The importance Of Wedding Trade Shows

Why is Trade Show important for  Wedding Industry? 

The trade show plays a crucial part in the wedding industry as according to Think!sponsorship ( 2013) "a trade fair (trade show, trade exhibition,or expo) is an exhibition organised so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, services, study activities of rivals and examine recent market trends opportunities".

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCdiSv40XYU)

Advantages and Disadvantages of Wedding Trade shows:

Advantages:

promotion of wedding dresses via fashion shows 

• it gives the advantage to  personally meet larger groups of people and  new potential clients as well as new suppliers. 
• great tool for advertising the wedding industry
• gain new ideas, concepts within the wedding industry
• keep updated with new trends, products services decoration, fashion, design and other important aspects of the wedding market.
• receiving immediate feedback allows to reinforce and improve  businesses.  

Cake display in a wedding trade show 

Examples of some wedding decoration 

Disadvantages:

• Trade shows in general are time and cost consuming 
• it is often very confusing for the clients, due to the diversity of different varieties of wedding products and services.
• high possibility of competition in the market  

Best Practices:
There are various wedding trade shows around the globe which help to increase international participation in the industry. They differ in term of nationalities, cultures and identity.  Below are examples of some wedding trade shows highly recognized around the world and enjoying vast number of attendees.

The national Asian wedding show:
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6bA-a3q4ec)

 

The national Asian wedding show is one of the Europe's largest wedding and fashion exhibition. It  Brings together hundreds of exhibitors  to showcase their products and services from fashion shows, dances, music, different sorts of wedding arrangements  to beauty, hair and make up  to  cake décors to  food catering and much more. it operates at different venues yearly such as the Excel centre London which attracts about 10,000 people. The London Hilton Hotel Wembley which again attracts 10,500 attendees. The National Motor Cycle Museum Midlands which attracted 4000 attendees. Bradford Hilton another location that attracts large number of audiences as well.

The Vancouver wedding fair 2013: 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Asj1piV4zDM)

 

The Vancouver wedding fair is the longest running and the most successful trade show in Canada. it has 150 exhibitors with 170 booths with audiences from brides and grooms to be, to families and friends. The exhibition includes featured invitation vendors,  wedding planners, honeymoon destinations, wedding cakes and decorators, musicians, photographers a fashion show and much more exciting things in store. it also had price draws which gives away 1000 unique gifts  for the attendees such as  wedding planning, a ring, free honeymoon travel and much more. 

British Bridal Exhibition- Harrogate : 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJZ1qGly4e4)

The British  Bridal Exhibition Harrogate occurs twice in a year. one in march which has 150 exhibitors which showcase 250 collections over 10, 000 square meters and nearly attracts 2500 unique bridal buyers.the second being in March which has 250 exhibitors which showcase  350 collections over 13,000 square meters and nearly attracts 4,000 unique bridal buyers. The exhibition showcases from bride and bridegrooms  wear, to jewellery, to best man and brides maid outfits, to different occasions outfits and much more.


South Africa wedding Expo 2012: 
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IaJ0_TCybOc)

 

The South African Wedding Expo is the largest and the most comprehensive annual Expo in South Africa that currently showcases over 300 bridal industry specialist. It attracts over 15,000 visitors. This wedding Expo is very unique and special as it show cases many event management companies that specialise in various aspects from wedding planning, to decorations, to clothing, to fashion shows that run four times during the whole day event, cakes and catering companies, and wedding school course companies, spas,different types of wedding parties and much more.