Up until now, accounts and contracts have been won and signed with eye contact and quality handshakes, many at trade shows, helping build the convention industry up to an economic impact of $100 billion in 2019, according to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR). A CEIR economist, Dr. Allen Show, also noted in a recent blog that 72.6% of events scheduled for the second half of March were canceled in 2020. The loss of the traditional trade show begs the question: Has face-to-face been replaced? Enter the virtual handshake.
ALIGN WITH EXPERTS
Like much of the world these days, traditional trade shows may be forever changed, but not stopped entirely. A high-value benefit of any trade show is proximity to experts. While many business leaders are weighing their options and pondering whether or not new virtual or semi-virtual solutions will pay off, LJM Group is leaning into their extensive experience of logistics, parcel management, and contract negotiations to guide the parcel shipping industry forward.
In a recent Covid-19 related blog post, LJM Group President and Founder Ken Wood said, “As leaders in the shipping consulting industry, LJM Group excels in adaptable times that require adaptable measures. Our past experiences through economic adversity have consistently yielded the best opportunities for our clients. A review of your business practices, your network, and your shipping data may make all the difference.”
DON’T GIVE UP ON THE TRADE SHOW
While some trade show floors have been swapped for screens, for now or possibly forever, one may ask how the previous traditional handshakes symbolizing trust and providing the foundation to a business relationship will be replaced. Not to mention that the convention floor also provided the network of pre-qualified leads necessary to keep business rolling.
Other countries have started opening up conventions with health screenings before admittance, hand sanitation stations throughout the venue, face-covering requirements, minimized attendance and other health precautions. Here though, for now, we have to do without physical attendance and find other ways to connect with prospective clients.
David Naumann, retail industry analyst, said in a discussion on RetailWIre.com, “For the most part, virtual conferences are likely a temporary solution to address our current situation. However, as more event companies and vendors ‘perfect’ virtual meetings, in some cases, they will replace or augment some in-person events. With travel restrictions, webinars have become one of the most successful marketing tools for companies as we are seeing attendance for these events soar to levels never experienced before COVID-19.”
These webinars, podcasts, and virtual meetings are just some of the options companies are utilizing to deliver insights with a virtual handshake, helping clients remain profitable and ahead of the curve. LJM Group, advocates developing virtual experiences and personalized meetings designed to continue to open up financial frontiers and profitability pathways for its partners, building on its solid foundation of industry experience.