How to Host a Virtual Trade Show
COVID-19 has altered the way businesses of all types connect and engage with consumers. Without the opportunity to host live trade show events, many big brands have made the decision to offer consumers and would-be customers a digital opportunity to engage and interact with their brand. Virtual trade shows are the new “trade show norm” but do you know how to host a virtual trade show?
Transitioning your trade show hosting plans from a physical, in-person event to a virtual, over the internet event isn’t hard — but it does require some innovation, understanding of technology, and a desire to succeed. Here’s what you need to know in order to host a virtual trade show for your customers.
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Step 1: Establish Goals & Objectives
The first step to hosting a successful virtual trade show is to establish your goals and objectives. What would you like to accomplish with the virtual trade show event? Will you share new products with consumers? Will you generate new consumer prospect leads? Will you build your reputation as a thought leader in the industry?
Establishing your goals and the objectives of your event is a must. As you learn how to host a virtual trade show, consider what it will mean for your trade show to be a success. How will you measure success? For example, if your objective is to generate leads, you might measure success based on the number of email sign-ups that you receive or the total number of phone calls following the event.
Step 2: Build the Experience
Content is king! With a virtual trade show, the content you deliver to your audience is vital to the success of your event. Once you’ve defined your goals, you can build your content around the objectives and goals you are trying to achieve. Remember.
Content for a virtual trade show includes:
● Vendors
● Exhibitors
● Presenters
● Advertising
● Keynote speeches
● Networking opportunities
● Virtual conferencing
● Q&A Panels
Step 3: Choose a Platform
Hosting a virtual trade show requires a platform where you can bring your audience, vendors, speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors all together for the trade show experience. Choosing a platform to host your virtual trade show requires careful thought to ensure you pick a platform that will allow full branding of your feed, chat features, virtual exhibitor booths, live streaming capabilities, and the ability to host additional meetings or chat sessions from a virtual location in the future.
Some streaming platforms include:
Step 4: Virtual Trade Show Promotion
Hosting your virtual trade show begins long before the show itself is created. As soon as you define the goals, objectives, and audience for your virtual trade show you can begin promoting it. Effective promotion will require an event website, ticket sales, and registration promotions, social media engagement, and various forms of marketing including email, traditional print media, radio advertising, and promotion through industry publications.
Step 5: Hire a Professional Virtual Trade Show Production Crew
Not everyone will choose step 5, some will opt to attempt the production on their own, but as you learn how to host a virtual trade show, there’s a great chance that you’ll find it much easier and more effective to hire a professional virtual trade show production crew like Beverly Boy Productions to help you out. Team Beverly Boy will help you establish the goals or objectives of your virtual trade show and the next steps to hosting a successful virtual event.
Call now for details on top equipment, gear for virtual trade show hosting in your area.