Our exhibitors have always had choices, of course, and it’s always been our job to show companies how live events work to generate leads. Nothing will replace the value of meeting a potential customer, client or business partner face-to-face. There is a level of trust that can be achieved with “in-person” events that simply cannot be achieved online or by email.

Having said that, the Internet continues to give us a run for our money, forcing tradeshow organizers to continually innovate. desliva+phillips has an excellent white paper about lead generation in a digital world that should be required reading for all tradeshow organizations. The key is to not only compete with them directly but also use the Internet to add on to existing offerings. Let’s not send non-exhibitors down the street to another website just because “we don’t do tradeshows” when we can offer an alternative ourselves and earn the revenue. And it’s about much more than offering “virtual tradeshows.”