From the traditional trade fair stand to the digital trade fair experience
For most companies, trade fairs are an integral part of their marketing strategy. The events serve as an important communication tool for exhibitors to get in touch with customers and visitors. But since many trade fairs were canceled, the picture has changed. Instead of a pure physical presence, a digital trade fair presence is increasingly being considered as an alternative or supplement. The transformation from physical trade fairs to hybrid or even purely virtual events is now in full swing.
For decades, trade fairs have offered companies an ideal stage to present their products and present new products and innovations. The trade fair stands also help companies to increase their awareness and polish their image with often spectacular appearances among visitors. Exhibitors have been deprived of this opportunity in the past two years due to the cancellation of many trade fairs due to the corona pandemic. Their importance has therefore declined sharply in the recent past.
Difficult assessment of success at conventional trade fairs
Even before Corona began, many exhibitors were asking themselves the question of the meaning and purpose of the purely physical trade fair appearance, which literally disappears into thin air after the end of the event - and this after it had previously consumed hundreds of thousands or even millions of euros. The increasing effort to offer visitors something special and to create high recognition value for your own brand has also increased massively in recent years. This is not the only reason why controllers often find it difficult to determine after such an event whether the benefits justify the costs of participation.
Especially when it comes to products that require particularly intensive advice, the question always arises as to the extent to which they can be presented in an understandable and at the same time attractive manner in the often turbulent trade fair environment. In addition, there was the triumph of digital technologies, which made product presentation in virtual space appear increasingly attractive. It is therefore not surprising that more and more forward-looking companies are showing a growing interest in realistically presenting their product range using digital presentation techniques. Since they use augmented reality and interactive elements to offer a 3D world of imagination that can hardly be achieved at conventional trade fairs, a rethink has often occurred. This also accelerates the transition from the physical to the virtual trade fair experience.
Suitable for:
Manufacturers of large machines or system and project developers in particular know how complicated it is to present their products and solutions in the limited space at the trade fair. Since it is not physically possible to present house-sized turbines or factory elements the size of football fields at the trade fair stand, alternatives such as reduced-scale models or complex simulations have had to be found in the past. However, with the help of digital technology, the exhibition space can be expanded indefinitely and the product range can be integrated directly into the business environment of the interviewee via AR. Since the presentations created in this way are available long after the trade fair ends, the effect can be extended indefinitely thanks to digital transformation. These are also factors that are accelerating the change to virtual solutions.
This trend is proven by studies. According to them, decision-makers in companies now assume that virtual alternatives to traditional trade fairs will become more popular in the future, or that mixed forms will become established. However, when the importance of physical presence decreases, attractive and at the same time affordable alternatives must be found with which companies can score points with their target group.
How to get started in the virtual trade fair world
Implementing the virtual trade fair experience without suitable tools is extremely complex.
It is far from enough just to put photos and brochures of the physical trade fair stand online one-to-one or to send them to customers as PDFs. In order to be effective, a digital trade fair must be designed from scratch and filled with the right content. What presents the software developers of most companies with hardly solvable problems can be quickly implemented at manageable conditions thanks to service providers such as Vuframe GmbH from Regensburg. With Pocket Booth, the developer offers an app that offers an outstanding product experience and can be used to supplement or replace physical trade fairs.
With Pocket Booth, implementing a virtual trade fair and the resulting exciting trade fair experience is child's play. No programming knowledge or similar is required!
Pocket Booth's innovative app for your pocket makes it possible for companies to easily implement a digital trade fair presence by processing the supplied product photos and CAD data and transforming them into an interactive 3D model that offers users a whole new level of realism.
In addition, Pocket Booth solves the problem of comprehensibly presenting products that require explanation, because the app gives stand staff an ideal opportunity to present the details to visitors in an informative and interactive way. Thanks to the sophisticated 3D technology, even large systems and machines can be demonstrated in an impressive way.
The follow-up to the trade fair can also be made much easier for exhibitors and visitors using the app, as the models shown can be sent by email directly after the conversation. This means that interested parties receive product demos that they are guaranteed to remember later - a trigger for subsequent sales success that cannot be overestimated. In this respect, too, the app proves to be an ideal complement to the trade fair appearance or even a more than equal replacement. In contrast to the conventional model, it also has the great advantage that it represents a trade fair stand that is open around the clock and can be accessed worldwide.
- Pocket Booth is XR-ready - you can present your content with VR glasses at any time using the VR add-on.
- The trade fair app in and out of your pocket – always at hand via smartphones and tablets. Easy to use and ready to use quickly for every conversation.
- Convince yourself in every conversation with the Pocket Booth trade fair app.
- Unlimited exhibition rooms, unlimited presentation options for any number of exhibits and services.
- One click and the Pocket Booth trade fair app sends further information – including a 3D view. Interested parties will receive an email with a link that can be accessed directly in the browser.
You can request a demo version of the Pocket Booth here!
You can find more information about measuring in the Vuframe white paper
3D visualizations: What else could be interesting for you based on the topic!
- No data security: Virtual Showrooms & Co. – What most people have forgotten and what you can do about it
- Smartview: Product photo 4.0 / Product image 4.0 – With video and WebAR example!
- Digital Twin – Digital Twin: 3D visualization and digital supply chain management
- Viewframework - the programming framework for 2022 - including for product photo 4.0 and WebAR
Xpert.Digital – Konrad Wolfenstein
Xpert.Digital is a hub for industry with a focus on digitalization, mechanical engineering, logistics/intralogistics and photovoltaics.
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