Trend Spotting and How It Affects Your Trade Show
June 23, 2012
I recently read a post on trend spotting in terms of catering your next show/event from Key Events. Now you may ask, so how do the newest drinks really translate to my booth? Well, let me do some explaining and see if you agree.
First trend: more hard alcohol. I honed in on this trend first. Hard alcohol is being offered at more events versus the standard beer and wine. What that means to the trade show manager: Budgets are getting a bit looser. Companies are allowing hard alcohol at their events, which costs more because of the cost of the item and beer and wine can be self-serve or a volunteer, whereas hard alcohol typically requires a bartender to mix the drinks. If they have more dollars in their pocket for that, they probably have a better budget to buy things they need for their business, or they are moving in that direction.
Second trend: local cuisine and drinks. I found this trend interesting. The event goer is looking for a local (and new) experience. What that means to the trade show manager: Showing the same thing in the same way could alienate your attendees more now. They want to experience something different from what they are familiar with, and if you work some unique aspects into your booth, you could see an increase in traffic, which gives your booth more sales play. My blog earlier this week talked to infographics - this would be a great trend to try and see if you get more engagement in your booth. Whatever you try, be sure to do something that is appropriate for your booth concept and authentic. They will spot something staged a mile away.
Third trend: Mixology cocktails. This is where the bartender does an elaborate show to mix the drink. What that means to the trade show manager: Your attendees are looking for a full experience, and want the whole show. Before, attendees had one day, maybe two, to get through a trade show, and they had to do it oftentimes on their own since budgets were cut back. I would suspect you will see attendees with a bit more time to spend at the show (maybe not the whole duration, but not three hours either) and they want to have a strong booth experience they can relay back to their team. This is where your demonstration is key: it needs to be interactive, engaging and relevant. This is certainly not a place to skimp. You may have more time with your attendees in the future so don't waste it.
Start seeing what other trends are out there and see if it gives you any insight into your potential attendee.
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OCCC Events:
This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.
The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:
AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023
200,000 Attendees
$257 Million in Economic Impact
MEGACON 2023
160,000 Attendees
$205 Million in Economic Impact
Open Championship Series 2023
69,500 Attendees
$89 Million in Economic Impact
Sunshine Classic 2023
42,000 Attendees
$54 Million in Economic Impact
Premiere Orlando 2023
42,000 Attendees
$108 Million in Economic Impact
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