It's no secret that tradeshows aren't the popular venue that they used to be in the 80s and 90s. The Internet has largely taken over the tradeshow's main purpose – to give customers detailed information about products. With that said, tradeshows aren't in the land of dinosaurs yet.
[pullquote]The chemical industry still has a few shows that draw big enough crowds to make them worthy of an in-person visit – by potential customers, vendors and the media. One of those shows is coming up Nov. 1-3 in New York City – The 2011 Chem Show. This biennial event at the Javits Center will gather customers and vendors together to talk shop and put people face-to-face – something that isn't as rewarding via the web.
To prepare for the show, Chemical Processing has created a section of its website with pre-show coverage to help you make the most of your attendance at the event (www.chemicalprocessing.com/chem_show). Located under the Resources tab of the menu bar, the Chem Show page features information from vendors, news and articles about the upcoming show and a product preview area aimed at highlighting what will be rolled out at the event.
While amassing this information, we thought about things we could do during the show to continue the coverage. For the first time, Chemical Processing will publish an electronic daily during the Chem Show. Each day, our editorial staff will search the aisles for innovative products and solutions and interesting breakout sessions to report on. We will then package the information into an e-newsletter to be sent out later in the evening. For those attending the show, this will help you get in-depth insight on things you might have missed. For those not at the show, it will serve as your personal tour.
Part of our show daily coverage will include videoing interviews with vendors, to give you a look at what they’re displaying. So if you see me conducting a booth interview, stick around to say hi afterward. I'd love to get your take on the show – and find out if I'm missing anything. And be sure to stop by the Chemical Processing booth at the show to visit with our staff. We are located at booth #1020.
We have our work cut out for us this year – however, we will certainly strive to deliver good, timely information to help you make the most of the show. As Clay Stevens, president, International Exposition Company -- the folks producing the event, said in an exclusive column he wrote for Chemical Processing, [the web isn't a] viable substitute for face-to-face meetings and first-hand exposure to products and equipment.
Traci Purdum is Chemical Processing's senior digital editor. You can e-mail her at [email protected].