Online tradeshow/travel fair

[benjamin]

Hi all, I've been brewing this idea for a week. Will an online tradeshow or travel fair works?

Thought about this idea, then google it..woah..so many of these kinds of software/sites around..anyway..this is mind boggling so decided to bring this idea online for you guys to shoot it down.


1. It must reflect the real life tradeshow..visitors got to be visiting the virtual exhibition hall.
2. Pay $5 then roam around.
3. Visit booth and "chat(yahoo,msn,skype)" with exhibitors
4. Ask for brochure, show HTML brochure
5. Buy something..using shopping cart?
6. If there is a need to check physical goods, exhibitors issue a voucher to visitor to visit physical shop/company. Visitor can still get the special price.
7. Add your feature...

Q1. Well, if exhibitors has website with shopping cart why is there a need for such a site?
A1. May be they don't have online chat to support sales process

Brainstorm guys..can this really not work?
Please don't reply to say "It is a good idea" that's it. Give the reason. Plug the loophole. If you have more questions, append to the list. If you have the answer, append it below the question.

What is in it for you and me? You guys know what is "open source"? Let us just open source the idea then let us see how it can go to the next level.

Happy brain cracking!

[memorieschc]

u mean pple have to pay $5 in order to view the site?

If so, from a consumer point of view, no thks. I rather go shopping.

Just a point to note. Althot most pple have internet access, but how many buy online? Not alot.

One more thing, u need traffic to your site. Aggressive promotion is required. Internet is very "big", u know. If there's no traffic, it will means no buyers and soon your sellers will be gone as well.

Don't mean to discourage u.

But from a bizman point of view, I won't join the online fair unless it's free or if it can guarantee traffic. I prefer to join the physical fair as u can interact with customers face to face. Furthermore deals can be settled on the spot.

But your idea may work as a travel fair.

[benjamin]

u mean pple have to pay $5 in order to view the site?

If so, from a consumer point of view, no thks. I rather go shopping.

Just a point to note. Althot most pple have internet access, but how many buy online? Not alot.

One more thing, u need traffic to your site. Aggressive promotion is required. Internet is very "big", u know. If there's no traffic, it will means no buyers and soon your sellers will be gone as well.

Don't mean to discourage u.

But from a bizman point of view, I won't join the online fair unless it's free or if it can guarantee traffic. I prefer to join the physical fair as u can interact with customers face to face. Furthermore deals can be settled on the spot.

But your idea may work as a travel fair.

Hi memorieschc,
Why will it work for a travel fair?

Will paying $X for entrance fee be justifiable? This will root out the window shopper. This I think is where the Marketing part comes in. Eg, all item 10% off or if you buy anything from the fair/show $X is returned to you.

Same question goes back to you, in a physical fair, will you join if its free or it can guarantee traffic? Event organiser can't offer you for free cos they have to pay for the hall. Can they guarantee traffic? How do they prove to you that they can guarantee traffic? By showing a receipt that advertisement is placed on newspaper? Or thru history?

On the physical fair deals are settled on the spot. I know this is true. Most people don't buy from the Internet unless they have a reason to. The key point is "Giving customer a reason to buy". As the exhibitor/seller what reason are you giving customer to buy from you?

For people going to fair/show mostly they have the intention to buy. What they are after will probably be special deals. Everyone knows it is cheaper at fair/show to buy a computer. So can't this brought to this concept?

Thanks for the input, these are the questions that you have brought up.

Q2. For a online tradeshow/travel fair, how to settle deals on the spot?
Q3. How to guarantee traffic?
A3. Marketing
Q4. How to interact face-to-face with customer?
Q5. Why will it work for travel fair?
Q6. Should there be an entrance fee?