Virtual exhibitions 2020: through the eyes of a participant

Text: LuLuTheSexpert

Russian version

I have attended trade shows in the past and was looking forward to be able to attend many more this year to walk the floor to see all the amazing new products and chit chat with other industry people. Unfortunately, we were not able to do so but everyone missed it and companies quickly found another way for this to happen. This year with all that is happening with COVID-19 industries have had to move their annual trade shows to a virtual platform.

For me the first show I attended was AVN I was placed in a group with some amazing ladies and we quickly became really great friends with each other now we attended meetings together and learned a lot of awesome amazing products fr om the manufacturers even though we could not touch the products we were able to get some really great information and description of what they had coming out. The platform for AVN we had zoom meetings we were given A schedule that let us know who you’ll meet with some of the vendors even sent an email with some of their information letting us know what we will see at the meetings each meeting was 30 minutes you were able to ask questions and get to know more about the products that was really good I very much enjoyed it. This AVN event took place over 2 weeks.

My second event was with XBIZ Summer retreat this was for sure the first for me the platform was very different it was like being in a virtual world where you can walk the floor (virtually) make an avatar so you people can see that its you, there were places to seat where you can meet up with others in between meetings that was great. They also had ice breakers where you can meet others with in 2 minutes in a speed round kind of event another first for me (smile). When you did you in to a meeting room wh ere the manufacturer could lock the door so the room can stay private. After days of meetings there were many zoom events like wigs out night, karaoke, a concert are all great to know people outside of business meetings. XBIZ ran for about a week long.

In conclusion even though we all want to be together and see each other and have those different kinds of connections they made it comfortable and for us to still be able to see each other and just to be in a space in a safe environment to hear about amazing products meet with some great people and expand businesses and business relationships with shows stains in this format until COVID-19 is behind us I am looking forward to the 2021 year and seeing all the amazing things that these events will bring more than forward.