As part of Strategic Growth Concepts on-going education series for small business owners, the firm is focusing the next episode of their BlogTalkRadio program, Strategic Growth Concepts for Small Business, on Virtual Trade Shows/Expos/
For all the benefit they provide, physical trade shows are often more trouble than they’re worth – and cost a lot more too! According to Tradeshow Week magazine, mid-to-large size companies spend about $550,000 every year participating in physical trade shows, with an average cost per show sometimes as high as $100,000 for larger companies. Small entrepreneurial companies can easily spend in the range of $50,000 per year. In direct contrast, Virtual Trade Shows can be extremely cost-effective to participate in – and to host. Entrepreneurial companies wanting to host their own virtual trade show can get started for as little as $50 per month for a basic trade show site, and larger companies wanting a more elaborate setup will typically invest in a one-time fee of up to $20,000. Once the site is prepared, they can charge exhibitors a fee or give the booth away for free in order to have the opportunity to gather customer information from show visitors. Benefits of virtual trade shows include:
• The graphics templates for the show site can be saved and re-used at any time
• The reduced costs of hosting and/or participating
• Booth setup for participants can take as little as 30 minutes – even without extensive computer skills
• No work time lost on travel
• Hosts and participants are able to obtain significantly more detailed data about attendees than is possible at any physical event
• Show attendance is typically in the hundreds rather than the thousands; this allows participants to spend increased quality time with those interested in their products or services, thereby resulting in leads that are more pre-qualified.
• Virtual trade shows last a lot longer; they can remain active in an unmanned state for up to 6 months after the actual ‘live’ event date. Some are even designed to be year-round displays.
To help small business owners understand the best ways to maximize the benefit of this exciting technology, Strategic Growth Concepts CEO, Linda Daichendt will host a panel of industry experts including: Kevin Carbone, CEO of 6Connex; Brent Arslaner, VP of Channels at Unisfair; and Cece Salomon-Lee, Director of Marketing at InXpo. During the show panelists will answer questions on such topics as:
• What challenges are event marketers facing today and how do virtual events/trade shows address those challenges?
• What types of virtual event solutions are available, what are the differences between them, and how should a business decide which one will meet their needs?
• What tips would you provide to a small business interested in hosting or participating in a virtual event?
• What cost and time expectations should a company plan on if deciding to host or participate in a virtual event?
• Much, much more
