Digital Trade Fairs as an Alternative to Classic Events

For many, visiting a digital trade fair has only become a matter of course in the pandemic as a result of hygiene regulations and access restrictions. In the following article, you will find out what a digital trade fair stand needs and how the virtual trade fair can be organised in detail.

Virtual Trade Fair - All Advantages and Disadvantages

Digital or virtual trade fairs offer several advantages and are becoming increasingly easy to implement thanks to digital progress and new, innovative event concepts. Due to the high reach of the online trade fair, a significantly larger target group can be reached.

However, the virtual trade fair does not only have advantages. We have also compiled the disadvantages for you and summarised them in an overview:

Advantages

• Cost-efficient
• Eye-catching
• Ideal for international visitors
• No travel and accommodation costs
• Access from anywhere
• Very good possibilities to analyse visitor behaviour

Disadvantages

• Lower trade fair turnover, as visitors only participate virtually
• Personal contact is missing
• Fewer direct networking opportunities
• No real trade fair feeling

Digital Trade Fair Stand - This is Necessary

The right technology and presentation of content are necessary for the digital trade fair set-up. In order for the virtual trade fair to attract and sustainably inspire visitors, exhibitors and event marketing professionals also have to offer a lot. Visitors of a digital trade fair want to be entertained online at least as well as at an analogue event.

A digital trade fair stand can be a purely virtual one. This means that exhibitors only present themselves digitally. However, a combination of an analogue exhibition with a few guests and a large number of virtual visitors is also possible. This type of hybrid event is particularly interesting for trade fair organisers who want to reach an audience worldwide, but cannot facilitate a large flow of visitors on site.

Requirements for a Digital Trade Fair

If you are interested in setting up a virtual trade fair, then you must fulfil certain requirements in order to actually be able to implement this project. We will show you what these are in the following:

Trade Fair Website

The fair and its concept as well as all exhibitors are presented here. In addition, online access to the virtual fair is possible.

Link to Social Media Channels

More potential visitors are reached via a link to various social media portals.

Communication in Chats

During the digital trade fair, it should be possible to communicate with the exhibitors, for example via chat or video chat. Opportunities for trade fair visitors to exchange ideas should also not be forgotten, because they serve networking purposes. For many, this is even the main reason for visiting a trade fair.

Offer Livestreaming

Individual highlights of the fair can be broadcast as a livestream. It is important here that the technology works well and that all visitors have functioning access online for the digital trade fair facility. The content presented must also be adapted to online media.

Procedure of a Digital Trade Fair

How does a digital trade fair work in detail? Depending on the event, the procedure can vary.

However, the following steps are usually necessary to implement a digital trade fair including digital trade fair equipment.

1. In the first step, the fair organisers plan the virtual fair including website, marketing measures and setting up all technical requirements.
2. The next step is to find suitable exhibitors for the virtual trade fair. Once they have registered and paid an exhibitor fee, they can present themselves individually with their digital exhibition stand.
3. The virtual trade fair visitors log in with their PC or mobile device after they have registered for their participation in the trade fair. The virtual rooms offer unlimited space and access is possible worldwide.
4. During the trade fair event, opportunities for exchange between exhibitors and visitors can be realised via various streaming and communication tools.
5. After the digital trade fair, a detailed analysis of the participants and their behaviour is possible. In this way, content can be presented in an even more personalised way in the future.

Digital Trade Fair: Ideas

There are many ideas for implementing digital trade fairs. Depending on the organiser and the industry, they can be implemented in very different ways. Digital platforms and events have to be designed differently than analogue trade fairs. Here are a few ideas for digital trade fairs:

• The modern, virtual trade fair technology enables many interactions, for example virtual stand visits, participation in workshops and lectures, but also 3-D product presentations.
• Video conferences and chats ensure a direct exchange between visitors and exhibitors.
• Participants and exhibitors can exchange their contact details very easily via electronic business cards.
• Direct networking via social media portals is also possible during an online trade fair.

A professional VR company is suitable for the implementation of a digital trade fair. This company should have a lot of experience with the realisation of virtual trade fairs, so that the implementation runs smoothly from a technical and conceptual point of view and all DSGVO standards are adhered to.

Not a Complete Replacement for Real Trade Fairs in the Future

Traditional trade fairs will probably continue to exist in the future, as the direct exchange between exhibitors and visitors is important to many. Nevertheless, some organisers will expand the analogue fairs to include digital offerings in the future.

The online trade fair is an especially good solution, when a trade fair is to be implemented very cost- and time-efficiently Here, even international top speakers, who do not have time for analogue fairs, can very easily be invited and added digitally. If you want a very large, international audience, it is also much easier to reach them digitally.