Trade Shows - Are they worth it?
Jon Hartley thinks that trade shows are too costly and too in London!
There are, to my mind, two problems with any Trade Show – the cost of attending, and the time away from ‘normal’ work.
The cost can be prohibitive, not only on travelling and possibly parking, but if overnight accommodation is needed too, those hotels in the show so keen on our business show little favour when it comes to special deals in their hotels. Some of them really do shoot themselves in the foot with this attitude, and miss out on a clear opportunity to create more brand loyalty. They will stand smiling on their stand at the show, but their local hotel has just demanded almost rack rate for your night’s kip. Madness. What is wrong with inviting your sellers to a Thank You Dinner the night before the show, promoting both yourselves and your products, including accommodation, and then following this up with accommodation at a decent rate for the following night if required? There are a couple of chains who either have done, or presently do offer a form of this, but others could perhaps learn from this simple marketing ploy.
Time away from the office must also be taken into account. This is so often forgotten, that is until you return to find no-one has done anything with anything, and it’s all waiting for you to deal with. Is the show worth attending, will you benefit from it – if not, why go?
Taking the view that you have to go, the location is next to be considered, and we all have an opinion here! For me, London loses out on so many levels. Sorry ExCel, Earls Court and Olympia, but the tourism industry doesn’t centre itself in your city, and you are too big, too expensive, and too difficult to get to from other parts of the country. Yes, there are some companies based there, and even more in the South East, but the NEC wins hands over fist when it comes to accessibility.
When Moot started, it travelled around the England and was THE show to visit. I even got used to the name, and was looking forward to Moot 2, or What Moot Did Next, Son of Moot, or perhaps Family Moot? When it got too big for your average venue, it went to the NEC and was a successful and popular show. It was still the number one to visit for the coach sector, and we all know how unpopular the move to Excel was, and the move to Olympia is – all be it better than Docklands. Stands are prohibitively expensive, accommodation likewise, and like the World Travel Market, it is more interesting to note who does not take part, instead of who does. With the support and backing of Visit Britain, the organisers of the Best of Britain and Ireland 2010 show are to be congratulated on the recognising the importance of coach operators, with, I suspect some nudging from CTC, CPT, and others. But it is still in London. Will I be going – what do you think? I didn’t do to ExCel last year – and more importantly the company I was working for, IHG, didn’t participate either, and did I/we miss it? No. I have costed going for two days to next years show, including three nights accommodation, travel, parking, meals and taxis, and it will come to over £700. I also have to add the cost of wheelchair hire - or my electric buggy as I call it, and it all becomes just too much. You might argue that I could go for the day – what? At my age, and from over 200 miles away? I think not.
In both cases, trade stands from local, regional, and in the case of WTM national tourist organisations did take part (had they any choice?), and of course with the British show being open to the public, numbers were up, but was it worth visiting for the average coach operator? Did you go, and was it worth it? Let us know – both good and bad.
Then we come to perhaps two lesser shows, but important in their own right. The Group Leisure Show and VisitScotland Expo are well run shows, well attended, and very popular with their respective markets. Part of this has to be the sensible charges for stand space, where smaller attractions and hoteliers can afford to participate – and do so. If you have never been to either I urge you to attend, as you will be in good company. The Group Leisure Show attracts group organisers and tour planners from across the board, and VisitScotland Expo – or STF to some of us, is still one of the friendliest shows in the calendar, and essential for planning new Scottish tours. It has a reputation for being quiet on the second day, but that can be beneficial too! You can spend quality time with a supplier without being overheard, or getting the feeling others are breathing down your neck.
There are plenty of other shows for you to visit, Excursions, Bus and Coach, Regional Trade Fairs and so on, but ignoring the cost for a minute, will you benefit from attending? If not, don’t go. If yes, by all means attend, and I hope you find it both beneficial and rewarding, but check first that the people you wish to meet are actually participating!
