Livestreams are booming. The pandemic has acted as an accelerator, a kind of greenhouse for this trend. On Facebook, for example, every fifth video is a live video. Companies are using video broadcasting to reach their target group quickly, effectively and cheaply. Nine out of ten companies stated in a survey that they had either already used live streaming or wanted to use it in the future. Livestreams can also be used effectively and sensibly at trade fairs. With a stream from a trade fair stand, exhibitors combine the advantages of live streams at trade fairs – the physical presence with the digital world.
Increase the reach of your exhibition stand
Planning an exhibition stand involves many hours of work, sometimes it takes a whole year to finalize the concept and get all the details right. An exhibition stand is also a major cost factor in marketing, with sums in the five-figure range being no exception. To make all the effort worthwhile, exhibitors should fully exploit the potential of their stand. With a live stream from your stand, you can reach people who are unable to attend the trade fair in person. There are many reasons that prevent a visit to the trade fair. For example, travel restrictions due to the pandemic, and a trip to a trade fair is also associated with high costs for visitors. Especially during trade fairs, hotels in the area increase their costs, sometimes significantly. There are also environmental reasons that speak against a long journey to a trade fair. Thanks to a broadcast, customers and suppliers from different parts of the world can follow the live stream and participate in the trade fair. The live stream could also be played in the company itself, for example, or in the exhibition rooms. This way, for example, colleagues who have not traveled to the trade fair can also take part.
Interaction is also possible via livestream
“But I can’t network with my partners and maintain relationships in a livestream” – a prejudice that we often encounter. In a livestream, interaction between viewers and people is easily possible. The simplest option is a chat window. The following example: An exhibitor uses the possibilities of a livestream and offers guided tours. Followed by a mobile camera, an employee walks around the stand and talks about the products on display. Viewers of the livestream are customers who follow the tour at locations around the world. Afterwards, customers have the opportunity to simply ask their questions using the chat function. The presenter is given a tablet from which he receives the viewer’s questions in real time. Finally, the presenter lists the most important contact options. There is also the option of 1:1 conversations between customers and exhibitors. These slots are also broadcast via livestream and are, so to speak, a team meeting directly at the trade fair.
Increase in brand awareness
A deal can only be closed if potential customers are even aware of the products and the company. A live stream is the right choice to make your company even better known. Because with a stream from your stand, you can reach a broader target group and therefore more people than just the guests at your stand. Announce the stream well in advance and send the link to your contacts. If the content in the stream is good, viewers may send the stream on and the number of viewers will continue to increase. In this way, you can increase your brand awareness and reach a larger target group with a live stream from a trade fair.
Save costs and create content for social media at the same time
At first a contradiction, because a livestream per se causes costs. But thanks to the basic setting of a stream, you can save costs in other areas, such as travel costs, stand rental and personnel resources. Not every employee has to travel to the stand, but can be connected via livestream for consultations. Even for a panel discussion that you hold as an event, not all experts have to travel and be accommodated in hotels. The collected film material from the trade fair can also be used for other purposes. Use the impressions to create an atmospheric aftermovie for social media. You can also use it to effectively advertise your next trade fair appearance. Customers who missed the livestream can watch the content at a later date and benefit from the information and presentations.
Taking sustainability seriously
A term that is currently being used almost inflationarily. Sustainability affects all areas of everyday life and therefore also the business world. Many companies appoint a sustainability manager, offset their CO2 emissions and focus on saving energy and certified eco-paper. The major trade fair locations in Germany advertise sustainability campaigns on their websites and rely on solar power, for example. But what is the CO2 balance of the individual locations?
If you take a look at the websites, only two out of 15 trade fair operators have published a carbon footprint. Messe Stuttgart writes in its Green Statement. “Since 2019, the company has fully offset emissions from business activities through internationally recognized climate protection projects and is therefore considered a climate-neutral trade fair venue,” says Messe Stuttgart’s Green Statement. 14,347,500 kg of CO2 were offset. It is not clear to what extent this offsetting of emissions applies only to Messe Stuttgart or to all trade fair events.
Hamburg Messe und Congress published a sustainability report in 2019 and 2020. All emissions are divided into three areas, known as scopes. Scope 3 includes other indirect emissions, which include travel to and from events by service partners, exhibitors and visitors. Obviously, this is probably the largest emission factor of a trade fair. However, Messe Hamburg does not publish any figures on this: “The recording method and possible compensation are currently being examined”.
An indictment in times of ever-increasing climate change. The solution is actually obvious: simply give your customers and business partners a virtual tour of your trade fair stand. This means no CO2 emissions from air travel, which you may have to compensate for at great expense. With a hybrid trade fair stand, you can show that sustainability is really important to you and that your company is not greenwashing. Visitors from Germany can travel by train with low CO2 emissions, while business partners and customers from other countries or even continents don’t have to make the extra trip for the full trade fair experience.
Stand out from the competition
Hosting a live stream from a trade show can help you stand out from the competition and be perceived as an innovative and technologically advanced company. It proves that you keep up with current trends and are willing to explore new ways to connect with your target audience.
These reasons show that live streaming from a trade show can be an effective way to extend reach, encourage interaction, increase brand awareness and reduce costs. It allows companies to reap the benefits of a trade show presence without the associated challenges and limitations of physical events.
