Things are slowly returning to normal, but it’s definitely not business as usual when it comes to trade shows yet. Here are the key things you need to know about the current state of exhibitions in Australia and returning to exhibitions in 2022.

** Warning **
We are in unchartered territory. You cannot rely on past experiences to see you through right now.

In our brief return to trade shows in 2021 we learnt some interesting facts about how people were interacting with brands. Our conversations with both clients and others in the industry have alerted us to some pretty eye opening realisations.

Bandwidth for exhibitions in 2022

Without sounding like captain obvious, our industry has suffered greatly. The Exhibit Company has faired pretty well, but as a whole the industry is running in limp mode. The Covid fiasco started back in 2019, which is a long stretch for any business to run with reduced capacity, let alone zero invoicing for an entire industry. Most are being pretty understanding, but it does come with some complications as we transition back to exhibitions.

Returning to (virtually) normal sounds great in theory, but we are already beginning to witness the sh!t fight that is unfolding before us. So much talent has left the industry. We were in survival mode but fast forward to the present day and we are rebuilding. While design briefs and quote requests are flying in the bandwidth has shrunk so everything is taking longer while we transition to the new normal.

Why does this matter to you?

To guarantee you get looked after, our advice is start planning now. Or yesterday. Get the big stuff (design, construction, labour) locked away and worry about tweaks and edits later. Don’t leave it too late, there is a strong probability you will genuinely miss out.

None of the above is meant to scare you into submission, just to make you aware of what lies ahead while the industry recovers.

Quality of visitor

Opportunities are gigantic right now.

Us Aussies are mighty resilient. We’ve missed human contact and are really embracing the freedoms we have gone without. We value the simple things more than ever… (How good is sitting down at your local café to drink a coffee?!)

During the brief return of trade shows in 2021, lower numbers were recorded (expected) however the quality of those in attendance was at an all-time high. This doesn’t mean that as restrictions ease again you’re guaranteed to get incredible results just by showing up, but it means you have an awesome opportunity to position yourself to capitalise on this.

This is where we come in – The Exhibit Company specialises in helping clients get amazing ROI by designing bespoke exhibition stands that are results focused. You need a plan and we are here to help!

We are a tough bunch and beyond excited to get back to work. We are hungry for it, that’s for sure! If there is a way we can work double time to make the magic happen, we will. The industry is pumped to make our come back. We are definitely going to need A LOT of caffeine!

If you have a show on the calendar and you haven’t started the conversation with your build team. Do it now. You can book a time with us using the links below. Let’s make 2022 the best yet!

Yours in Exhibiting,

Jess & Chris

If you have your first event locked in, let’s talk! You can book a time in our calendars using the links below.

Jess: https://www.theexhibitcompany.com.au/calendar-jess-15/
Chris:  https://www.theexhibitcompany.com.au/calendar-chris-15/