Exhibiting or visiting a trade show can be very expensive. “Some are worth it, some are just a waste of money”. Which fruit and vegetable trade shows offer return on investment, which not? The Fruit World is currently working on a comparison of the prominent trade shows in Europe, the US, South America and Asia. 10 reasons why you should or shouldn’t attend, exhibit or sponsor a trade show will be listed in the upcoming print edition. Among the shows tested are Macfrut, Fruit Attraction, Fruit Logistica, the PMA Fresh Summit, the London Produce Show and several others.
While several trade shows seemed to be worth the investment for exhibitors as well as visitors some showed disillusioning results. While marketing material is showing crowds of happy visitors we discovered empty seats and boring speakers in some trade shows. Others have become so busy that it is hard to keep up with the schedule. Some trade shows are creating excellent results for small and medium suppliers with great personal contacts.
Some initial findings:
- The organisational quality of trade shows appears to differ significantly. From unreliable transfers to chaotic, booth services the Fruit World has identified a number of weaknesses of established fresh produce trade shows.
- Many trade shows boast impressive speakers and number of visitors – not all of them seem to correct.
- The opinion among exhibitors about the cost and return of investment of exhibiting varies starkly. A comparison can be found in the special report.
Depending on how one counts there are more than 200 shows for the fresh produce Business in the world every year. And every year companies and institutions have to find clever on service for questions like:
1. Which industry show should I attend?
2. Where should I exhibit?
3. Which show offers the best value for money?
4. Which show has the best speakers and offers most interesting workshops?
5. Which is the right show if I am a grower, a trader, a packaging company, logistics company, a processing machine manufacturer, and industry organization, software solutions company or a student or expert seeking a new position in the Industry?
6. Which industry show helps me understand the challengers and the solutions in the business of the future better?
The expenses for attending or exhibiting at industry shows can be very steep. At the same time you might be able to meet the right people and make the perfect match for sales or collaboration.
We wanted to know how visitor numbers are counted, how the price of trade show space compares to successful sales, how relevant the workshops are, how the price of tickets relates to information and quality of contacts and how well orgainized the shows are.
In September we will be publishing The Fruit World Industry Show Guide – the only independent comparison available for horticulture production and trade. You will learn about the pros and cons for every show, for every product, for every industry segment and for every budget.
The Fruit World Industry Show Guide will enable you to understand better which show can make your company, project to project more successful, which show offers interesting insights from business leaders and which show you have to go to if you are in a certain industry segment. You will also be able to make a decision about which show you can skip as a visitor or as an exhibitor for certain segments, products and services – an important tool for saving on marketing expenses. The report will feature a great comparison chart that will allow you to make smart decisions. The comparison will be available in our next print issue of the fruit world. It is available on subscription and it can be ordered here.
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