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A virtual trade show is an online event where businesses, organizations, and vendors showcase their products or services to attendees through a digital platform. Participants can explore virtual booths, interact with exhibitors via live chat, attend webinars, view product demos, and network with other attendees—all from their homes or offices. Virtual trade shows offer the same benefits as traditional trade shows but eliminate the need for physical travel, making them more accessible and cost-effective.
As technology becomes easier to use, businesses adopt more innovative methods to maximize their ROI. Thanks to virtual trade shows, now they get to keep more money in their pockets!
Today, virtual events are firmly established as an integral part of business, helping in qualified lead generation. To understand what makes virtual trade shows popular, let’s have a closer look at their features and tools.
A virtual trade show is an online version of an event where goods and services are exhibited and sold, for a particular industry. Various companies and organizations display their products and services, discuss their offerings with interested leads, and even make sales during the event.
This is a great space for wholesale sellers and buyers to network and create new leads. Hosting virtually is also a great way to tap into new global markets.
The benefits of these virtual events include reduced cost, maximized reach, excellent engagement, powerful lead generation, and increased ROI. But how do you stand out in a virtual trade show? By leveraging the right tools and strategies, you can ensure your booth captures attention and drives engagement.
Virtual booths offer document hosting so that you can provide the most valuable resources such as presentations, brochures, videos, etc., to attendees. Virtual trade shows are most often transactional and can also offer e-commerce platform capabilities. This way, you can make sure that you don’t lose any leads generated through your virtual booth and can close the deal within the same booth.
Virtual trade shows can help exhibitors showcase and sell their products or services to a much larger audience and are happening all around the world. However, they can still be a new concept for many. If you are still on the fence about virtual trade shows, here are some of the key benefits you can consider.
The online nature of your trade show can help you qualify leads from across the world. Keeping your event on-demand enables you to gain access to more people in different time zones. As long as your audience has a device, they have access to a truly exceptional event experience.
With lower expenditures than a physical event, your event stands to achieve higher ROI. With a greater global reach, ticketing options, and more sponsorship opportunities, a virtual trade show is better bang for your buck.
On average, around 600,000 tons of waste are produced at trade shows every year. This increases the carbon footprint contributing to climate change. Virtual trade shows eliminate the use of paper and other harmful materials. Turn your business green by hosting a virtual trade show.
Virtual events can be one of the best ways for attendees and exhibitors to reduce their carbon footprints as they eliminate emissions from travel, and remove the need for onsite food waste, paper and printing waste.
Virtual trade shows are a great opportunity for differently-abled people. Unlike physical fairs, these events provide several options to assist individuals with impairments and other disabilities, allowing them to benefit as much from the event, as any other visitor.
These accessibility features are quite useful and can include features like translations, transcriptions, color contrasts, subtitles, etc.
Organizers have the opportunity to increase revenue through virtual trade show booth sales and sponsorship opportunities. Exhibitors can seamlessly book virtual spaces, eliminating logistical challenges associated with physical events.
Sponsors can take advantage of various sponsorship packages that offer extensive visibility within the virtual event space. The process allows organizers to create tiered packages that can appeal to a variety of event partners, and contribute to the event’s financial success.
Event management platforms offer data analytics tools that give insights into participant engagement, booth visits, and content interactions. This data-driven approach enables better decision-making, allowing organizers to optimize future events based on participant behavior and preferences.
Exhibitors gain extensive brand reach through virtual trade shows. The digital format offers creative ways to showcase products and services. Exhibitors can leave a lasting impression on attendees, fostering brand recognition that extends beyond the virtual event.
Virtual trade shows provide exhibitors with a diverse pool of prospects. Engaging content, interactive features, and real-time communication tools attract attendees, facilitating meaningful connections. The virtual trade show setting proves to be a fertile ground for exhibitors to broaden their prospect base and cultivate long-term business relationships.
The use of advanced lead capture tools in virtual trade shows simplifies the lead generation process for exhibitors. Features like digital contact card dropboxes, user search and filters, and chat queueing help to simplify connection and contact collection. Exhibitors can efficiently gather leads, add context through notes and tags, and follow up with potential clients post-event.
Virtual trade show platforms must be designed with data protection and compliance in mind, like GDPR. Exhibitors can trust that the information collected through lead capture tools is encrypted, stored securely, and only shared with authorized parties. This focus on data security helps protect attendee privacy and builds trust, making it easier to foster lasting business relationships.
The digital environment of virtual trade shows enables exhibitors to book orders and conduct transactions easily. Attendees can explore products, request information, and make purchases directly within the virtual platform. This streamlined process contributes to revenue growth and maximizes return on investment.
Sponsors benefit significantly from the expanded visibility offered by virtual trade shows. The digital platform provides strategic placement for sponsored content, ensuring that sponsors are prominently featured and recognized by a diverse audience.
Various tailored event sponsorship packages allow sponsors to showcase their brand through banners, advertisements, and virtual lounges, ensuring that their presence is noticed by attendees.
Virtual trade shows provide data insights on attendee engagement with sponsored content, booth visits, and interaction levels offering sponsors a comprehensive understanding of their impact. This data-driven approach enables sponsors to refine future strategies accordingly.
Without a doubt, pricing plays a crucial role in deciding which option to opt for. So, if you’re here, you’re probably looking for a cost-effective solution that gives you more value in return for your money. Let’s break it down so you can see for yourself.
While the price of a virtual event can start around $14,925, the cost of a physical event may start at $49,275. Check out a full breakdown of physical vs. virtual event costs here.
Virtual trade shows have all the above-mentioned benefits, but you can only get the most out of them if you know how are virtual trade shows built. From choosing the right virtual event platform to finding the right target audience, sponsors, and exhibitors – it can be quite a task. Here are some easy steps to follow to make your virtual event trade show a resounding success.
A virtual trade show can have any number of features as mentioned above. However, you don’t necessarily need them all. It is important to make sure that you first understand what you are trying to achieve from the virtual event trade show.
Some event organizers only want to create a platform where they can showcase their services and products to a wider audience. Whereas others might have a more transactional approach with an aim to collect leads and convert them into sales. So, by focusing on your requirements, it can be easier to narrow down what features will be most important for your virtual trade show to have.
Content distribution is one of the most important aspects of any virtual trade show. Attendees at your event want to gather information about the services or products being displayed. So, the next natural step to focus on is to create content that will add value to the attendees’ experience.
Virtual trade shows can host a bunch of different types of content in booths, exhibit halls, auditoriums, and networking lounges. Welcome videos, platform tutorials, brochures, webinars, and other useful documents will need most of your attention.
You can create content with the AI-powered vFairs webinar chapterization & summary tool to be used on multiple mediums. The main aim should be to provide more value to your attendees and let the exhibitors share their resources in the best possible ways.
Industry experts as keynote speakers or panel discussions can be a great way to attract more attendees to your virtual trade show. Virtual event platforms can allow you to host interactive guest speaker sessions with live Q&As as well. You can add speaker bios and provide networking opportunities for speakers and attendees to improve their overall experience.
It can also be a great way to improve the content at your virtual event. You can ask the guest speakers to send a presentation or handouts your way that you can upload to the event platform. It is a convenient and effective way to provide more value to the attendees.
Once you have all the speakers, event platform features, and attendee experience aligned, you need to start marketing your event. One of the first things you will need is a customized landing page for your event. You can provide event information and gather registrations for the event through the landing page.
Virtual event marketing tools like email marketing, push notifications, paid ad campaigns, etc. can make a lot of difference in increasing attendee count at the event. You can find more useful tips and best practices for virtual event marketing here.
Before you begin, ask your solution provider for a quick demo and test the technology yourself. Ensure that the platform is user-friendly for everyone across the globe, and not just techies. Try out multiple platforms if you aren’t satisfied. A platform that a friend raved about might not necessarily work for you.
The security options available for your event are vital to its success. Ask your virtual event provider about the security features that they employ. This is essential for attendee, sponsor, and host security.
Identify your objectives, set clear goals for the team, and align expected results. Then, you can move in the planned direction. This also helps monitor and regulate the event as it takes place.
Create a holistic marketing strategy that targets multiple channels. The next section will walk you through a detailed marketing manual.
Virtual trade show exhibits let you host multiple types of content on your platform – a document, presentation, or video. Make the most of this and get in touch with your team and sponsors. Then, brainstorm session ideas and content. In addition, collect sales collateral, marketing videos, and any other useful PDFs to showcase at the event.
Most trade shows go on for a few days. Therefore, your attendees need to have a schedule that shows the complete agenda. Furthermore, this schedule should also state the timings for when trade is open. Make sure your approach accommodates different time zones. Share the schedule on your landing page to make sure interested attendees and exhibitors are online when they want.
One of the key selling points for a virtual event is that you can monitor and evaluate your performance. Unlike a physical trade show, this can allow you to both quantify and justify results. The AI reporting chatbot in the vFairs platform even allows you to ask analytics questions and get all the event information in seconds.
When browsing virtual trade show platforms, there are some key features you should be looking for.
Present your audience with an unforgettable experience from the second they walk into your virtual event. Build a phenomenal 3D environment, starting with a rich, visually compelling landing page.
Then, move on to a highly customizable interface for your exhibitors and attendees. Have your attendees enter a lifelike virtual lobby and explore the various booths in the exhibit hall.
With vFairs, you can choose to configure your virtual event design within existing event templates that have proven successful in the past, or you can create a totally custom virtual environment based on any environment and layout you could dream up.
Lead capture is an important part of event participation. It helps exhibitors gather useful information about attendees, their interests, and their potential as future customers.
With customizable lead capture forms, exhibitors can easily collect the data they need during events. These forms let them choose specific fields that align with their business goals, like contact details, company size, decision-making authority, and areas of interest. This makes it easier to gather important attendee information and follow up after the event.
Setting up lead capture forms in advance is key to ensuring smooth data collection. It allows exhibitors to fine-tune their data collection process based on their goals. Running a quick test beforehand ensures everything works properly before the event starts.
Additional lead capture opportunities include:
In virtual booths, attendees can schedule meetings directly with exhibitors, indicating strong interest in specific products or services. Every time someone books a meeting, it’s an opportunity to capture more specific details and open a conversation that can lead to future engagement.
Surveys are a great way to gather feedback and capture leads at the same time. When attendees answer questions about their experience or share insights on what they’re interested in, this data doubles as valuable lead information.
After the event, some content like recorded sessions or downloadable resources can be made accessible in exchange for attendee information. Anyone returning to access this gated content is already showing a higher level of interest, making this an ideal lead capture opportunity.
Many platforms use matchmaking technology to connect attendees with companies, products, or people that align with their interests. Each interaction here provides additional insight that helps exhibitors identify which attendees are the best fit for follow-ups based on engagement and shared interests.
Embed an online shop at your event. The vFairs e-commerce module allows you to create product listings faster with custom fields and categories. Attendees can add products to their shopping cart as they explore the event with an intuitive UI of your store.
This way, you can eliminate purchasing delays, maximize conversions, and make transactions in real time. You can use payment portal integrations to make the whole process easier for your audience and vendors.
“Lead capture and management may be two of the most important features for any virtual trade show. You don’t want all your hard work to go to waste so make sure to look for a virtual platform that offers e-commerce capabilities. Don’t waste a second and make on-spot sales!” said Carlos Herrera, Sales Manager at vFairs.
The key features of the vFairs e-commerce module include:
The Booth Negotiation Feature allows exhibitors to adjust their booth prices through real-time negotiations, creating more flexibility in virtual trade show environments. This feature is crucial for exhibitors who may have specific budget constraints or value considerations for different booth types, like silver, gold, or bronze.
Within the vFairs platform, you can activate this feature on the event backend. Once activated, this feature appears within booth management settings, providing a designated “Booth Negotiation” area for all ongoing discussions.
Exhibitors initiate negotiations in the booth creation form, choosing to submit a proposed price instead of a fixed cost. Admins then review the proposals, make counteroffers, and add comments if needed. This interactive process is documented in a history log visible to both parties, ensuring transparency at every step.
The benefit of this feature is the flexibility and personalization it brings to exhibitors, allowing them to engage in meaningful discussions around pricing without back-and-forth emails. It also enables a smooth transition to finalizing booth listings, as booths move automatically from “negotiation” to “approved” status once an agreement is reached.
Ultimately, the Booth Negotiation Feature supports a smoother, more inclusive experience for exhibitors, allowing for customized engagement while maximizing participation and satisfaction.
The allowance negotiation feature simplifies the process of discussing commission rates between vendors and buyers. It handles negotiations directly on the platform to eliminate delays caused by lengthy email exchanges. Everything is centralized for greater efficiency.
Vendors can propose a revised rate directly within the platform. Buyers can review, respond with counteroffers, and finalize terms in real time.
vFairs Allowance negotiation feature saves time by simplifying the steps to reach an agreement. It also enhances communication by providing a structured and transparent way to manage negotiations and drives results by ensuring quick responses to vendor requests. As a result, decisions are made faster leading to more closed deals and higher revenue opportunities.
Virtual trade show booths can host documents, brochures, and presentations, and can also redirect attendees to external website links. You can upload unlimited resources to your virtual booth and booth visitors can also be welcomed with a short video. Attendees can view and download these resources for later.
With event accessibility through a mobile browser, you can have your participants tune in from anywhere on any device. This helps you to maximize attendee participation.
This could be in the event they do not have access to their laptops, are commuting, are stuck in traffic, or any such scenario. The feature at vFairs now provides timed scavenger hunts that keep attendees thoroughly engaged at your event.
You can also opt to use the vFairs mobile app if you plan to host virtually in tandem with an in-person trade show!
Design your booth and make it your own by choosing the branding colors, avatars, and booth layout.
Let’s admit it – setting up booths and chasing vendors to prepare marketing material is a hassle. Virtual trade fairs are the perfect alternative. They let you and your exhibitors make their brand presence known throughout the event. Your exhibitors can also customize their booths, and upload downloadable resources for the audience.
To fulfill the goal of a successful event, you need to ensure maximum interaction between visitors and exhibitors. Live chat tools help provide attendees with information and assistance. This makes it easier to turn leads into sales.
Furthermore, you can improve your conversion rates by addressing FAQs in group chat rooms or reserved chat slots. The vFairs chat queuing feature with automated responses and easy management helps you target multiple online prospects at once.
Look for engagement tools such as a real-time chat platform to educate and engage prospects at your event. A 1:1 text, audio & video chat can enable you to eliminate the hassle of long queues around booths. This way, your audience can keep the conversation going in chat rooms.
The vFairs chat networking feature introduces multi-threaded conversations. It allows users to reply directly to specific messages and keep discussions organized. This helps maintain clarity, especially during complex discussions, by letting users focus on particular points without losing track of the overall conversation. Admins can also pin important messages to ensure important updates remain visible, improving communication efficiency.
This feature offers:
Users can easily upload files directly into the chat and communicate anonymously. This makes it simple to share resources or ask questions without revealing your identity.
All event-related materials are stored in one location, giving attendees quick access to presentations, product info, and promotional content as needed.
Attendees can switch between text, audio, and video calls within the chat. This enhances networking with integrated communication options.
Users can archive chats and manage notifications to stay organized and focus on relevant conversations.
Admins can handle multiple inquiries efficiently with a queuing system, providing attendees with estimated wait times for better support management.
Use pop-up announcements to keep your audience informed at all times. Like any other event, you will need to keep your audience posted with live updates during the event.
The notifications can be sent to specific user segments. For example, a certain notification for the sponsors can be directly sent to all the sponsors without spamming other users. A virtual event trade show allows you to grab the attention of your attendees and share only relevant information using pop-up notifications.
So, you’ve got a global audience in one place at a single time. Next, you want to invite industry specialists and keynote speakers. They will provide your audience with significant value at one stage.
When you use a virtual platform, you don’t have to worry about the availability of your speakers or different time zones. Live webinars can be used to engage large crowds simultaneously. Then, on-demand recordings can help amplify that exposure. The closed captions make embedded webinars more inclusive.
Moreover, consider including a Q&A session at the end of the webinar or conducting live polls to gather responses from the audience during the webinar. This can maximize the engagement at your event and nurture your leads.
The greenrooms/backstage allows the speakers to check everything before going live. You can incorporate this feature to enhance the speaker experience and make them feel at ease.
Every host wants to boost engagement and improve the time attendees invest attending their event and event gamification features are a great way to achieve that. Host exciting contests and games such as scavenger hunts, trivia, and more. You can include a virtual leaderboard where attendees can track their scores. The attendee with the most points can win a gift hamper, gift card, or anything you want!
You can also use the leaderboard to direct your audience to certain areas of the event. They will gain scores for partaking in certain actions such as visiting a booth or logging in at a particular time. This can bring more eyeballs to key sponsors or important event information.
In this era, you will lag if you don’t have access to real-time data. Unlike physical trade shows, virtual event trade shows provide you with detailed reports at the end of your event. This allows you to measure your ROI for future strategies.
In addition, if your exhibitors want, they can closely monitor and regulate certain booths. You can offer this facility on request. Then, they will have access to real-time reports to improve the output they aim for.
You can keep your event up and running even after its live features have been deactivated. Unlike a physical event, a virtual platform makes this possible. Exhibitors can receive notifications about booth visits, queries, and purchases. Meanwhile, organizers can continue to promote the event using emails and social media to continue its activity. Furthermore, they can make webinars and other content available on-demand for maximum exposure.
“One of the biggest reasons behind the success of virtual trade shows is the constant availability of information even after live days are over! You can keep the platform live for however long you want, and that’s something in-person events can’t give you.” said Muhammad Younas, CEO of vFairs.
The vFairs event management platform offers features like a meeting scheduler to allow hosts and exhibitors to arrange meetings. Attendees can also book appointments by using this tool in the exhibitor booths.
The spatial networking feature allows attendees in the lounge to connect. All they need to do is move their avatar close to the people they want to connect with, and start a chat. There is also a smart matchmaking tool that automatically connects people with the same backgrounds and interests. There is a roundtable feature that works on a first-come-first-serve basis and allows a small group of people to discuss a particular topic.
Virtual trade expo booths are fairly simple to set up. Most virtual event companies will set virtual exhibitors up with an online form. The main purpose of this form is to gather as much information about the booth as they can. It can include options for booth layouts, different choices for avatars, booth colors, etc. Booth exhibitors can also upload company logos, pictures, and other documents to be hosted in the virtual booth in the same form.
Once you have confirmed your participation through the event host, the next steps will be automated for you. You may receive an email notification with the virtual event exhibitor login credentials that you can use to sign in. It is quite simply filling up a form and then logging in on the day of the event. The more accurate information you provide event hosts, the easier it can be to set up.
Virtual trade show booths might be easy to set up but you have to put in some work to make them stand out. Here are some important tips and ideas on how to create a virtual trade show booth that converts leads to sales.
Your company’s virtual exhibit booth and its brand should be the embodiment of your physical brand. That’s why you need to focus on branding it the right way. You can use all the customization options available to you and add company logos wherever possible. Using customizable and inclusive avatars can also help you stand out.
Here is one of the virtual trade show booth examples to see how your booth can embody your brand.
Virtual trade show booths and their performance will primarily depend upon how well your booth reps can communicate with attendees virtually. Clear audio and video quality can ensure that all communication is convenient, clear, and effective.
Virtual exhibit booths and trade shows will need promotion on multiple fronts and through various mediums. You should prepare marketing collateral like brochures and posters that you can post on the event landing page, the company website, and even on social media. Marketing drip email campaigns can also be very helpful to engage your audiences.
It takes effort to make the whole event and your booth an engaging spot for the attendees to stay at for a lasting impression and foster meaningful connections. Here are creative virtual trade show best practices and ideas to elevate the virtual experience for your attendees:
Utilize multimedia elements such as videos, slideshows, and 3D models to give live product demos. You can encourage participation through Q&A sessions and polls to make the experience dynamic and informative. This immersive experience allows participants to witness the value of your products firsthand, fostering genuine interest and inquiries.
A custom virtual space with elements that match reality can give attendees a lifelike experience transcending the virtual boundaries. Avatars for the attendees or organizers are also an interesting virtual event engagement idea to simulate the feel of a physical event and make interactions more personal.
You can infuse entertainment into your virtual booth with live performances, demonstrations, or industry-relevant talks. This can break the monotony of informational sessions.
A dedicated resource center can help you extend value beyond the live event, engaging the audience even after the event is over. Participants can conveniently access and review content, reinforcing the informational aspects of the event. Your resource center can house session recordings, whitepapers, and additional materials for attendees to access at their convenience.
By integrating social media platforms into the virtual event experience, you can foster a dynamic online community and extend the event’s reach far beyond its virtual walls.
You can encourage attendees to share their experiences, thoughts, and insights using event-specific hashtags. These posts can be displayed in a live event feed for all the attendees to witness.
The LinkedIn community builder is also an exceptional marketing tool to connect attendees and event partners and foster a community.
Great marketing is at the heart of a great trade show. Let’s see how to nail your marketing campaigns. First, we’ll take a look at marketing collateral for attendees and then, for exhibitors.
You want more leads at the top of the funnel so a greater amount ends up converting into sales. For this purpose, we’ll explore the following marketing channels:
To market your event, you’ll first need a landing page. This will provide you with an online space to do three important things:
To improve its visibility and engagement, you should:
To optimize your registration form for higher registration numbers:
Next, it’s time to leverage your existing email list. Create a vibrant event invitation in your email builder to send out to your list. There, ask them to register for the event. This list will be a quick and easy way to market to already interested prospects.
But what should the emails look like? You want your recipients to be hooked in from the get-go. So, you need crisp and engaging subject lines, informative copy, and relevant visuals. In addition, you can add exhibitor logos and include pictures of your speakers.
Here are some other details to remember while using this virtual tradeshow tool:
Follow this simple schedule to send out your emails and subsequent reminders:
Another way to get more eyes on your event is by placing a sticky bar across your website. This will let other visitors know about your event. Plus, it will be on the top of your website on every page. So, every visitor to your website gets to see it.
But these sticky bars are subtle and offer limited space to companies. We recommend only adding two elements to it:
While there are other types of modules, a sticky bar will offer the least amount of interruption along with decent visibility for all your visitors.
With social media consumption consistently on the rise, be sure to leverage this channel. Here’s a little checklist you can use:
You most likely have a list of contacts already in your emails and extended network. Tap into those and send all the information you can about your event.
They need to learn how going online can benefit them more than a traditional event. Here is a list of benefits that you can share with your exhibitors:
Virtual trade shows are data-driven. You can greatly benefit from the comprehensive reports they offer. However, you’ll need to know what to track. This will help you understand your audience and optimize future events. Let’s see what you can do with these event reports.
To get more people to come to your event, optimize your registrations first. Closely track the performance of your marketing efforts. Then, track your conversions from your Google Analytics account or your virtual event dashboard. Next, identify the channels that are bringing in the most conversions and optimize accordingly.
Moreover, you’d want to see how well your landing page is performing in terms of conversions. How far down the page is the form? Do you need to change the positioning of the form? Does above-the-fold work better than below-the-fold? How many form fields get you the best conversions?
Running A/B tests with these options in mind is a great way to optimize your landing page and registration forms. If you start your marketing efforts early, you’ll also have more time to optimize them for the best results.
You should know your target audience well. This way, you can tailor their event experience for them.
To do this, ask your attendees questions such as the following:
Data from these questions will help you offer a more personalized experience to each of your attendees. However, long forms are only a hurdle to registration. Save these questions for after your prospects have entered your event funnel. Here are the options we recommend:
Once the event goes live, it’s time to learn what aspects of your virtual event trade show are fan favorites. Track attendee journeys during the event. Then, learn about the booths they visit, the representatives they talk to, the speaker sessions that get the most attention, and so on.
Remember to only use virtual trade show software that collects this data for you. This kind of platform will help you get in-depth attendee insights that you can use to optimize future events. Furthermore, the reporting module will provide data such as:
Each of these data points will tell you what aspect of your event was a success. In addition, it will show what kind of content performed the best at your trade show.
Another way to get more data out of your virtual trade show is to send an event follow-up survey.
Such a survey will ask attendees how their experience with the event was and include questions such as the following:
Email this survey to all your attendees and analyze the data you collect.
For virtual trade shows, event organizers need solutions that offer more than just an online presence. The best platforms offer tools to capture leads, boost sales, and create an immersive experience.
Organizers must consider various options, each with its features and pricing. They should also factor in the attendees and exhibitors’ needs when choosing online trade show platforms.
Here are some of the best virtual trade show platforms to host a trade fair online:
vFairs is a top virtual trade show platform that helps turn potential leads into loyal customers. With its all-in-one solutions, you can consolidate key features in one place to attract new customers and drive your business goals. The platform offers various tools to easily host virtual and hybrid events.
Some of the best features this platform offers include:
Brella is a good option for businesses seeking trade show online marketplace platforms focused on building personal connections with potential customers. It offers customized features like networking tools and sponsorship options.
The key features of this platform include:
Blackthorn Events centralizes all your exhibition data, connecting registrations, attendance tracking, and CRM in one place. Integrated with Salesforce, it offers a clear view of attendee engagement and ROI tracking. For online events, it even connects with Zoom.
Key features of this platform include:
HexaFair is a virtual trade show platform with networking and integration tools. However, its chat features and attendee directory support networking. This platform boasts several impressive features to enhance virtual trade show experience, including:
SpotMe provides solutions for both small-scale events, like webinars, and larger ones, such as virtual trade show exhibits. The platform allows event customization through presets and templates, enabling users to add logos and brand colors.
The platform offers many notable features including:
Accelevents provides networking tools and third-party integrations for organizing virtual trade shows. Attendees can interact with exhibitors via text and video chat, leave business cards at booths, and download content. Exhibitors can post demos, link to their websites, and customize their booths.
This platform provides a range of useful features such as:
Whova markets its virtual trade show software as a top solution for all events. Organizers can customize booths, event colors, and branding. It also offers essential marketing tools and online registration. Key features include:
6Connex is a virtual expo platform for hybrid, virtual, and in-person events. It offers a quick solution for hosting virtual trade shows without many technicalities.
Top features of this platform are:
RingCentral is an event platform for planning and hosting virtual, hybrid, and onsite events. Its cloud-based phone system and advanced video conferencing tools facilitate communication among colleagues and customers, and its dashboard helps new users navigate easily.
The platform’s best features include:
ON24 is designed for marketers and offers event marketing tools. It provides various event features, engagement tools, and integrations.
Key features of this platform are:
For an in-depth analysis of available options, read here.
A virtual trade show can be created for any kind of industry. Here is a list of popular virtual trade show examples and ideas.
Virtual craft and hobby trade shows are events that bring people together online to discover new products, connect with suppliers, and share their passion for crafts.
A great example is The Needlework Marketplace. It’s an annual global event for needlework enthusiasts to connect with vendors and designers, discover new products and techniques, and engage in interactive workshops.
The virtual exhibit hall offers a wide selection of fabrics, threads, patterns, and tools. Attendees, from beginners to seasoned stitchers, participate in workshops led by experts, gaining insights into stitching techniques and finishing.
Vendors showcase their latest innovations, making it a prime event for discovering industry trends. The Marketplace provides a community-focused experience for anyone passionate about needlework to connect, learn, and enhance their skills.
Hosting a virtual property show can help you to target a global audience.
One of the virtual trade show examples is OGC which hosted a virtual property fair promoting overseas properties to North American buyers.
Not only were they able to showcase homes in desirable locations such as France and Spain, but they could also connect with real estate agents and lawyers who could better inform them about the buying process and laws in the countries they were looking to buy in.
No matter the size of your business, the tangible and intangible benefits of hosting a virtual tech show play a significant role. You cannot only yield successful outputs, but also rake in networking, advertising, and direct sales benefits.
In today’s business environment, tech industrialists are switching to virtual alternatives. They create virtual trade shows to showcase their powerful technologies on a larger scale using the best resources. This helps them surpass high costs and allows them to create a virtual landscape to engage with a wider audience.
A virtual food trade show enables industry professionals to explore the latest in food, from dairy to food tech, with live demos and online networking.
Leading distributors & manufacturers like Nestle, Jake’s Finer Foods, and Centennial have conducted successful virtual food shows, boosting their profits, and adding value to the entire food industry.
Jake’s Finer Foods (JFF), in particular, strengthened its position as a progressive broad-line distributor by hosting the first-of-its-kind virtual food show. It successfully achieved higher registration volume, extraordinary branding, and insightful communications. This helped create a win-win situation for both the exhibitors and customers.
The Harbor Wholesale Foods Trade Show 2023 was an exclusive virtual trade show that showcased hot new products, fantastic deals, and profitable opportunities, celebrating Harbor’s 100th anniversary with a “Decades Through Time” theme.
Attendees experienced amazing deals with exclusive bundle offers and special discounts. They explored a diverse range of products from various vendors, featuring established favorites and new trends.
The engaging experience included virtual booth visits, giveaways, and earning points for engagement. The event was convenient and flexible, allowing access from anywhere, with shopping open throughout the event.
Attendees benefited from significant savings, bundled deals, and three weeks of ordering opportunities, along with points for booth visits and a new item showcase.
Whether it’s a technology show or a travel show, they come packed with benefits for a global audience. Virtual events offer highly flexible options. They make it easier for organizers in any industry to showcase their products and services to a wider audience without spending an arm and a leg on a physical event.
Virtual trade shows are a great way of allowing businesses of all sizes to promote their brand and showcase their offerings to a diverse group of individuals. Virtual expos provide you with an enormous opportunity to generate qualified leads and skyrocket your sales.
Moreover, resources from a virtual event can be kept available on-demand for an extended time. It offers immersive networking opportunities with novel features like Spatial Networking, roundtables, and smart matchmaking. But none of this is profitable if it comes at the cost of extensive resources and work.
Hence, virtual trade shows are redefining how businesses can maximize their profits and keep the environment healthy. And guess what? The opportunities are just beginning to blossom as your business is now growing beyond borders.
Disclaimer: The information in this article about various platforms and their features was accurate at the time of writing. Technology and software platforms continuously evolve, and features, pricing, and capabilities may have changed since publication. This review is based on information sourced from third party review sites and is not endorsed by any of the platforms mentioned.
Digital trade shows include virtual trade shows, webinars, and other digital events where exhibitors and attendees participate remotely. Digital trade shows leverage technology to replicate the key elements of traditional trade shows, such as networking, product showcases, and educational sessions, in a virtual environment.
With a user-friendly event builder and a dedicated project management team, creating a virtual trade fair could not be any easier.
A virtual booth is where an exhibitor presents their product or service. It is a much smaller space within a larger event. The aim is to increase brand awareness and generate meaningful conversation with participants. One can include static text, logos, banners, video, and chat options.
Virtual trade shows can help you reach a larger audience and expand your reach to a global level. You can also open it up to an international target audience and businesses. Saving costs by going virtual shouldn’t mean that you have to compromise on the quality of the event or the networking opportunities that your event will provide. Therefore, depending on your use case and how you implement the available features, virtual trade shows can be totally worth it.
A virtual trade show operates through an online platform that replicates the traditional trade show experience in a digital environment. Exhibitors set up virtual booths in virtual expos to showcase products and services, and participants engage through features like live chats, webinars, and interactive content.
The cost of a virtual trade show can vary widely depending on factors such as the size of the event, the virtual trade show software used, and additional features included. Costs of virtual expos may include platform fees, exhibitor package prices, and any customization or additional services requested. Pricing could start around $15,000.
Virtual trade shows offer numerous benefits, including cost savings, accessibility, and increased reach. The digital format of virtual expos allows for a broader audience, reduced travel expenses, lesser environmental impact, enhanced data analytics for exhibitors, and extended event duration.
A virtual trade show booth is a digital space for exhibitors to showcase their products, services, and brands in an online trade show. These virtual booths often include multimedia content, such as videos, brochures, and presentations.
Choose a platform with virtual booths, networking tools, and lead capture systems. Set clear event goals, invite exhibitors, and promote the event through email and social media. Provide valuable content like presentations and demos. During the event, manage the platform, ensure smooth interactions, and resolve technical issues. After the event, use lead management tools to follow up with prospects.
A virtual trade show is an online event where exhibitors showcase products or services in virtual booths. Attendees explore these booths, interact with exhibitors through live chats or video calls, and attend webinars or presentations. Lead generation tools like digital contact cards and chat queues help capture attendee information for follow-up. Networking is done through virtual lounges or matchmaking tools.
Brianne Horan
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