The 2021 International Builders’ Show® will be held next week (February 8) – virtually; its promoter, the National Association of Home Builders announced this in October. The Private Label Manufacturers Association will have its PLMA Live Presents: Private Label Week (right now) February 1 to 5, virtually. Anthony Aloia, corporate vice president PLMA describes the event to Store Brands, as follows: “Exhibitors will be able to feature products within their online tradeshow booth, upload sales materials, even present video promotions for their producvts and capabilities.”
More so – and this is where promotional products distributors can come in – Aloia noted that exhibitors at this even will receive a list of registered attendees to help “in reaching out to invite visitors to their booth and schedule appointments.”
The tradeshow industry, more so than any other, proves that true grit behind “the show must go on.”
According to Dee Fuehrer, Trade Show Director of SCORR Marketing, “most experts agree that in-person events will start to return gradually in Q3-Q4 2021. We’ll have options in the near future. But for now, we’re in the virtual world of 2020.”
Fuehrer and her team say that signs are pointing to several trends for conventions and tradeshows this year, and presumably going forward for the near future.
There will be more – not less – virtual events and hybrid events cropping up as the curve flattens. Keep in mind, the virtual events do not afford your exhibitor clients the ability to perform demonstration or product sampling (especially in the restaurant, food, beverage, personal care and cosmetics industries).
For the live portion of hybrid events, attendee restrictions will be in place as social distancing still remains a priority practice. There will be limitations in booths, halls and seminar rooms. There will be wider aisles, and fewer booths/exhibitors, as necessity to facilitate social distancing. Sanitizing stations will be ubiquitous – but all attendees will likely appreciate being given single-pack sanitizing wipes or mini bottles, as well as tissue packs and, of course, masks.
If you have large clients that exhibit regularly at shows across the country and that have significant floor real estate, they will likely need floor decals/signs denoting traffic flow and social distancing. In tandem, the personnel sent to man the shows will be fewer, so your logoed booth uniform items may be lower in number.
Fuehrer asserts, “As marketers think about hybrid (in-person and virtual) events, they’ll need to focus on creating an integrated experience. For the ambitious, hybrid events offer some of the value of in-person events along with scheduled virtual offerings, year-round availability, and an opportunity to engage leads into a tight content marketing strategy.”
When the weather is friendly enough, outdoor trade events may be increasing. According toTravis Stanton, editor of Exhibitor Magazine, initially such a concept seemed improbably. But, he writes, “since then, I've seen some very interesting outdoor models that just might work. Furthermore, our own survey indicates that about a quarter of exhibit managers and roughly four out of ten suppliers expect to see shows doing exactly that.”
Outdoor exhibiting and networking is a perfect opportunity for promotional outdoor products. For example, Tekweld’s sunglasses, both in solid (#SG101) and white-frame (SG102) and SnugZ USA’s SPF15 Lip Balm in White Tube (#ZLBPWT), which comes in several flavors, are great ideas for any outdoor event.
Indoors or out, eye-catching visuals in the exhibitor’s space is a priority. Beacon Promotions offers its All-Over Dye Sub Table Cover (#TFLFC4), covering four sides of a six-foot standard table. All over dye-sub imprint only available on white polyester base color table cover. They are washable, flame-resistant and easy to store and ship.
The Banner Store/Sign Warehouse offers its four-sided 8-foot Stretch Table Throw (#Stret8), which the company describes as a “modern update to the traditional table throw is sleek and eye-catching. The Stretch Table cover fits snug to most 6' or 8' collapsible tables, perfect for a variety of tradeshows and events. The table cover is a fully customizable dye-sub graphic print. Canvas loops included securing the cover to each leg during install.”
Also on-site, your clients that exhibit can give its staff – and key customers – a tradeshow survival kit. Safety Made provides several Tradeshow Kits – The Pocket Tradeshow Kit Gen Z Tradeshow Kit, My Pak Tradeshow Kit, Health Zone Flu Kit and Fun Tradeshow Kit. Each has necessities, ranging from pain releivers, to Mentos®, tissues, sanitizers and more.
Amelia Madl, Vice President of Sales for PromoCorner, notes that recently, “We've seen some very creative groups do co-branding or send out boxes of featured products to tie into the theme of the hosted event. By getting key products in the hands of the client before the event it creates a structure or key talking point to engage customers with presenters. By adding in pre-box kits, having live content during the event, giving out prizes live at the event to keep clients engaged and on the floor -- and specifically at your client’s booth -- longer.”
Events that showcase new products, new technologies and new services remain critical for any industry to move forward and not stagnate. The idea of “connection” is even more important for people, whether they engage in tradeshow networking in person or virtually. With this in mind, any client you have that will be taking part in some sort of convention can still provide any of a wide array of items that are appropriate to their industry and to their company that can potentially be mailed.
Helping your clients to make a presence at a tradeshow will also generate optimism in America’s comeback and the comeback of industry post-COVID, stronger than ever.