Digital has changed the impact businesses can have at trade shows and expos. Emily Andrews analyses the importance of live events for B2B communications

As web streaming services became an accessible option for businesses, many operating in the B2B space could be forgiven for thinking that face-to-face events, such as exhibitions, would become irrelevant and a thing of the past. But, around a decade later, expos continue to be a major point of contact between B2B brands and their audiences. Expos and live events offer the face-to-face interaction that is essential for the development of business relationships, particularly in B2B where the item purchased is likely to be a person or their services, rather than a product.

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX exhibition, says, “Face-to-face events are the most powerful communications tool. It should be obvious, but it isn’t always. Ultimately, you can’t develop relationships online. Technology and the online world give us a way to extend the scope and value of face-to-face events, but they can’t replace them.”

Digital and technology may not have replaced live events, but they can certainly add to the experience, delivering more value for both the buyers and the suppliers. Brands are forever looking for new and exciting ways to employ technology in order to win attention in the busy space that is the expo environment. Technology can also help businesses to better communicate their offering.

Sequence, a creative digital agency based in Cardiff and London, provides brands with digital solutions to help them stand out at live events. In a project with Honeywell Aerospace, the largest manufacturer of aircraft engines and avionics, Sequence created a tactile, digital application that would compete in the visually-rich environment of the trade show, and encourage attendees to engage with Honeywell’s stand and products.

A Honeywell spokesperson says, “This project was one example of how we used an innovative solution to communicate a range of aircraft upgrade solutions available for current fleets that can enhance productivity, safety and efficiency for our customers. We wanted to develop a tool that could house all of the information in a way that was easy to understand, engaging and intuitive."

The interface was a spectacle, and gave Honeywell's aeronautical tools – such as transmitters, radar and proximity warning systems – far greater visual impact. It also made Honeywell's target audience spend longer at the stand.

Richard Baker, CEO at Sequence, says, “We try to add a little bit of spark or a little bit of magic to what, at the end of the day, is a load of people standing in a room with literature around. We try to make it a bit more interactive.”

One big challenge for brands looking to claim a piece of the expo pie is the sheer scale of much of these events. Suppliers must compete for the attention and the time of the buyers and, in B2B, the product or service may not necessarily lend itself to aesthetics. That is where digital and technology can make a huge difference. Besides attention-grabbing spectacles such as touchscreens and virtual reality headsets, digital tools – such as apps – are now commonplace, and help to create a personalised experience for the expo attendee.

Baker sees the size of many modern expos as a potential issue. He says that, beyond the competition element, B2B businesses, that are often targeting quite a niche group, may feel that larger exhibition venues don’t suit their needs since the net is cast too wide. He says, “Some of these expos are so large, that they need to think carefully about how they’re going to theme the content to the audience. I wonder if the opportunity is in smaller events that are very much more focused.”

IMEX, an exhibition organiser that holds two expos a year – one in Frankfurt and one in Las Vegas – for the global meetings and events industry, aims to help both its buyers and its suppliers get the most out of its events. Despite operating on a large scale, Bauer says that online tools allow delegates to cut through the noise and find the most relevant contacts and stands. She says, “The technology that we use makes that experience as efficient as it can be.”

Apps help delegates to get more value from an event. They assist with scheduling and often include some kind of appointment-booking service to help both buyers and suppliers manage their time more efficiently. IMEX’s events are appointment-led, as are forums held by Richmond Events, an events company that services the communications industry. Its events, which are sometimes hosted on cruise ships and can last for several days, are pre-scheduled to match buyers and suppliers. This helps delegates and suppliers pinpoint the people who are best placed to resolve their business needs. In an expo environment, digital tools make it easier for organisations to target a specific group of people.

Despite the challenges associated, Ed Vickery, head of exhibition at communications agency, drp, says expos can be a valuable resource, “It’s a quick way to meet a lot of people in a short amount of time. You do tend to make quicker, easier and more meaningful lasting relationships. A face-to-face conversation with somebody is a lot more personal.” No matter the size of the exhibition, compared to more traditional forms of advertising or marketing, expos remain targeted in their approach. Exhibitors are provided with a captive audience, people who have chosen to invest their own time and money into the exhibition, and who are therefore much more likely to be in a position to do business. But above all, it is that face-to-face element, the person behind the brand, that really makes exhibitions so effective as a communications tool.

D-Zine, a client of drp is a furniture hire company that uses exhibitions to meet both current and future clients. Betsy Vickery, managing director at D-Zine, says of the expo setting, “It’s unique because hundreds of industry professionals are under one roof, visiting the exhibition with an openness to the opportunity of finding new suppliers and creating new relationships – for new business opportunities you can’t get much better than that.”

Once the stage has been set, and a meeting has been enabled through digital, or more traditional methods – such as a well-designed and laid out stall or booth – it is up to the organisation to get both its brand and its message across. The face-to-face nature of the interaction means that the people on the stall are of the utmost importance.

Betsy Vickery says, “Brand goes much further than a company logo, exhibitions are a brilliant place for our existing and prospective customers to meet the faces behind D-zine. People often buy into people and put their trust in people, and we want visitors to walk away from our stand knowing that we are a brand they can trust.”

There is a tendency among exhibitors to just place sales people on their stands, but this is not necessarily the best course of action. Instead, particularly in a B2B environment, businesses should think about placing people who have the most relevant knowledge, and choosing a good mix of people whose knowledge covers a broad remit.
 

“It’s a quick way to meet a lot of people in a short amount of time. You do tend to make quicker, easier and more meaningful lasting relationships. A face-to-face conversation with somebody is a lot more personal.”

Ed Vickery says, “It’s the quality of the people on the stand, and how well you train them.” Drp offers training days for staff members who will be representing their company at an exhibition. Because of the importance of the human element, and of not wasting that face-to-face opportunity once it has been facilitated, the emphasis, on the exhibitor’s side, should be on the people, and preparing them with the necessary skills and information. Vickery advises that organisations research, know their market and tailor their offering accordingly. He says, “The more work you put into the people and the training before you get there the better the ROI will be.” The team is also important, particularly in B2B, they may not have met each other previously and should have a good idea of each other’s strengths.

Whether it’s the stand, the technology, or the employees, every aspect of the brand at the exhibition has to feel like a genuine extension of the organisation and its brand persona. A jarring experience will only make the exhibitor appear false or untrustworthy. The best way to communicate authentically is through the organisation’s employees, who should be brand advocates. With the right people, an exhibition can be one of the most efficient ways of communicating an organisation’s mission, and achieving its goals. Bauer says, “If a company is investing in a trade show, since it is a big investment of time and money however it’s done, it’s important that it is a key part of the year- round marketing and sales strategy.”

The final stage for B2B businesses using expos to reach their key audiences, whether they are potential clients, investors or even employees, is to measure the effectiveness of the techniques used. Measuring micro data, such as engagement with a certain aspect of the stand, as well as macro data, is essential for finding out what’s working, and for knowing where investment is well-placed. Baker says, “That’s the beauty of digital across everything, it allows us to get that real granularity of information that can then be used to improve future events.” Digital tools may not have replaced live events, but they can certainly enhance them.