In this article is given the analysis of efficiency of exhibition events participation that depends on a level of the exhibition development and, the main thing, on the company’s direction to the certain target audience. As a material for this analysis the market of high technologies served on which the author of this article specializes. Among the tools used by the IT-companies to promote the products and services, specialized exhibitions plays important role. This marketing tool is rather cots high financially, and manpower company’ resources. Probably, many collided with a situation when all personnel of the company "drop out" of current work for a week, spending all time at exhibition. But how much effective is such tool?

Three stages of exhibition’ development

For the beginning we shall allocate three basic stages in development of any exhibition. Efficiency of participation in event of various companies depends on at what exactly stage of the development this is. As a rule, at the initial stage any IT-exhibition is focused first of all on experts irrespective of, whether the exhibition is new at once will start as large. Conditions of participation at the initial stage are usually reasonable and involve both leading "players", and the company, aspiring to enter the new market with the minimal expenses. Then the exhibition becomes famous, participants and visitors’ pool extends, conditions of participation become more and more rigid, struggle for best places and promotional opportunity begins. Efficiency of participation from the point of view of business-contacts and image becomes maximal and this is, as a rule, a peak of its development. Further the exhibition gradually turns to show: huge crowds of visitors, huge companies stands, noisy presentations and more and more low value from the establishment of business contacts and carrying out of negotiations point of view. Participation in such events has only image effect and often occurs simply by inertia.

In what cases exhibitions remain the strategic and most effective marketing tool and when it is better to use other ways of promotion?

The purposes of participation in exhibitions of various companies
Certainly, all depends on company’ set problems. As a rule, the basic purpose of participation in exhibition is dialogue with potential clients and partners. Often it is a matter of prestige and image. As a benefit the company receives an opportunity to get PR-support of mass-media. Tasks are defined by the company market segments. It is possible to segment is as following.
- The first group: companies focused on the end user (customer): these are the trading firms, interested to inform the customer about own advantages, and also of the goods advantages, and the manufacturers solving, first of all image problems.
- The second group: companies-manufacturers focused on distributors and resellers. Their main objective is support, training and to draw partners. Often such companies give to partners the right to choose marketing tools independently.
- The third group includes the companies working in corporate market; these companies in its turn are divided on those who offer small/averages or large decisions. The primary goal of the first ones is to find the potential clients, and of the second – image goal.

Let's examine each of these groups in details.

Companies focused on mass consumer
In IT sphere this group consists of manufacturers and sellers of home computers, devices of mobile communication, digital techniques, printing and processing of images devices, etc.

Certainly, such companies have a dialogue with potential clients during exhibitions. The main part of exhibitions visitors are this group’ target audience. Especially it concerns the companies focused on a youth audience. The exhibition allows organizing a lot of promo-events and presentations for potential consumers during the short period of time. The basic participation criterion for such companies is its popularity and attendance. Participation charges are very high, especially if each participant wants to show him better than competitors. The various stand information and mane interesting promo events are offered to visitors’ attention at exhibition place.

The publicity connected with exhibition, has no paramount value as the similar companies spend active advertising and constantly are present practically at all target editions.

Thus, for the companies which are guided a mass audience, participation in large and known exhibitions in most cases is the effective marketing tool. Finally bills for exhibition are pay off.

The companies-manufacturers focused on distributors and resellers

For this group of participants exhibition is an excellent time and place to meet with partners, including visitors from other cities, regions and countries. It is a fine opportunity both for individual dialogue and for seminars, conferences and presentations, an opportunity to involve potential partners and to strengthen relations with existing ones. The decision of image and PR-aims is also very important.

The companies focused on the corporate market
As to THIS group of IT-companies irrespective of scales of decisions offered by them, in a greater degree IS participation in highly specialized exhibitions as finally such exhibitions allow solving tasks in view is actual for them.

On the one hand, the audience of the companies offering equipment and decisions of the broad audience business-problems is mass too. However, considering character of clients and specificity of products and decisions, on the foreground there are absolutely other promotion tools. Carrying out of bright promo-actions becomes inefficient; therefore stands of the similar companies-participants become more modest and are lost on a background of the companies spending mass actions. For corporate clients it is much more important to get professional consultation of the expert and the information necessary to make effective decision. As a result a share of a second group target audience in the general number of attendees decrease. Problems of prestige for such companies can be solved by others more effective and less expensive methods.

And at last, suppliers of heavy decisions and equipment, telecommunication services, large system integrators. The quantity of their clients is measured by units, and projects price is hundreds thousand and millions dollars. As circle of such companies’ clients is extremely limited, and orders scale and time of execution differ, dialogue with clients occurs on individual basis. As a rule, sales-managers already have the information on potential partners and for dialogue with them participation in an exhibition is not required. At the early stage of domestic IT market development an exhibition were one of many sources for getting the information on clients and suppliers; with communications development the importance of this channel has considerably decreased. The share of potential clients of the "heavy" companies among an audience of popular exhibitions is smallest, and plenty of visitors and numerous noisy promo events do not promote detailed studying of offers negotiations. These exhibitions are not engaged in self-promotion and remain a place of experts meeting. The problem of image support for this category’ companies also can be solved more effectively and less expensive. Exception is only with the most status international exhibitions though as representatives of the companies notice, their popularity also gradually decreases.

So, participation in exhibitions still remains the effective marketing tool for the certain communication problems decision. The exhibition selection is defined by target audience and company’ marketing segment. Large events are actual for those who is focused on mass audience, specialized – are effective for the corporate market companies. Alas, there are no universal marketing tools and decisions, as a rule, segments, markets, audience and as consequence, problems are crossed, and therefore it is necessary to weigh all pro and contra in each certain case.

“Promotion” magazin №9, 2004 (Translated to english by N. Verbitskaya)
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