Trade Show Producers are missing the Media Moment, and depriving Exhibitors of brand building opportunities. According to a recent survey by EXPOweb News, the digital newsletter of Expo Magazine, only 21% of show organizers grant Press Credentials to bloggers.

This short sighted decision illustrates not only a lack of media savvy, but the potential to damage their own brands. It only takes one disgruntled, blogger to show their disdain for a particular Show and start the conversation that makes Exhibitors question if their marketing dollars could be better spent at a competing Trade Show.

Averting this potential PR Brand crisis is really quite simple. Show organizers need better media advice.

With newspapers, magazines, TV and radio stations blogging, the traditional Press has legitimized the medium. They should be welcoming the chance to extend their reach and have their Shows talked about all over the blogosphere. They will be doing their Exhibitors and themselves a great favor by allowing bloggers to find what’s new and next at their Shows—because their readers and subscribers have very specifically targeted interests.

Setting media standards for Press Credentials is fair practice. Just as they determine minimum requirements for journalists and TV production staff, blogging standards need to be created. Bloggers will have to meet certain journalistic and publishing practices before being universally accepted as part of the Press.

Heather Kirkwood, senior editor at EXPO Magazine weighs in on how Trade Show Press Credentials are issued:

It is customary at Trade Shows for show management to set the criteria for all media that attend the show (at least on the inside). Bloggers, being just another form of media, should also fall into that category. When I want to attend a trade show, I typically have to apply for press credentials. I have to demonstrate that I represent a media outlet that regularly covers the industry served by the show. It is in the show organizer’s interest to ensure that the most relevant media outlets are represented. Not only is it good for building the buzz around the show, but it gives great exposure to Exhibitors. The last thing you want is for someone to essentially waste an Exhibitor’s time because they’ll never be able to deliver exposure.

Bloggers might not be as well understood by everyone. So, they’ll need to prove that they are a legitimate media outlet with a readership and not just a guy in his den with an internet connection who waxes on about his opinions on his personal blog and now wants free registration to an event.

Heather also shares her predictions on how long it will take the Trade Show Industry to recognize bloggers:

I think certain segments of the industry have already recognized bloggers. Tech shows, for example, are a market where participants are familiar with bloggers and many attendees even have certain industry blogs they read on a regular basis. Some shows even go out of their way to provide bloggers with registration and a place to work. I can’t predict exactly when that trend will migrate to other segments of the industry, but like all things, it will be driven by demand. When bloggers in a given industry reach a certain critical mass so that show organizers feel the impact of their coverage, or exhibitors start to demand their presence, show organizers will respond.

Our thanks to Heather Kirkwood, senior editor at Expo Magazine for her insight. Let us know if you rely on blogs for your Trade Show coverage.

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