It’s no surprise that trade shows are being postponed until later this year. This has left many companies searching for ways to replace the leads and prospects these shows normally generate.
So the question is, what would happen if an industry-leading brand took an unconventional approach to an industry trade show? That’s exactly what OPW, DeanHouston and Exhibit Logistics decided to find out when they started working together to bring OPW’s trade shows directly to customers via a virtual trade show.
What is a virtual trade show? It’s an industry event conducted in an online environment where trade show exhibitors and attendees connect with one another on the web rather than in-person. Virtual trade shows often include a virtual exhibition hall where exhibitors give presentations to attendees in the same manner that they would present at a typical trade show.
By conducting a virtual trade show, OPW is able to showcase its products to anyone, anywhere, while taking advantage of interactive features such as live chat, Q&A, webinars, webcasts and more. Virtual trade shows are easy to attend and they have been proven to attract a wide range of diverse attendees similar to the ones that frequent more traditional face-to-face events.
The ability to track attendees is a key aspect of virtual trade shows. By going virtual, OPW can see what attendees are interested in, as well as such factors as how each attendee found the show, how long they interacted with the event, and what questions were asked. This is great information to have when it comes to fostering the lead-nurturing campaigns that will be formulated as a direct result of the virtual show.
We know that nothing can triumph meeting in-person and having those face-to-face interactions. But as the world changes, companies like OPW have been able to streamline trade shows as we know them and turn a disadvantage into a unique marketing opportunity.
To learn more about virtual trade shows, please contact your DeanHouston account/marketing manager or Dale Dean at dale.dean@deanhouston.com.