The Power of Exhibitions

Selling in the 21st century is more about reaching the right people than reaching lots of people. For advertisers, quality of audience has become far more important than quantity.

Hence the value of exhibitions. As a sales and marketing medium, they don’t so much compete with television, radio, press and direct mail as offer a unique advantage that the others cannot - namely to get your message across to a tightly defined audience, face to face. At an exhibition you can:

Not just lots of people….but the right people

It’s vital to target your audience precisely. That’s just what press and television advertising can only claim to do. Most readers or viewers are not interested, so a large part of your expenditure is wasted. Exhibitions, on the other hand, deliver just the audience you want, not the one you don’t.

Face to face with your customers

In selling products or making deals, there’s no substitute for face-to-face contact. Exhibitions deliver your prospects in person, making possible the all-important handshake. The CeBIT trade fair in Hannover in 2003, saw 7 days of hard bargaining and completed deals with over 500,000 visitors.

A motivated audience

A survey of CeBIT 2003 visitors shows that more than 73% of exhibition attendees are directly responsible or play an important role in investment decisions within their companies. These are people who have set aside other priorities to be there: who are serious about doing business and are keen to buy.

Where the giants meet

Most of the world’s largest, most successful corporations regard exhibitions as a crucial part of their sales and marketing program. At any major show, visitors know that the biggest names in the industry will be there.

Public relations — the perfect stage

Being at an exhibition with your best sales staff and your most important customers provides a unique opportunity to make a splash, launch something new or entertain prospects you’ve always wanted to meet. It’s a perfect chance to say to your industry, "look what we’re up to: see how well we’re doing".

Media coverage made easy

A good exhibition guarantees the interest of press and television. There is an opportunity to attract the kind of media coverage that otherwise could be prohibitively expensive to achieve. The CeBIT 2003 event in Hannover attracted over 10,000 journalists and all enjoyed a warm welcome and outstanding facilities provided by Deutsche Messe AG.

A doorway to new markets

If you’re testing a new product or entering a new market, exhibitions are perfect for putting a toe in the water. You can meet the key international buyers for a fraction of the cost of using other media and the feedback is immediate and direct.

All the prospects you can handle

It is not unusual for exhibitions to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors in the space of a few days. Vendors can make more contacts in a matter of hours than they could in a year of calling on prospects individually. Deutsche Messe AG’s CeBIT events alone attract a total of nearly one million trade visitors a year.

Success through partnership

The best exhibition operators should also be your business partners. Deutsche Messe AG is an expert in the sectors it serves. It knows how each industry works; how the market is developing; how companies within the sector can best reach their target audience. It leaves no stone unturned to ensure that services are tailored to the needs of exhibitors and trade show attendees alike and that the trade events it organizes reflect current market conditions.

All the fun of the fair

Although exhibitions are about serious buying and selling, most are a lot of fun as well. Exhibitors and visitors alike see them as a chance to meet colleagues, renew contacts and enjoy the spectacle.