demonstration. There's two-way communi- cation and non-verbal cues, not to mention the added benefit of being able to simply walk down an aisle to compare and evalu- ate competitors... Everybody's there and ready to do business.”
Knight says that, in his view, the number one benefit to attending trade shows is education. “The U.S. has the most devel- oped meetings industry in the world,” he observes, “but things are always changing. Educational sessions are vital in keeping up with this evolving industry.”
Richards concurs, noting, “Ten years ago it may have been ‘nice’ to include education- al sessions as part of trade shows, but today education is a must have.”
The benefits of education aren’t limited to attendees either. Richards continues, “If you have a great educational program, as a trade show organizer you can even build revenue around it. Sponsorships can be generated for everything from the educa- tional sessions themselves to keynote speaker sessions and more.”
He also says that attendees often use the educational component of trade shows to help them determine which ones they want to attend. They also can use the ses- sions offered by a show as a way to con- vince their employer of the value of attend- ing, otherwise they might not have been able to obtain company approval.
“Content is king,” states Richards. “This state- ment rings true with all trade shows these days.”
Richards says the inclusion of an educa- tional element as part of the trade show often has another benefit. Education attracts experts in a field to take part, whether to present a lecture or to join a panel of experts for a question and answer session. When a show includes highly respected educational content, it is more likely to attract the best of the best from within the industry.
Professional education is a big part of AIBTM, notes Knight. In fact, leading indus- try associations, such as PCMA, CIC and others, are forming an integral part of both AIBTM and America Meetings Week. The
WE HAVE THE BEST DRESSED BOOTHS INTOWN!
TRADE SHOWS, TRADE SHOW MANAGEMENT,
SPECIAL EVENTS, CONFERENCES AND CONVENTIONS COVERING DELAWARE, NEW JERSEY AND PENNSYLVANIA
Main Line Expo 610-265-6200 Mid-Atlantic EVENTS Magazine 33
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