As the internet took off in the late 1990s, trade shows started being criticized as being “old school” and in some cases given an obsolete label as emerging technologies and associated applications such as email marketing, robust web sites and video conferencing were viewed as investments having better returns. At the time, trade shows were becoming quite costly and the share number of them, presented companies with difficult choices.
So it’s a bit ironic that that the technology that was supposed to make trade shows obsolete has been one of the biggest drivers of them. In June, we will be exhibiting (booth #226) at the Internet Retailers Conference in Chicago. This trade show has been experiencing significant growth every year. In fact, booth space for the show is already close to being filled.
For businesses, there is something to be said by “going out of your way” in order to make face-to-face contact. Technology can never replace the human touch, it only makes it more valuable.