We recently had a conversation with a marketing agency whose owner pointed out that our industry (trade shows and events) is on its way to being one of the only remaining venues for in-person human business interactions. That remark has stuck with me as I wrestle with it. With both sadness and excitement, I agree with the sentiment. Sadness because so many human touch points are gone or going away, and excitement that we can continue to hold the torch for humanity.
When I started in 2011, I went into an office every day with my coworkers. I would make phone calls on my landline to as many prospective clients as possible each day. I’d drive around to meetings and try to meet others on the way inside and outside of the office buildings I was visiting. I would also look to make connections over lunches and dinners.
Before long, the calling dissipated as people left full voicemail boxes and had no desire to answer or return calls from solicitors. Ultimately, we’ve moved into people using their own cell phones to make calls in nearly emergency-only situations and rarely posting a phone number even in their email signature. Office collaboration turned into conference calls, and the meetings went virtual. Of course, much of this transition sped up due to the pandemic lockdowns, but everything was heading in that direction anyway.
While the last year we’ve seen more and more companies bringing people back to the office, it is still different. The newest generation of employees doesn’t remember the pre-virtual meeting era, nor do they (or anyone really) care to recreate it. AI has also entered the workforce and it seems as if it is going to demand to be everyone’s number one collaborator. In some cases, it is becoming people’s voice and even their thougth process.
This is where trade shows and in-person events come in. I still, at my core, believe that people crave to be around other people, even if we don’t consciously always think that. Post-pandemic trade shows became exciting parties simply due to human interaction. So many of our clients commented about the positive energy and excitement, so much so that many booked additional shows in 2022 and 2023. While that period of jubilance may be over, it is still an indicator of the importance and the difference of human interactions at events. There isn’t a substitute for being in a new place, surrounded by industry peers, all being similarly captivated by the goings-on in their and similar businesses. Going to a trade show you see people in the elevator, at breakfast, getting coffee, etc., making bonds with peers new and old.
We are focused on being a part of this very unique and very human element of the modern (and future) business landscape. Maintaining the understanding that this truly is not like other forms of marketing in this digital age. That it will have to be treated differently, but hopefully enjoyed and appreciated for its differences. Getting younger generations involved and educated on the importance of human interaction for business. They can be persuaded the way we all were, traveling around and seeing the world on the company dime.
What does it mean to your organization if trade shows and events become the sole remaining human interface for your brand? For your colleagues? How do you adapt? Let me know!