The Gamification of Tradeshows

Trade shows are fundamentally flawed. There is no accountability to the event holders. They sell space, promise a big turnout, take forever to report actual attendance data, and vendors have no repercussions if attendance is lower than expected or if booth traffic is poor. Trade shows are in the same marketing class as print advertising. No extended guarantees because it is up to marketers to produce a compelling call to action. Marketers spends thousand on concrete and displays with the hopes of getting more business then the cost of the event.

Some shows do a good job of encouraging and incentivizing attendees to visit your booth. Vendors do their part by passing out SWAG, but that is usually snatched up by those who are least likely to become a customer. Drawings for iPads and Kindles are easy targets for box stuffers. And when have you ever seen a key decision maker with serious buying power, standing at your reception counter filling out a form for a $100 itunes gift card? NEVER.

With travel budgets dwindling and marketing dollars shifting to online and direct efforts, how can trade shows stay relevant?

A good friend leads sales efforts for an IT security trade show that is invitation only. That ensures only qualified individuals. I believe that less is more with trade show attendees for anyone focused on B2B.