I have recently been involved in two large exhibitions at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre in my capacity as The Tradeshow Coach. The first was at DesignEx where I was engaged by the show organisers DMG World Media to provide content and workshops in the lead up to the show as well as being on hand at the show to help exhibitors do it better and improve their opportunity to maximise their R.O.I.

Last week I was involved with Austech where I worked with a client , Interlease ( who exhibited at the show) to identify their objectives, fine tune their branding and develop a follow up system to implement after the show.

The feedback from both shows is consistent with the trend experienced in Australia and the USA – Trade show numbers are down – exhibitors and visitors – business transactions are up and it is all quality. The “tyre kickers “ are not bothering to turn up ( they have other things to worry about).  Visitors attending the shows are serious buyers and are there to do business.

So, if you are thinking about whether you should be exhibiting over the next 12 months – there should be  No Doubt About It. You will stand out from your competitors who are cutting back their marketing budget and you will maximise your opportunity to pick up new business.