Trade Shows Are Time Well Spent

The fall trade show season is upon us and tradeshows historically have been an important way to present a product or service to buyers, end users and the media. However, with the advent of social media, webinars, websites, and video conferencing the value of attending a show in-person are coming into question. Technology, as well as the financial commitment from both the exhibitors and attendees of a show, has had a huge impact on trade show attendance.

So, why should you attend an industry trade show? Information, contacts, show specials and more information. Even in this day of instant communication you can’t possibly scour every manufacturer’s website, participate in all their webinars, or read every article published on all the companies in our industry. A big industry or specialty trade show (when done right), flips all the switches with new product intros, networking with peers, seminars, CE courses, discovering new companies and maybe picking up a good deal on some dental equipment.

Think of a dental trade show/exhibition event like your area’s auto show. All the makes are shined up, displayed and presented in one location – the ultimate showroom! No initial appointments to schedule, you only stop where you're interested, been invited to attend or at a good looking display that catches your eye. If you're already a customer it’s a great place to see what’s new, learn about current promos or discuss your experience with their product.

When it comes to attending a trade show make a plan. If possible, see your manufacturers, service providers first. Plan out the seminars and CE courses as they often times fill up - especially at the major trade shows. Then, after you participate in these events, you can venture out to “kick the tires” and see what’s new.

A great deal of planning, time, sweat and expense goes into putting a well-designed exhibit together. If you like the display/presentation let the exhibitor know.

Practice Planmeca will be on display at upcoming major shows and we invite dentists to visit our eye-catching display to learn about the Power of Planmeca. Come see the latest equipment additions including the new Planmeca ProMax® 3D LE and learn about software upgrades including exclusive Planmeca CALM™ (Correction Algorithm for Latent Movement). It’s the solution for imaging patients who struggle to remain still during CBCT imaging. With the addition of Planmeca CALM™ our CBCTs can analyze and compensate for slight movements during a scan to provide improved diagnostic images AND virtually eliminate retakes.

So, while virtual events are currently gaining in popularity, along with other technologies (helping to curb costs), they lose the interaction, discovery, and community of a good trade show.