When it comes to trade shows, there is an adage that seems to resonate across all industries, and that is some variation of “if you’re not there it’s assumed you’re out of business.” Trade shows exist across all industries and on every level from mom and pop productions to multi-million dollar events and from small, regional get-togethers to international “who’s who” extravaganzas. Regardless of where, how, or why you attend, I believe trade shows are tradition when it comes to marketing and brand exposure.
However, in today’s economy and with today’s selective and educated consumer, trade shows must blend elements of modernity into their traditional shows. I believe the consumer has high expectations of what their admission ticket will get them at a boat show and if the show does not deliver, then it’s up to the exhibitor to do so. In my mind, for product manufacturers and boatbuilders it’s tradition to exhibit at a boat show, for the consumer and media, it’s tradition simply to attend. When it comes to boat show traditions, I’m sure everyone has things that stick out in their mind as to what constitutes their “boat show tradition.” Perhaps it’s agonizing over what booth graphics to bring, what time to hold the cocktail reception on Thursday, which color company polo to wear, or how to best balance time at the show between your own booth and mingling with the rest of the industry. Depending on the show, there are also the traditions of where you park, where you eat, how you navigate the show, even the conversations you have could be considered “tradition” simply because they don’t change much from year to year.
With a handful of boat shows already complete, a couple under way, and several more on the immediate horizon, it will be interesting to see what works at this year’s shows. In the month of February alone, the NMMA will produce six shows and a quick Google search brought up at least a half dozen other national and international boat shows for the month of February alone. Though not all boats and products will be the same at each show, choosing which show to attend could be a tough decision for the consumer. What are the shows doing to attract new customers and how are they enticing previous attendees to return? Some reports are indicating positive attendance for this year’s shows and we all hope to see that grow. Winter boat shows have a bit of a leg up for higher attendance than spring or summer shows because they’re early enough in the year when boaters are not yet on the water, they’re itching to go boating, and they’re curious about what’s new. Ideally, a collective effort between show managers and exhibitors will give the consumer plenty to look forward to.
Boat shows in and of themselves are tradition so by adding in a few new components, all should see positive results. Seminars are a “modern” feature that many shows integrated long ago, but whether or not they are successful is dependent on the topic, the presenter, time they’re held, and cost for the attendee. Education is hugely valuable and whether it comes in the form of a lecture-style presentation, an interactive booth to test out products, a chance to sea trial a new boat, or spending one-on-one time with an industry expert for Q&A on their own boat, keeping consumers informed is a key element to a well-rounded show. Show features like live music, raffles, auctions, roundtable discussions, product-specific areas of the show (sailboats, fishing boats, trawlers, dinghies, etc), are all familiar forms of modern event techniques that shows use to engage attendees. How has your show experience been modernized? What would you do differently? There are many more levels of enhancing a traditional boat show event and the ultimate experience will be one that is fully customized for both the exhibitor and the attendee. I plan to focus on this during this year’s Miami Boat Show and will report on exactly what I think this customized experience should be all about.
There are surely many challenges that show managers face when it comes to changing the traditional format of their events. As the footprint of trade shows expand, diversity of exhibitors grows, attendance numbers increase, and new features are added to the event, there is one component that I hope does not get lost in revising the boat show experience, and that is customer service. If there is one thing about the old school, traditional boat show experience that should not change it is the relationship that show managers should have with exhibitors and that exhibitors should have with attendees. With online registration, online exhibitor lists, show maps in PDF format, customer “service” is easy to funnel into available technology which is a great modern tool but also one that should not replace traditional customer service.
There is no doubt a fine line that we all must walk when it comes to trade shows, but I do believe a balance of blending familiar festive show experiences with new education and services can be achieved.
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