in order to absorb new concepts, or
they’re wary of the technology. Others
welcome the convenience and func-tionality of events online. There are
opportunities and roadblocks, so conduct market research at the beginning
of the project to determine whether
your particular audience will respond
well to the online format.
2. Will you provide your audience with
new information? Successful virtual
trade shows provide attendees with
information they can’t find elsewhere.
Just because you create an event
doesn’t mean your audience will be
drawn to it. Make sure, therefore, that
you compile demos of the latest and
greatest products and services, and
that you have access to new, ground-breaking research.
3. Do you have the resources to update
content? Traditional trade shows typically last one day to a week. Virtual
trade shows can be hosted for six
months to a year. In order to attract
more attendees, organizers need to
refresh content and have a schedule
in place to market it.
4. How will you engage your audience?
Virtual trade shows need interactive
elements like live chat, e-mail, polls,
audio and video. These elements help
participants retain, share and inquire
about content. They’re also essential
for maintaining attendees’ attention.
Think about how you can add value
to each exhibit by translating the
interactivity of a physical event to an
online event.
5. How will you define success? There
are many reasons for hosting a virtual
trade show. Decide what your specific
goals are and how you plan to reach
them. A back-end tracking and reporting system is an essential component
of any virtual trade show. It can provide valuable information to generate
leads like attendance, demographics
and exhibit traffic. You can find out
exactly who clicked where and for
how long they visited specific pages.
