opinion

Your Tradeshow ROI

In the final analysis, tradeshows fill a gap in an otherwise virtual industry—they supply the “missing” part. They also offer unique opportunities for growth and profit. But much depends on whether you exploit these opportunities effectively.

The cost of attending a tradeshow may be substantial - but so can be the benefits. Tradeshows represent a classic case of excellent cost-benefit and attractive ROI.

Most websites begin with an idea and a dream. When the reality hits that your website will require hard work to make your business grow, remember, successful sites turn data into income. It’s not magic to have a successful online business, but it is work. Hard work. To succeed, you need to be open to new ideas, and understand where to obtain the necessary knowledge to achieve success. You have to know what you don’t know.

When you go to the larger shows, you see and meet the companies that have the funds to attend with their employees. There is no way to put a value on personally meeting the people in your industry who have knowledge to share, so plan your trip, meetings, and personal schedule in advance – in essence plan your ROI in advance. If you’re thinking about attending a tradeshow to help improve your site, there is no question that you will be learning from those with experience - what works and what fails. You will also have one opportunity after another to make deals you can never accomplish via impersonal e-mail. And, even the introverted find it very easy to create business relationships that will stand the test of time, with trust as the foundation. Follow-up with e-mails to those you met on the trade show floor and at the events, and your e-mail will get a level of attention not realized before.

The professional side of the Internet business community is much smaller than people can ever imagine. Attending just a few shows gives the website owner and webmaster a much better vision of who’s who. If your honest intention is to attend the shows to do business, it will be the best investment you can make, and quite possibly generate your highest ROI. Remember that the best time to have the opportunity to meet a seminar panelist is immediately after the panel concludes. It may be your only chance with some experts. Prepare in advance, be cordial and polite in your approach, have your questions ready and make the most of the moment.






First on the roster is Internext – January 13-15
Providing us with their Las Vegas Seminar Line-up

The online entertainment industry continues to evolve faster and faster. Make sure you are aware of new technologies, trends and tips that are coming down the pipeline. With that said, Internext officials have announced their seminar schedule for your tradeshow plan book:

Sunday, January 13
12:00 pm–1:00 pm
—The Millennials: Meet the new generation of adult entertainment consumers.
2:00 pm–3:00 pm—Future Vision: The biggest names in adult discuss the next generation of the industry.

Monday, January 14
10:00 am–11:00 pm
—The Evolution of Affiliate Marketing: Where does affiliate marketing go from here?
11:15 am–12:00 pm—The Disruptors: Names, faces and technologies that are turning the industry on its ear.

Tuesday, January 15
9:00 am–10:00 am
—Legal Landscape: Top legal minds share what you need to know.
10:15 am–11:00 am—Piracy Roundtable: Real solutions from real producers.

Get Ready for the Big Three

For more information, visit:

The Internext Expo – January 13-15

Xbiz Hollywood – February 6-8

The Phoenix Forum – March 27-30


Related Link: The Tradeshow Marathon

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