I think the first trade show I attended was COMDEX and I enjoyed it. I loved being able to go to different booths and see exciting new technology. I also liked all of the giveaways and free swag. I went again the next year and refined my technique somewhat. Eventually I decided I didn't need a lot of free garbage and only paid attention to the technologies I really felt merited my attention. If they didn't have a giveaway, it didn't effect my opinion one way or another.
Fast forward a few decades and I rarely attend trade shows. Yes, there are a few I would like to attend but I have to be careful with my time. I also work for a large global company that every technology vendor would love to sell into. That means I refrain from providing my Sony credentials unless it is worth receiving hundreds of e-mails and phone calls.
Fortunately Sony is a large enough company that I have noticed a new trend in trade shows, thanks to the rapid advancement of virtual meeting technology. A few weeks ago, Microsoft put together a 90-minute meeting with just Sony employees in the United States where they showcased some of their newest products. We got to see demos tailored specifically to Sony's needs. Furthermore, I didn't have to get on a plane and waste countless hours traveling to an event. It opened my eyes to the next evolution in trade shows.
Not every company is large enough to warrant their own personalized meeting but it got me thinking about how to do a similar event for a number of smaller companies. A large vendor like Microsoft could put together several niche meetings and invite a number of customers from small to mid-sized companies tailored to their needs. With the skyrocketing costs of travel I am seeing, this would be one way to stretch people's time and budgets.
Yes I do miss the days of running around and competing with colleagues to find the best giveaways, but not enough to convince my boss to let me travel unnecessarily. Perhaps you feel the same way too.
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