We asked, you answered. Hear from your fellow #eventprofs colleagues on their virtual and tradeshow plans for 2021.

Exhibiting in 2021
62% of participants said they would be exhibiting at a tradeshow in 2021
Floor Plan Size
- Of those who plan to exhibit:
- 65% plan to keep their floorplan the same
- 12% plan to increase their floorplan square footage
- And 23% plan to decrease the size of their space
Budget
- 50% of this exhibiting group plan to decrease their spend on their next trade show
- 23% plan to increase their spend
- And 27% plan to keep their spend the same
- From our group of exhibitors:
- 77% that said they would be moving forward with creating a virtual experience
Primary Reason for Creating a Virtual Experience
- 10% said Brand Awareness
- 45% said Customer and Prospect Engagement
- 35% said Lead Generation
- 10% N/A
Utilization of Virtual Experiences
- Of the group moving forward with virtual, here is where they land as far as utilization of their experiences:
- 65% said they would it as a means to host their own virtual event or conference
- 55% said they would also use them to enhance existing virtual or hybrid events held by associations
- 50% said they would use them to uniquely engage and educate customers and prospects
- And 25% said they would use it as a tool to enhance their website experience
The Struggle is Real
- When it comes to the challenges they need overcome with creating virtual experiences here is what the exhibiting group had to say:
- 20% said getting approval from leadership will be a challenge
- 10% say it’s too expensive
- 40% said that they potentially don’t see their prospects or customers using it
- And 85% say it’s not a replacement for live events (which we agree with)
Book Now: Elevate your brand with virtual marketing environments. Schedule a FREE demo now.
Non-Exhibitors
And now a word from the 38% of participants that said they would not be exhibiting in 2021
Going virtual
- Of the non-exhibitors:
- 94% stated they are planning on creating a virtual experience
Primary Reason for Creating a Virtual Experience
- 13% said Brand Awareness
- 54% said Customer and Prospect Engagement
- 13% said Lead Generation
- 20% N/A
Utilization of Virtual Experiences
- Of the group moving forward with just virtual, here is where they land as far as utilization of their experiences:
- 87% said they would it as a means to host their own virtual event or conference
- 47% said they would also use them to enhance existing virtual or hybrid events held by associations
- 67% said they would use them to uniquely engage and educate customers and prospects
- And only 13% said they would use it as a tool to enhance their website experience
- An additional note mentioned for utilizing their virtual space is to also educate employees and provide useful information
The Struggle is Still Real
- When it comes to the challenges they need overcome with creating virtual experiences here is what the non-exhibiting group had to say:
- 6% said getting approval from leadership is a challenge
- 27% say it’s too expensive
- 40% said that they potentially don’t see their prospects or customers using it
- 60% say it’s not a replacement for live events (which we still agree with)
- One participant also noted:
The logistics of getting the virtual event done well, while making fallback plans in case it has to become a hybrid event if in-person meetings are allowed in our area by then. It's like planning two huge events at the same time.
We know the state of the events industry is still up in the air as far as an official restart. But, as you enter your 2021 planning sessions please know Steelhead is here to help whether it be for 3D, virtual, campaign development, creative resources and more, we're in this together.
Be well.
Have a comment?