The final instalment of our series on the return to large-scale, in-person trade shows looks at the ongoing effectiveness of such events (in their current guise) for all stakeholders. Has the pandemic altered our view of their value? Has the emphasis changed for exhibitors? Our panel of contributors offer their thoughts...
By TVBEurope Staff
Published: June 1, 2022 Updated: June 6, 2022
The final instalment of our series on the return to large-scale, in-person trade shows looks at the ongoing effectiveness of such events (in their current guise) for all stakeholders. Has the pandemic altered our view of their value? Has the emphasis changed for exhibitors? Our panel of contributors offer their thoughts
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
Has your view on trade shows changed since the pandemic hiatus? Are they still an effective platform for business generation/retention? Rachel Archibald, director of marketing, Clear-Com
This pause has allowed us the chance to really step back and think about the meaning and value of our presence at trade shows. We are being more selective in our investment, and not doing things the way they've always been done', which has been refreshing. We also see that things will continue to evolve and change over the next 18 to 24 months. It's been a great reset, and we're grateful that the shows we've participated in so far have provided such excellent results. We also want to commend our industry show organisers for their efforts to create a safe environment, while still providing a good atmosphere to do business. It's been such a challenging time for them, and we're grateful for their tenacity!
Alison Pavitt, sales and marketing director, Pebble
Covid taught the industry that it doesn't need to rely on trade shows to keep business coming in. But they remain an incredibly efficient way to bring multiple people together in one destination. We'll continue to invest in trade shows and sponsored industry events because we see the value in meeting our customers and industry contacts in real life. But the industry's doing it differently. The days of booking larger and larger stands are over, and there is less tech but more meeting space being built into stands. This is an incredibly social industry and there's a huge appetite to meet face-to-face. A trade show environment helps build connections and delivers those bumping into people' moments in a way that is difficult to engineer online.
Attendance at ISE was above industry expectations, with 43,681 visitors from 151 countries coming to see what the 834 exhibitors had to offer James Kirby, senior market analyst, pro audio, Futuresource Consulting
I think my view definitely changed during the pandemic. Seeing the power of virtual' over the last two years was interesting and the industry managed fine. However, having attended ISE this year, my thoughts are pushing in the other direction. Yes, the industry can function without physical events, but is the same amount achieved? I think the answer is no.
This industry is about building relationships and I made more progress here with some leads than I have in over two years of virtual communication. Plus, the industry can function without trade shows, but if everyone else is going, should you really be missing out? Trade shows bring a competitive edge that can't really be replicated in the virtual domain; not to mention the great conversations with new people you meet, who without visiting the show, you may never have met.
Craig Bury, CTO, Three Media
While trade shows remain an effective platform to meet with vendors, the lower attendance figures we are currently seeing at events make it questionable as to whether they are an effective platform for business generation. These events have always been key to prospecting, building and maintaining relationships, and generating new commercial opportunities. Our business models are highly dependent on solid one-to-one business relationships with clients and customers, and traditionally trade shows like NAB have most definitely been one of the keystones in that process. They provide the opportunity to gain knowledge on new technologies and trends, which enables us as a team to develop our own technology and strategies moving forward, but right now are these shows attracting new technologies? It will be interesting to see how effective IBC is at attracting exhibitors and visitors back to a fully occupied show. If they are unsuccessful then I think many companies will re-evaluate their marketing spend.
Paolo Pescatore, technology, media and telecoms analyst
I firmly believe that trade shows still remain an effective platform. Yes, the world has changed and though we live in unprecedented and uncertain times, you cannot replicate the show floor, networking aspect in a virtual environment. We all have adapted and learnt to work remotely. I heard repeatedly that decision makers valued NAB more this year than the previous in-person event. Everyone is getting caught up on visitor numbers. Sure, numbers will be much lower compared to pre-pandemic levels (for all shows). People who need to be at a show will attend.
Laura Cabarcos, senior account director, Bubble Agency
There is no doubt that the pandemic hiatus has led us all to reflect on the need for shows. During this time, many of us have realised how important the in-person component of a trade show is to build and retain business relationships, and just how difficult networking over a screen can be. For this very reason, any event that continues to bring the industry together to reflect on progress, showcase innovation and boost networking is still important.
Margaret Travis, global head of marketing and communications, Iron Mountain Entertainment Services
In the run up to
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
15/06/2026
Detach from Direct-Attached: How Remote Editing with EVO Keeps Creative Teams Mo...
14/06/2026
Library captures 1960s R&B/pop drum sound
Following on from their recent wave of plug-in effects, Iconic Instruments have just launched an all-new virtual d...
14/06/2026
HBO Comedy Rooster Shot with URSA Cine 17K 65
Brie Clayton June 14, 2026
0 Comments
Large format brings viewers intimately close to characters.
Black...
13/06/2026
Latest expansion pack includes 252 presets
Devious Machines have recently introduced another expansion for their powerful multi-effects plug-in, Infiltrator...
13/06/2026
Create custom DAW/plug-in controllers using prompts
MetaGrid have recently introduced an all-new AI Builder function to their touchscreen-based control surf...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
YES Network and The Gotham Sports App will air seven Athletes Unlimited Softball...
12/06/2026
The United Football League will host its FAST Innovation Suite at the 2026 United Bowl presented by Credit One Bank on Saturday, June 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET at Audi...
12/06/2026
PTZOptics and LayerJot will present live demonstrations at InfoComm 2026 showing how natural-language AI prompting, robotic camera control, and on-device comput...
12/06/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will exhibit at InfoComm 2026, featuring...
12/06/2026
Ateme has announced that Eurovision Services is using Ateme's software-based frame-rate conversion technology for international live event workflows. The de...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin and Simplestream have announced a partnership with Xperi to simplify the launch of OTT streaming services on TiVo OS smart TVs and devices. The collabo...
12/06/2026
Net Insight has announced that a multinational technology company is deploying a...
12/06/2026
MLB Players Inc., the business arm of the MLB Players Association, has announced a partnership with Athletes First to develop and sell brand partnerships across...
12/06/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and VuWall have announced the CommandKeyboard-Advanc...
12/06/2026
Comcast Smart Solutions announces a new smart technology deployment with Major L...
12/06/2026
Elevation Worship completed the initial leg of its Elevation Nights 2026 tour ...
12/06/2026
AJA Video Systems has announced KONA IP25 support for Colorfront Transkoder and ...
12/06/2026
Audinate Group Limited (ASX: AD8) will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C7321, Ce...
12/06/2026
Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould has announced the appointment of Scott Adametz as Chief Technology Officer. The Pac-12 describes the hire as the first CTO appo...
12/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced AMPP Edge Live, a production system combining Grass Valley hardware, NVIDIA Blackwell GPU acceleration, and AMPP OS in a single platf...
12/06/2026
At one time a trailblazer with the launch of the Longhorn Network, the Universit...
12/06/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
12/06/2026
Chyron has announced PAINT 10.4, an update to its illustrated replay and sports ...
12/06/2026
SVP, Production, Mark Gross: With the new schedule, with not having every Sunday night, it has given us an opportunity to take a step back and reimagine what o...
12/06/2026
For Televisa Technical Engineering Manager Roberto N nez Ibarra and the small team of 12 technicians and two production personnel at the IBC things are already ...
12/06/2026
Simple Steps to Better Acoustics - Taming The Small Room
Most of us mix in spare rooms and small spaces, where the acoustics fight us at every turn. At Gear...
12/06/2026
Latest addition expands vintage-inspired effects palette
Meris' Ottobit pedal range draws its inspiration from vintage gaming consoles, and the latest a...
12/06/2026
Soundbox-based chamber strings series expanded
Sonora Cinematic have just announced the launch of the second instalment in their Soundbox-based chamber stri...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
AJA Announces KONA IP25 Integration with Colorfront Software
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Collaboration enables uncompressed SMPTE ST 2110 I/O ...
12/06/2026
URSA Cine 12K LF Used to Create Visuals for STUTS' K-Arena Concert
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Organic visuals projected on a giant scre...
12/06/2026
MTI FILM Acquires Mango New Edit, Expanding its Global Post-Production Services ...
12/06/2026
AI Point Tracking Speeds Up Complex VFX Tracks in Mocha Pro
Jessie Electa Petrov June 12, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic point trac...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin, a provider of video streaming solutions, has partnered with Simplestream, a provider of OTT and broadcast solutions, and technology provider Xperi, to...
12/06/2026
Leostream Corporation, creator of the world-leading Leostream Remote Desktop Access Platform, today announced Jigsaw24, a leading B2B IT solutions provider wit...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
How Aussie indie games and screen are levelling up with IP 11 June 2026
Ari Harrison, Pro Jank Footy
Head of Games Joey Egger and Ari Harrison of Umbrella sha...
12/06/2026
AgentPerf from Artificial Analysis, the industry's first agentic AI benchmark, gives developers, enterprises and infrastructure providers a clear way to com...
The final instalment of our series on the return to large-scale, in-person trade shows looks at the ongoing effectiveness of such events (in their current guise) for all stakeholders. Has the pandemic altered our view of their value? Has the emphasis changed for exhibitors? Our panel of contributors offer their thoughts... 
