Exhibitor Woes, and Future Pro's
It is no secret that being an exhibitor on the show floor held its own handful of struggles prior to Covid-19. How can exhibitors expect things to change for the better in the future?
If you've ever exhibited at a large trade show, then you have probably asked some of the following questions...
What is rigging? Why am I receiving this additional bill? What is drayage and why am I being billed for it? Overtime labor is HOW much?!
The ins and outs of exhibiting can be intricate. Exhibiting costs have increased year over year, and issues around transparency, metrics, and cost savings have always had a seat at the table. Show site services like material handling, electrical, and rigging became more complex and more expensive year over year. Exhibitors have reported feeling an overwhelming amount of lack of transparency for these services and the costs associated with each. How do we turn the exhibitor experience around so to provide a strong ROI and encourage exhibitor attendance at trade shows?
The Future Success of Trade Shows: Working Together for Change
The Exhibitor Advocacy Group is an ad hoc group whose members come from the corporate exhibitor community, exhibitor-appointed contractors, unions, show management, and general service contractors. Their mission is to ensure the successful future of trade shows, conventions, congresses, and other face-to-face business events. They have been pushing for noticeable change.
The entire live event industry benefits when exhibitors have a voice at the table. For this reason, industry associations such as the EDPA (Experiential Designers and Producers Association) have embraced advocating for exhibitors. Good Time Creative's Founder & CEO, Marissa Hohner, holds a seat on the EDPA Midwest Chapter Board as Secretary. Just as exhibitors reached an inflection point in realizing the need to address these exhibiting concerns, COVID-19 shut down the world.
A year and some months later, the trade show exhibit industry recovery appears to be months away. Live events and shows are starting to take place safely in cities like Las Vegas, Orlando, and more! Most predictions give late summer/early fall 2021 as the period of reawakening for trade show events.
We look forward to connecting with exhibitors and pushing for change that benefits not only the exhibitors, but the entire industry.
Thanks for stopping by! Questions? Contact: [email protected]
