Project Management

Virtual Trade Show Guide

  • Surya Vamsi
  • July 28, 2021
Virtual Trade Show Guide

What is a Virtual Trade Show/Roadshow ?

A Virtual Trade Show is a platform that connects the apparel and textile industry. It lets the brands and the designers display their collections and merchandise to a whole lot of viewers on a single online platform enabling them to purchase a product of their liking.

The brands present the same merchandise and apparels they would as in a normal Trade Show, but through virtual means. It helps deliver a wealth of information about their fashion statement to educate as well as convince the buyers.

Virtual Trade Show Guide
Virtual Trade Show Guide

Why a Virtual Trade Show instead of a normal Trade Show?

The conventional Trade Show consist of a lot of unpredictable factors giving rise to discrepancies in terms of the estimated timelines. It often requires a person with prior knowledge of the area, means of commutation etc.

A Virtual Trade Show on the other hand, is free of all these limitations enabling more flexibility as well as predictability. This allows for a travel-free virtual fashion expos and hence shorter time-frame, more predictable expenses and the ability to meet the timeline constraints. With the pandemic shutting down face-to-face interactions, most of the fashion world realised the only potential way to get their products to the customers is through virtual means as a result they have further invested aggressively into the Virtual Trade Show.

Why a Virtual Trade Show instead of a normal Trade Show?

The conventional Trade Show consist of a lot of unpredictable factors giving rise to discrepancies in terms of the estimated timelines. It often requires a person with prior knowledge of the area, means of commutation etc. 

A Virtual Trade Show on the other hand, is free of all these limitations enabling more flexibility as well as predictability. This allows for a travel-free virtual fashion expos and hence shorter time-frame, more predictable expenses and the ability to meet the timeline constraints. With the pandemic shutting down face-to-face interactions, most of the fashion world realised the only potential way to get their products to the customers is through virtual means as a result they have further invested aggressively into the Virtual Trade Show.

How to organize a Virtual Trade Show?

Turning an in-person show into a virtual one is not a breeze for everyone and it of course requires a step approach to be carried out successfully .

  1. The right platform –
    The first step to organise any Virtual Trade Show is the right choice of the platform to host the event. It will be of no good, if the platform you choose to host the event limits you in terms of access and the ability to showcase the desired aspects. 
  2. Broadcasting the invite –
    The success of the Virtual Trade Show depends on the number of attendees. Various ways can be explored to send invites through emails, messages, broadcasts, advertisement etc to as many prospects as possible. This can also be a great chance to send out invites to the prospects who have not been able to attend the regional trade shows.
  3. A mock event –
    Organising a virtual event can get on the nerves no matter how prepared one might be. It is always better to create a run through before the actual event to get a hang of the options and the run through of the programme.
  4. The showdown –
    On the day of the event, early log in and test run of the platform can assure the proper functioning of the platform. It is also good to have a contingency plan in terms of the internet and the product catalogue just to avoid any unforeseen circumstances.

What are the advantages of Virtual Trade Shows?

Convenience goes a long way in satisfying the prospects and thereby enabling conversion. Coupled with convenience is the safety especially during times like this. This has made many brands embrace virtual trade shows to achieve the desired value.

Even excluding the factors of safety and convenience, Virtual expos have an appreciable number of advantages over normal trade shows.

  • Scope of reach- The success of any trade show depends on its ability to cover as many areas and prospects as possible. Navigating across streets to present the merchandise and apparels to the customers is of course not a viable option for many companies. With the help of a Virtual trade expo, you can present your designs to customers located anywhere in the world without even having to move a finger.
  • Quick Adaptability-With the seasons and preferences changing at an unanticipated pace, so does the trends in the fashion world. As a result, it is a non-viable option to stagnate on one style or trend inconsiderate of the dynamics. In a virtual expo, changing the display shelves with apparels suiting to the latest trend is something which can be done in a blink without the necessity of the real physical product. As a result, be it a completely unforeseen trend or a sudden boom in a fit, the booth can be customised quick enough to keep the rush in!
  • Cost efficiency- Virtual Trade Shows eliminate the need to commute from one place to another and the expense of a luxurious physical setup that is temporary. While letting you save the costs on various factors, virtual events provides you the possibility to invest the same in much better and efficient resources.
  • Customer preference- A online trade show can also customise the displayed merchandise in terms of shade, size, fit, colour, etc enabling the viewer to explore all the possible avenues before purchasing the product.
  • Enabled query resolution- Unlike normal roadshows wherein it is almost impossible to address individual customers, virtual roadshows operating in a digital environment enable easy streamlining of the customer queries and also the provision of the sales.

With better communication, the chances of better returns increase owing to the resolved queries and concerns. The exhibition platform also includes the availability of intelligent virtual agent to resolve customer queries on spot without any delay. Be it the fabric or the apparel, it’s latest trends, the fitting etc, the customers can know a lot more information in a snap of finger.

Virtual Trade Show
Virtual Trade Show Guide

How does DaveAI help you organise a Virtual Trade Show?

The right platform astronomically increases the prospect conversion. DaveAI provides not only a comprehensive platform with the right options to organise your virtual trade show with unlimited aspects and showcases, but also provides you with the completely personalised and customised Virtual Sales Avatar. This human avatar helps the brands showcase their new designs and collections by interacting with customers/buyers via speech and text. This digital avatar also clarifies all the customer queries regarding the features, fabric, fit, shades, colours of the product etc.

With the possibility to view the trade fair in an interactive manner, the attendees can get assistance to any queries and concerns in real-time. As a result, the viewers can leave with a completely answered and resolved approach to the product enabling a better and informed decision.

Bridge the gap between the brand and the buyer with DaveAI’s platform

Having in-built algorithms, DaveAI’s platform enables easy matchmaking between the buyer and the right brand. Based on the requirement of the buyer and his necessities in terms of fabric or any other aspect of the merchandise, the algorithm quickly helps them match with the right brand and design.

This is further sophisticated through a Virtual Avatar guiding the buyer to the right brand explaining him the accurate reasons for suggesting a specific collection. With the capability to store limitless information, the platform can showcase the attires based on the incoming trends thereby increasing the chances of a purchase.

Want to explore how DaveAI can further assist you in your journey towards the digital era? Book Demo

Q1. What is the purpose of a trade show?

A. The main purpose of a trade show is to get the merchandise on road! These help a company create brand awareness among the viewers who often tend to be the prospective customers.
Through hosting of these events, brands enable more engagement with their customers and resolve any queries they might be having

Q2. What is a virtual trade show?

A. A virtual trade show is everything like a conventional trade show but organised on a system or any smart device. Brands display their clothing, shoes, merchandise etc in a virtual platform to the viewers

Q3. Is a virtual show less costly?

A. Virtual show does not require factoring in of the expenses incurred for travelling, venue management etc. Not only this but the possibility to record and replay a virtual show reduces the need for consecutive reorganisation of the show.
As a result, virtual trade shows have the potential to save a fortune for the brands in terms of the expenses incurred.

Q4. How many visitors can attend a virtual trade show?

A. There is no limit on the number of visitors possible in a virtual trade show. There can be an unlimited number of visitors as much preferred by the brands.

Q5. Where can the attendees watch the live show?

A. The viewers can access the trade show using any smart device with an internet connection to explore the products and apparels

Q6. Why build a tradeshow with DaveAI’s visualizers?

A. DaveAI’s visualiser enables you to create a precise virtual replica of the clothing or the merchandise closest to the real-life product. This precision in terms of the scale and dimensions of the fit helps in accurate analysation in real-time.
An added advantage with the platform is the availability of Interactive Virtual Avatar. The platform has a sequenced algorithm providing the human-like Avatar the capability to conversate and understand the buyer queries. This enables the buyers not only to view the event, but also converse with virtual sales human to gather better insights on the products.

Q7. Why should one go for DaveAI?

A. DaveAI platform offers highly configurable designs of the virtual space which allows the brands to present the products and merchandise in a more optimally engaging way. The virtual landscape provided is easily navigable by the viewers allowing seamless browsing experience. Customers can engage in these spaces with the highly customized Virtual Avatar.

Q8. Do Virtual trade shows have the same rate of return as a normal tradeshow?

A. A Virtual Trade show has a promising return on investment and in fact a potential high when compared to a physical event. This is because of the leverage provided to include members from in and around any place with minimal expense. Any person anywhere in the world can access the virtual trade show hence letting the brands sell their product anywhere in the world.
Moreover, the ability to address individual questions and queries provides more assurance and clarity to the attendees thereby increasing the chances of converts.

Q9. When can I use a virtual expo?

A. Be it the launch of a new apparel collection, ornament or merchandise, a new brand affiliation, increase the brand communication to the customers, gaining a competitive edge by highlighting the trend in the merchandise, new offers etc.,
the virtual expo enables you to convey the information to the customers with minimal efforts and time consumption. Instead of individually targeting the prospects through personalised channels, a trade show would help target the major chunk at one go and ensure the monitoring of the engagement by supervising the invite list.

Q10. Can I reuse the virtual trade show?

A. With the virtual trade show, there is a limitless possibility to record and reshare the event across various platforms like email, broadcast it on the webpage, social media page etc just by recording the actual live event. This not only does allow the missed prospects to attend the show, but also gives the attendees the option to re-watch the event for a better understanding and a better avenue to gather the required information.
This enables the fashion brands to reach out to their missed prospects and follow up with the attendees via a summarizing email or a social media post to enable more engagement.

Q11. How does a Virtual Trade show address individual questions?

A. Through the provision of a virtual avatar, DaveAI enables the attendees to interact with the virtual human to get a better insight on the apparels, merchandise etc.
DaveAI not only automates the process of product overview, but also addresses any of the buyer questions regarding the product displayed. The platform also showcases a fit of the style to let the viewer know how the product fits in the real life. This further removes any instance of doubt regarding the clothing or brand in the viewer’s mind.

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