Exploring visitor experiences at trade shows
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate business visitor behaviour at trade shows and to propose a complementary view based on the experiential perspective in marketing.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reports an ethnographic study conducted in the context of ten international trade shows in the textile‐apparel industry in Europe.
Findings
The study sheds light on the nature of the experience provided by trade show exhibitors and organisers and on visitors' lived experiences. Trade shows immerse industrial buyers in a physical and cognitive experience that requires their active participation. Under such circumstances, industrial marketers who employ experiential marketing techniques are likely to increase their trade show performances.
Originality/value
The paper adopts a new perspective that sees business visitor behaviour from an experiential standpoint and discusses the managerial implications that highlight the interplay of exhibitors and trade show organisers in designing and setting valuable experiences for visitors.
Keywords
Citation
Rinallo, D., Borghini, S. and Golfetto, F. (2010), "Exploring visitor experiences at trade shows", Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol. 25 No. 4, pp. 249-258. https://doi.org/10.1108/08858621011038207
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited