ROUNDTABLE
do they want to be paid? All of these questions are important. The more planning time they can give us, the better it is for anyone who is presenting. Of course, every trade show will always have some last-minute issues – that goes with the territory. JC: Given that I’ve organised and been a part of more than 130 trade shows over the past 13 years, one thing is true – there are many challenges. One of the biggest pains is keeping people there on the last day or making that last day beneficial. The AISTech steel show started doing a truck raffle on the last day to keep people in attendance, since the winner must be present. KL: High exhibition costs, low-quality foot traffic and difficulty tracking post-show ROI are common concerns. We address these by focusing our booth experience on interactive demonstrations of our RiConnect compliance management platform via vertical screens. Visitors can simulate real use cases, making the conversation shift from ‘what the product is’ to ‘how it solves your compliance pain points’. Simultaneously, our digital tools help us capture leads in real time for seamless post-show follow-up.
How have attendee expectations changed in the past five years, and how should event organisers adapt? SN: Since Covid, there has been a noticeable shift. Attendees are more eager than ever to experience products in person. Seeing and physically interacting with equipment leaves a lasting impression, which is why we bring sections of our carbon fibre and composite material davit crane
One of the many panel discussions by industry leaders at supply chain exhibition, Modex.
mast to trade shows. Allowing customers to pick up the mast and feel its weight creates a sense memory, reinforcing their understanding of our product’s unique advantages. Event organisers should facilitate more hands-on product demonstrations and structured interaction zones that help attendees discover products more effectively. Digital integration also remains a key expectation. QR codes for instant product information, digital literature sharing instead of printed brochures and interactive event apps all contribute to a more streamlined and engaging experience.
TB: I think that, since Covid, trade shows have become a thing again. Before that, there was a sense that people did them just to say they were there. People were just walking the shows, but there was a lack of real purpose. Now, companies have changed and they are doing new things, showing new products, and people are attending with a sense of purpose again. Trade shows are still relevant now. You still see people returning after a couple of years, and companies have new issues to address, so they want to see what is out there in the industry. Post-Covid, we see more business owners walking the shows because they
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