Many merchants might be wondering how effective is virtual gallery or online exhibition, e-trade show as an event to bring buyers, sellers or other types of members in a specific sector to present with potential collaboration on products and services offered by vendors. It usually takes place in the trade center or convention center of a city, and can have few days to a week in terms of duration. However, due to the advancement in technology, such grand activities can now be carried out through online portal, web link, e-platform virtually. The idea of getting this without an actual venue held within is good as in lowering the cost incurred from logistics, contractor’s hiring, material purchase to transportation of both sellers and buyers (visitors of the trade fair). After the pandemic happened globally, the tendency of organizers to put exhibitions online will be higher and intensified. More and more players in the market will have to cope with the “new normal” in which it changes the level of conveniences for them too.
A trade show is an event held to bring together members of a particular industry to display, demonstrate, and discuss their latest products and services. Major trade shows usually take place in convention centers in larger cities and last several days in a row. However, there are some drawbacks for inconveniences due to several factors. First, it requires foreign exhibitors to travel all the way to that specific venue to that event. Time, effort and cost will be incurred from air freight tickets, hotel accommodation and temporary pause in operation (when the size of the organization is small, nature of business and working model are conventional that require business owners to base in the shop or office). The physical venue based exhibition also causes visitors to share the same disadvantages, basic attendance will cost more than expected, unforeseeable loss of sales and opportunities will occur too. Of course, many people might still prefer an offline way since they can feel better to communicate face-to-face.
Putting things in perspective, resources such as operational staff allocation will also be needed for them to set up physically at the venue, from pre-planning, discussion, actual days of exhibitions to post-cleaning of stuff. Big cities might face traffic jams, peak season hotel cost acceleration, limitation in parking lots and late-registration challenges or more. However, it allows sellers to showcase their products (we meant the physical equipment, tool and goods) physically with their ideal way of presentation at the venue. Taking the food & beverage (F&B) industry as an example, many buyers can taste and confirm purchases on the spot while virtual one might have such difficulty. It takes some effort, time and cost to courier the sample for potential buyers to see, feel, smell, taste and test the product quality if there is no physical exhibition that is held offline. Mechanism for heavy industry can be easier but yet complicating buyers if no actual products can be demonstrated and Q&A (Question and Answer) sessions to be done by professionals on the spot.
Summarizing the pros and cons of virtual online and physical offline exhibition, we can anyhow pre-conclude that, both of them are having their respective advantages and challenges. It is all depending on your industry, situation of economy, target audience, market maturity, product nature, duration, budget allocation as well as level of affection when exhibition requires an operation team to base there. Many experts suggest combining both online and offline, digitizing some conferences, webinar (seminar), product display (that requires more space consumption that cause inconveniences in cost for logistics, rental to set up) as well as sampling through after event follow-up by the sales team. After the year of 2020/2021 which COVID-19 pandemic has caused diminishes of resources as well as post-pandemic “new normal” of how businesses operate, more and more virtual with cost-effectiveness offline based exhibition or trade fair will be organized globally.
Virtual Gallery and Online Trading Platform to Buy and Sell in Malaysia
Aathaworld Sdn Bhd does operate a virtual e-trade platform that allows you to source and sell a wide range of construction material, equipment, engineering, fabrication, industrial and building hardwares. You can also enquire service providers such as architect, engineer, consultant, interior designer and contractor for your project advises and installation service to meet your requirements in addition to manufacturer of certain products, or engage directly with us for such supply and lay scope. Get searching from us, ranges from new building or existing upgrading, renovation, maintenance works, for your light to heavy industrial processing plants, factories, mechanical work, commercial, residential or other construction projects in KL Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Klang Valley, JB Johor Bahru, Penang, Malacca (Melaka), Seremban Negeri Sembilan, Perak, Pahang, Kuantan, Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis, Alor Setar Kedah, as well as Sabah and Sarawak for East Malaysia; our platform does cover for other regions such as in Southeast Asia (SEA) including Singapore, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei, Bangladesh as well as China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand.
Submit your products and services sourcing requirements in Malaysia, from KL Kuala Lumpur, Selangor to other states. We can always assist you to market your products and services as well as cater for your projects, contact us at info@aathaworld.com or call (WhatsApp) to +(60)11-7001 1003 (Monday to Friday) or +(60)11-1188 1003 (Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays).
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