaders is a vital step in allowing your business to move forward and thrive.
The internet, webinars, online video, IM, conference calls, squeezed budgets, spiralling travel costs and increased time pressure all add up to a lot of reasons why events should no longer be needed or relevant. Even though the world is shrinking, and in many ways that is a fantastic thing, events still have a very real place – even if the format has to adapt. That is a topic all on its own!