Why The Exhibitor Format Is Obsolete For Virtual Conferences
The reason why you're wasting your time as a virtual exhibitor. And what to do instead.
Exhibitors REALLY do not like virtual events.
In fact, in a recent survey 43 percent of exhibitors who have participated in a virtual trade show say they won’t do so again.
The exhibitor format is completely obsolete for virtual events. There I said it.
Exhibitors should instead be focusing on building their community and brand to a point where they are able to hold their own virtual events.
Why The Exhibitor Format Just Doesn’t Work For Virtual Events…
A virtual event is a fundamentally different format to a physical event.
The biggest mistake virtual event organisers are making right now, is putting a physical event on the internet and calling it a virtual event. In reality, a virtual event is something completely different.
With a physical event, attendees are there for the whole experience (if they like it or not). They’ve cleared their calendar, removed themselves from their regular environment and therefore attendees are typically more open.
With a virtual conference, it tends to be more transactional. Often you’re cherry picking parts of the event, and fitting it into your usual day. This means you’re not as immersed, compared to a physical event.
The exhibitor format works for physical conferences because there is foot traffic, they’ve often got time to kill in between sessions, and the attendees are more open.
With virtual events there is no foot traffic, they don’t have time to kill and the attendees are less open. And did I mention it’s just super cheesy?
So What Should Exhibitors Be Doing Instead?
Exhibitors be focusing on building their community and brand to a point where they are able to hold their own virtual events.
With events going virtual, this has almost completely eliminated barriers to creating an event, along with significantly reducing the cost.
The benefit of physical conferences is that many of your potential customers are in one place. With the internet this is irrelevant, because you’re able to reach your potential customers without relying on someone else’s conference.
Conclusion
Everyone is trying to figure out the broader virtual event format right now. Nobody has quite got it figured out yet.
But the biggest mistake organisers are making right now is treating a virtual event in the same way you would a physical event.
The exhibitor format while great for physical events, just doesn’t work for virtual events.
However, building your community and brand to a point where you’re able to hold your own virtual conferences, will deliver outcomes that will far exceed exhibiting at someone else’s conference.
What do you think? Do you agree? Or have I got it wrong? Is there a better format to exhibitors that is more native to the virtual event format?