Thanks for the link! It looks like the internet hasn’t killed the trade show after all.
LOL! I completely agree with pushpixels comment above. Regardless of the industry, buyers still need to see/feel products in person before investing a substantial amount which makes tradeshows an essential part of the decision making process. Plus as we all know, people buy people. You can't create long-lasting relationships virtually the way you can at an event.
Tradeshows are pretty much "Grocery Stores" for the industrial sector. When a baker needs ingredients for a cookie recipe they head to the grocery store to shop & compare. When printers/converters of labels, flexible packaging, and folding cartons need certain machinery, inks, materials etc they attend trade shows such as Labelexpo to see, learn, compare and find those key ingredients for their print shop all in one place.
I personally believe the internet has only propelled the tradeshows at least for the labels & package printing industry. Global exposure is only a click away and a google search is all it takes now for visitors to see honest feedback and compare events to decide which ones make the most sense to invest in attending.