If you’re strapped for time or don’t have the budget to travel—but still need to attend tradeshows to drive business and make important connections—you don’t necessarily have to stop attending.
Here are a few reasons you should put a virtual tradeshow on your schedule.
1. They’re cost-efficient.
There’s no need to pay for a hotel room, a plane ticket, or meals at restaurants while you’re attending a virtual tradeshow—for yourself or for your attending staff. In addition, virtual tradeshows often don’t charge as much up front for registration—so they’re easy on the wallet all around.
2. They’re easy to work into your schedule.
Having difficulty taking the time off work to attend a traditional tradeshow? So do a lot of other people. With a virtual tradeshow, you can attend in your office or living room, without having to take a lot of time away from work or your other obligations.
3. No crowds.
Some people love in-person tradeshows for the excitement of the crowds—but even if you fall into this category, it can still be a bit draining after a while. At a virtual tradeshow, you’ll never have to wait in line at one of the more popular booths to talk to a booth representative. You can experience the booths and presentations without braving the crowds—and live chat with booth sales reps without leaving your desk.
4. More diversity.
Attendees aren’t limited by geography in attending virtual tradeshows—and neither are vendors and exhibitors. As a result, many virtual tradeshows attract a more diverse crowd from all over the country—and all over the world.
5. Simple follow-up.
With a live tradeshow, you’ll leave with a stack of business cards—and organizing your follow-up effort can be a headache. At a virtual tradeshow, follow-up is easy. The contact and company information from the people you talked to is saved digitally—and it’s effortless to integrate it into your existing email contacts. This way, follow-up is easy.
Traveling to a physical tradeshow can be a challenge—but it’s a great place to network, catch up with the latest in industry news, and get new business and leads. With virtual tradeshows, you get all that—without the drawbacks. Virtual tradeshows give you the flexibility and cost-efficiency to attend more events throughout the year as well. You don’t have to replace attendance at physical tradeshows entirely—but adding in virtual tradeshows will help you get more out of your budget for event attendance.
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