What is your experience with tech exhibitions?

becks

becks

becks

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4 Jul 2010
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Been meaning to throw this out there – what are your thoughts on tech exhibitions these days? I’ve had a few experiences over the years, both as someone just wandering through the halls and also on the other side, representing a booth. Always curious how others feel about these events, especially now, where things are moving so fast digitally.

From the visitor side, I’ve often come away inspired – there’s something about being surrounded by real people, real hardware, real prototypes. You can ask weird, specific questions and often get surprisingly honest answers. There’s also that sense of discovery – like walking past a booth and suddenly getting pulled into something you didn’t even know existed.

As an exhibitor, yeah, it’s a grind – long hours, lots of talking – but honestly, it’s one of the best ways to understand how your product or service lands with actual users. That face-to-face feedback is gold. Plus, I’ve had some great convos that never would’ve happened over email or a form.

So yeah, curious: Are you still going? Exhibiting? Do you feel it’s worth it? Or is it more about being seen than really connecting these days?
 
Pretty much a waste of time, they don’t even give away cool free stuff anymore…

I used to work at a place where the assistant IT director, who freely admitted that he knew nothing about IT used to go to them and come back after buying the most useless of stuff, just because the sales person got to him and he thought it was cheap for what it was.

We have an internal ones now a days, where different departments show off there latest development and the tech/systems that they use for it, they normally have the vendors of the tech/systems with them as they are always interested in increasing their user base/licensing or chance of buyout within our company. And they give away the coolest of stuff… HP was giving out full body massages, got a load of bitbucket t-shirts, Sophos welly socks, branded wireless chargers, smart edc rucksacks, rublix cubes, loads of data/charger cables..and the normal pens, stickers and notepads. If there’s an internal expo I’m there getting free stuff lol . Thou I have met some interesting people/companies… snow flake and ssh were the most recent of them.
 
@slinxy: Fair point about the giveaways – those little treasures used to be half the charm. But honestly, I still see value in the in-person side of things. Sure, not every booth hits the mark, and yeah, the over-the-top swag is rare these days. But when you stumble across a small vendor with a prototype and a story, and you actually talk – that’s gold. Those are the moments that stick.

@ci_newman: I get the frustration – the polish, the cost, the show. And yeah, booth budgets can be absurd. But I also think there's a reason some companies still go all in. A well-done stand isn’t just marketing – it can be a real conversation starter, a testing ground, a live feedback loop. It’s expensive, no doubt, but for some it’s worth it.

In the end, I think expos still have potential – not for everyone, maybe, but when done right, they offer something digital just doesn’t. Do you think the format needs to evolve more? Or is the time just over for big in-person setups?
 
It's definitely good for networking and meeting up with suppliers and clients. Personally I tend to spend about an hour at the expo and then end up in the nearest pub/bar/strip club...
 
becks said:
Or is the time just over for big in-person setups?
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The company I work for is an exhibitions company running over 200 events a year globally, including some tech events. Surprisingly in-person events have bounced back hard after COVID and are growing.
 
I remember a backup company hiring a bunch of busty ladies in lederhosen for their 'cheerleading' at an expo back in 2018, unsurprisingly in a hall of mostly sweaty blokes they were the most popular stall. I won a lightsabre, and got given more keyrings, beanies, polos and business cards than anyone ever wanted.

Was some semi-useful demos for products I wasn't as familiar with, and was a good place to meet account managers, and sales reps for companies I did know and had spoken to virtually over the years.
 
@Sirrel Squirrel: Haha, sounds about right – 1 hour of “work” and then it’s pub o’clock. Honestly though, some of the best convos I’ve had happened offsite, pint in hand. You just drop the formality and get real. Maybe that’s where expos shine: not just in the booths, but in the spaces between.

@Participant @Flaevius @magnolia: You lot clearly cracked the real expo strategy. :D But you’re not wrong – there’s always been this wild blend of business, chaos and low-key hedonism floating under the surface. Still, part of me misses the balance: proper tech nerdiness and a bit of madness. Think we’ve lost that mix a bit?

@Hades: Appreciate the insider take – 200+ events a year is wild. And great to hear that in-person is not only back but growing. Curious: Have attendee expectations changed? Like, are people still coming for discovery and connection, or has it shifted more toward content consumption?

@Throrik: Ah yes, the infamous “brand activation” tactics. :cry: Gotta say, I remember those booths too – not always fondly, but they did pull a crowd. And yeah, meeting long-time virtual contacts face-to-face? That’s always a highlight for me. No online call beats that 2-minute in-person moment where things just click.

@Fubsy: Heh. Let’s just say the expo scene has... evolved. And maybe that’s not all bad? I’d trade a dozen booth babes for one decent hands-on demo these days. But yeah, I get the nostalgia.

@DJMK4: Yup, AI is the new blockchain – everyone’s got a take, a demo, a pitch. Some of it’s fluff, some of it’s fascinating. Personally, I’m still waiting for an AI booth that actually lets you break something or tweak it beyond the usual slideshow. Have you seen any standout AI demos lately that felt more than buzzword?

Curious what others think – are expos becoming too scripted, too sanitized? Or is there still room for the unexpected moments that made them cool in the first place?
 
becks said:
@Hades: Appreciate the insider take – 200+ events a year is wild. And great to hear that in-person is not only back but growing. Curious: Have attendee expectations changed? Like, are people still coming for discovery and connection, or has it shifted more toward content consumption?
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A bit of everything. But I would say that connections is a big driver.

EDIT: There are some very large exhibition companies. What a lot of people don't realise is that the show name rarely has the name of the actual event owner. e.g. "Big Event Company" (made up name) may run many of the shows that people here go to, but you wouldn't see their name advertised.
 
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Exhibitions historically where a great way of getting face to face with your customers. I went to ICE, the gaming( i.e. gambling) show for years, first in Earls court, and then laterally in Excel, where it filled both sides of Excel. I don't know in these days of remote working and teams etc whether face to face is as important as it once was, but if you've been in an industry for years, you end up having just as important conversations in the isles as you meet industrial collegues as you do on the stands.
I think this was the first year that that show has moved out of the UK to barcelona.

And to glean some interesting tidbits, always try to get to an engineer, not a marketing/sale guys. Engineers tend to be proud of their goods and often happy to give you insights that you would never get from marketing.
 
Last one I went to was a Tech event 'of sorts' a gaming tech event in ExCel back in 2011. I took my then 10 year old nephew with me, he was a budding PC gamer back then so he was acting like any kid would in a big sweetshop. I only went to get a look at the 2nd gen Core series PC's that were there (I bought a 2500k as a result) I ended up spending more time trying to look for him than I did looking around at the stalls. :rolleyes: I think OCUK had a Stand there & it was on here I got to know about it.
That kind of put me off going to anymore. The only 'Exhibition' I go to these days is the London Coffee Festival, This year will be my 10th year in a row (Except 2020, it was postponed because of 'a bug doing the rounds' ;)).
 
Tech exhibitions are definitely still relevant, though their role has evolved. I totally get what you mean about the energy of being there in person—there’s something about the buzz of the crowd, the hands-on experience, and the spontaneous conversations that virtual events just can’t replicate. The ability to ask direct, unfiltered questions and get real-time reactions is invaluable.
From the exhibitor’s perspective, it’s a mixed bag. The long hours and constant engagement can be exhausting, but the direct feedback and unexpected connections often make it worth it. It’s one thing to see data on user behavior, but another to actually hear someone’s reaction face-to-face. That said, there’s definitely an element of just "being seen" at some of these events—companies often feel pressure to participate more for visibility than for actual engagement.

Personally, I still find value in them, but I think the balance is shifting. With digital alternatives becoming more sophisticated, companies need to be more intentional about why they’re exhibiting. If it’s just for brand presence, there might be more efficient ways to achieve that. But if the goal is genuine interaction and discovery, there’s still nothing quite like being on the floor.
I've often been to trade fairs on business. It's important to know what you want. You need a professional appearance and you also need very good employees. We always had very good support from our stand builder Syma. When we were still new and inexperienced, their expertise was a great help. We also had our employees trained by an external company for the trade fair presentation. As a company, you have to think about a strategy.
 
I did actually run in to an "unreal fest" exhibition when i was working over in prague once,

they held it at the hilton hotel i was staying in, there was tons of people attending it
 
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