Post COVID, our C-suite is questioning whether our company should continue its trade show program. How can I convince them of its relevance and save five people's jobs in the process?

Without a doubt, COVID dealt a blow to the trade show and events industry. Many trade show programs bounced back, but the upheaval caused some C-suite executives to question the need to compete in the face-to-face industry in today's digital age.

Approach your conversations with your administration much the same way that you approach your trade show program. Wage a face-to-face marketing campaign for their support by developing some key messages that address their primary concerns. This will vary from company to company and depend on the personalities you are selling your program to. In my experience, however, many of the C-suite's pain points revolve around concepts we're used to dealing with: return on investment, brand awareness, thought leadership, etc. So here are some broad talking points that can serve as a starting point for you to begin crafting your perfect pitch.

Quality Lead Generation
Consider leading with quality revenue sources. The main strength of events is that they create more pipeline opportunities in three to five days than a sales team's cumulative annual efforts. Study the leads of your top-performing shows and pit them against those of the sales team.

Trade shows also provide strategic opportunities to strengthen relationships with your ideal customers. People buy from people they like and trust. The face time, personal touches, and quality time spent with prospects provide an invaluable opportunity to build rapport and trust. Moreover, trade shows often accelerate existing deals by providing the momentum boost that can move clients through the sales funnel.

Thought Leadership and Brand Visibility
Trade shows are also about establishing a presence and influencing perceptions. So target your company's thought leadership and brand visibility in the industry, key components to a company's long-term success. Rather than cut your company's trade show program, suggest doubling down by investing in speaking opportunities to position your executives as thought leaders in the industry via keynote addresses and conference sessions.

Besides providing key figures in your company the opportunity to garner their share of the industry spotlight in front of their competitors, these engagements boost the overall visibility of your brand — something your executives may not readily consider when they envision a typical trade show program. Emphasize that these speaking opportunities are likely to yield surprising connections that frequently lead to collaborations, partnerships, and industry influence.

Awareness Campaigns for New Products
Innovation is the lifeblood of any successful company, and trade shows provide the ideal platform to introduce new products to a targeted audience. The number one reason that attendees come to a show is to see what's new and what's next, and trade shows are an ideal setting to test new ideas and products. The immediate feedback lets your team gauge interest in a product or service and quickly make necessary changes. And trade shows can provide the springboard to catapult a little-known product into the limelight. Some of the most iconic products, from American Gladiator to Uber, have emerged thanks to trade shows.
Gain Ground on the Competition
Appeal to C-suite executives' spirit of competition. Trade shows provide a unique vantage point to conduct real-time analysis of key competitors. By observing the strategies, product launches, and engagement tactics of rivals, your team gains valuable insights that can inform strategic decisions and keep your company at the forefront of industry trends.

Trade shows offer a rare opportunity to benchmark your offerings against competitors, identify market gaps, and fine-tune your value proposition. The intelligence gathered during these events are assets that empower your company to make informed decisions that drive innovation and maintain a competitive edge.

More Than an Exhibit
In short, a trade show exhibiting program is not a singular endeavor based solely on having a booth — it's a strategic investment in the holistic growth, visibility, and influence of your company. By leveraging the unique opportunities offered by trade shows for quality lead generation, thought leadership, brand visibility, product launches, networking, and competitor analysis, your C-suite can set itself on a trajectory that extends far beyond the confines of an exhibit hall floor. Your executives' question shouldn't be “Should we cut our exhibiting program?” but rather “Why aren't we investing more time, money, and manpower into it?”