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Marketing trade fairs offer the opportunity for personal exchange within the industry. They bring potential business partners together and highlight trends. But is it really worth taking part in such a trade fair as an exhibitor, speaker or visitor? What do participants actually expect from a marketing trade fair? And what should trade fairs look like in 2024 in order to continue to attract visitors? We captured voices about the added value and future of trade fairs at DMEXCO 2023.

On-site trade fairs have regained popularity after the Corona pandemic. Nevertheless, other forms of trade fairs such as online conferences or hybrid events have emerged out of necessity. They also offer their advantages and try to combine the best of both worlds. So what attracts visitors, speakers and exhibitors to on-site trade fairs like DMEXCO? Is it worth appearing at the exhibition or are the costs and effort too high for what you actually get from the trade fair? After DMEXCO 2023, we asked some of the participating decision-makers about their experiences, expectations and future trade fair visits. What does a marketing trade fair have to offer in order for you to take part again? And what trends and innovations should be on the agenda so that trade fairs in 2024 are relevant to their audience?

Trade fairs thrive on personal exchange

Most of the participants in our survey were exhibitors themselves, but some also took part in the trade fair as visitors or speakers. They all emphasize one aspect in particular that makes on-site trade fairs an essential part of your company’s year – personal exchange. Here they meet existing business customers, but also have the opportunity to exchange ideas with potential new partners and industry experts. This not only helps strengthen business relationships and identify needs, but also creates inspiration and new creativity for everyone involved.

The opportunity to engage with our existing customers and potential partners in a dynamic, personal environment was invaluable. This allowed us to receive direct feedback, understand market needs and build meaningful relationships that can drive business growth.

– Ann Tarasewicz, CEO, Axis

Although participants also see the advantages of online trade fairs, such as simplified logistics, the value of personal contact is in most cases valued higher. And it doesn’t always have to be a business meeting at the trade fair stand – business relationships can also be maintained over lunch at the event.

I hope that, despite increasing digitalization, we do not forget how important offline encounters are. Three points are particularly important to me: 1. Personal contact creates trust and customer loyalty, which is invaluable for our business. 2. This also enables a better understanding of the needs of our partners so that we can respond to them individually. 3. The visibility and awareness that results from a trade fair presence should not be underestimated. In my opinion, the right mix of online and offline is crucial.

– Götz Trillhaas, Managing Director DACH, Snap Inc.

By measuring in tune with the times and trends

What counts most at trade fairs is personal contact. In these conversations, but also by looking around the trade fair and the various exhibitors as well as the lectures that on-site trade fairs offer, you can get an overview of the latest trends and developments. And ultimately, this is indispensable if you want to keep up with your industry or be one of the pioneers.

The event brought together a remarkable array of industry experts, innovators and thought leaders from around the world. It served as a vibrant hub for networking, collaboration and idea sharing, which is always exciting for a CEO who wants to stay at the forefront of industry trends.

– Ann Tarasewicz, CEO, Axis

Marketing trade fairs like DMEXCO are also used to gain insights into new tools, ideas and technologies through lectures and discussions that can keep your company up to date and move it forward.

The DMEXCO exhibition floor is a treasure trove of innovation, showcasing the latest technologies and solutions driving the digital advertising ecosystem. It’s a great place to discover new tools, platforms and partnerships that can help companies stay competitive in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

– Anastasia-Nikita Bansal, Director of Enterprise Solutions, SmartyAds

Of course, our participants also expect to find out about the latest trends at upcoming trade fairs. And this is only possible with the right exhibitors and speakers – nationally and internationally.

At the next edition of the DMEXCO trade fair, I would like to hear interesting lectures from experts from our industry, compare and discuss analyzes/evaluations of advertising campaigns that are implemented accordingly in the current market trends. Being able to make new business contacts and get to know creative minds from whom I can learn a lot and be inspired.

– Elżbieta Pawlowski, Director of Sales & Product Development, AdQuery GmbH

More topics, more internationality

Exhibitors and visitors naturally noticed that many trade fairs this year were smaller than before the pandemic. Above all, the lower number of international participants. And in a networked world in which new trends and developments spread rapidly across the globe, isn’t internationality particularly important? While the small number of international exhibitors may not be a decisive factor for companies with primarily German customers, it is of course a point of criticism for international trade fair participants who have traveled specifically to attend the event.

For DMEXCO to truly excel, it must urgently address this year’s shortage of international brand marketers and proactively seek to attract a more diverse international presence to ensure a broader range of perspectives and innovation in the future.

–  Jordi Capdevila, Global Head of Marketing, Seedtag

At a large industry trade fair, the topics should also be diverse, because exhibitors and visitors come from a wide variety of business sectors and are interested in a wide variety of marketing trends. This affects both the exhibitors and the lectures that you can take part in at the trade fair.

It would be beneficial if the topics of the sessions were more diverse to cover a wider range of interests in the digital marketing field. Additionally, better networking opportunities or more interactive discussions could improve the overall experience for participants.

– Ann Tarasewicz, CEO, Axis

Trend topics for trade fairs in 2024

We also asked what topics the participants in our survey expect at the 2024 trade fairs. Not surprisingly, the topic of artificial intelligence, which was already on everyone’s lips this year, was mentioned most frequently here. Constantly new developments and new AI tools appearing regularly make this area an exciting topic for entrepreneurs and marketers.

I am convinced that we are still at the beginning when it comes to generative AI. Similar to other new technologies, brands and advertisers still need to understand how to use them effectively for their business. In this context, we’re not just talking about increasing efficiency – it will also open up completely new possibilities for us when it comes to personalization.

– Götz Trillhaas, Managing Director DACH, Snap Inc.

Below we have listed some of the trend topics mentioned for the 2024 trade fairs.

• artificial intelligence (chatbots, AI in advertising and customer service)
• data protection
• Streaming & Gaming
• M-Commerce
• Sustainability & Green Media
• Partner-Marketing
• Cookieless Future
• Composable Commerce
• End-to-End Infrastructure
• Ad tech developments
• Cross Channel Integration
• Brand safety and ad fraud prevention
• Improving the customer experience
• Digital Accessibility – Removing barriers to online access for users of all abilities

Smaller is not necessarily worse

As a result of the pandemic, DMEXCO, like many other trade fairs, was smaller than before Corona. Above all, the lower number of international exhibitors was an issue among the participants in our survey. Fewer exhibitors and visitors certainly represent a challenge and can reduce the opportunities that the trade fair offers its participants.

The trade fair was comparatively small and therefore did not offer as many experiences as in its best years. This led to some visitors and exhibitors feeling that the offering was more limited than expected.

– Jan Meyer, Head of Business Development, converify GmbH

However, downsizing does not only have disadvantages. Some exhibitors are even excited about the new opportunities this opens up. Because fewer people mean more time for quality conversations with stand visitors. And fewer exhibitors ensure that as a guest at the trade fair you can actually see all the stands and get a comprehensive impression. So are smaller trade fairs more profitable than large ones?

Class instead of quantity – DMEXCO has developed into a real trade fair. As a result, there were fewer visitors, but there was a high-quality exchange. Whether appointments, spontaneous visitors or lectures – the quality was outstanding.

– Sabrina Stiller, Publisher Development, impact.com

It is clear that the organizers will also try to attract many top-class exhibitors and speakers at the 2024 trade fairs and thus attract visitors. Despite the smaller trade fair version, the participants in our survey were in most cases very satisfied with the results.

The future of trade fairs in 2024

So what should marketing trade fairs look like in 2024 so that participation is worthwhile for exhibitors, speakers and visitors? According to our survey, decision-makers will continue to take part in trade fairs if they expect profitable, personal exchange, but also to be informed about new trends and innovations. There is still room for improvement at most trade fairs after the Corona pandemic in terms of the number of exhibitors and the internationality. Because international exchange via online events is possible without major logistical effort, the hurdles for international participants are of course greater today. Nevertheless, all participants in the survey stated that they would like to be there again at the next DMEXCO.

2023-12-13 18:29:11
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