Virtually a Snap

Thursday March 10, 2011 | Filed under:

Our March Virtual Trade Show attracted 1,700 attendees, no doubt drawn by the ease of networking from the comfort of home or office. We did get one “complaint,” but it’s one we’d gladly hear again: a supplier reporting “too many leads to handle.”

This show distinguished itself by logging more visitors per booth than previous shows, for an average of 837. Altogether, visitors stayed an average of 72 minutes, conducted 1,776 one-to-one chats and viewed nearly 3,000 documents and 900 webcasts – efficiently and effortlessly.

If you missed this week’s virtual event, you can access it now on-demand. If you did not register for Wednesday’s show, check here first. If you did register, log on here.

Who attended? A number of top exhibitors, including:

  • BCG Creations (asi/37693)
  • Blue Loyal (asi/40658)
  • Data Management (asi/48584)
  • Eskesen (asi/52687)
  • Express-A-Button (asi/53408)
  • Graphco Line (asi/57956)
  • iClick Inc. (asi/62124)
  • Ingredients Corp. of America (asi/62649)
  • The Magnet Group (asi/68507)
  • National Gift Card (asi/073011)
  • SanMar (asi/84863)
  • Showdown Displays (asi/87188)
  • World Emblem (asi/98264)
We always love feedback and comments. Sharon Brill of Raelyn Marketing Promotions called the virtual event “your best ever.” Samantha Tyrrell of Paradox Crafts, a first-time visitor, said she liked the format because at brick-and-mortar shows, “It’s hard to not feel like you’re taking a sales rep from others when you have a lot to ask. This was much easier.”

Brenda Metcalf of Salt 1 to1 Inc. also commented on the in-depth talks she was able to have with suppliers and thanked our crew for their help in getting her team up and running.

ASI’s virtual shows always feature top suppliers, virtual show booths, multimedia demos, digital catalogs, online sample requests, a complete passport program and thousands of dollars in prizes. We know the all-day, online events are effective because exhibiting suppliers experience an average 24% increase in ESP searches the day after each show.

And, you can attend education classes that are applied to your BASI or MASI certification right from the show floor.

While virtual events won’t replace in-person shows (New York City is March 22-24) but you can’t beat the ease and value. This was our seventh virtual show and we expect to host three more in 2011. The next one is April 19, so mark your calendar.

If you were at the show, tell me your experience – and offer any suggestions for improvement – by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.