Trade shows and conferences play a pivotal role in the growth and visibility of your company. But how do you decide which ones to attend and which ones to prioritize for booking an exhibition stand? This guide will help you navigate the world of trade shows and conferences specific to the global media and entertainment technology business. We’ll help to ensure you get the most out of these events whether you're a small to medium-sized TV technology business, a start-up, or a solopreneur.

Maximizing Your Trade Show Success

As a TV technology company aiming to make an impact and increase sales, you have a wide range of choices from low-cost/zero-cost to high-end conferences.

Aligning Industry Events with Your Goals

You want to network where you're most likely to meet potential clients. But how to choose the Right Events?

There are hundreds of events vying for your attention and wallet: Mega Shows, Major Conferences, and Niche Events. Choose events that attract high-profile attendees relevant to your business interests, and research both attendees and speakers at each show.

Here's how to navigate them:

Mega Shows: These are the big ones directly relevant to the TV business, such as NAB (Las Vegas) and IBC (Amsterdam). If your budget is small, these shows offer free attendance if you register before the early bird deadline. They are also overwhelming in the sense that they cater for many different secotrs of the business. With myriad conference, seminar and training options. Ask yourself: will my message get lost in the mix?
Major Conferences and Trade Shows: These include the Connected TV World Summit (London), the IABM Annual Conference (London), and Network X / Broadband World Forum (Amsterdam). These examples of more focused events. If your audience is narrower than what a mega show offers, these might be a better option for you.
Niche Events: These are more specific and often have overlapping themes. You might want to seek out invitations to more curated events, with audiences that are more tailored to your specific goals. You can also check out less noisy regional trade shows like the one hosted by the Western Association of Broadcast Engineers (WABE) at WABE.ca.
The TV Events Hub offers a handy guide for finding all these different events.

Remember, over-reliance on serendipity is a mistake. Plan in advance, fix your appointments, and be prepared to make the most of every opportunity.

Here are three success factors to consider:

Securing Appointments
Preparation is key. Set up appointments in advance, exchange contact details for last-minute changes, be sure to get a mobile phone number, and decide on a meeting spot. Avoid errors when sending calendar invites to minimize confusion!
Building Relationships
It's not about the quantity of meetings, but the quality. Building relationships is a long game. Focus on making meaningful connections rather than trying to meet as many people as possible.
Rising Above the Noise
Getting press coverage can be challenging. Start by reaching out to journalists and analysts with a short, relevant message long before you need them. Many journalists publish their email address freely (check their websites) but to be polite, it’s best to send a connection request via LinkedIn with a short, 300-character note. Make sure your note is relevant! Doing this via LinkedIn ensures that they can easily click to learn more about you. Make it easy for them (and for all your connections, for that matter)!
Note that it is much easier to attract press coverage around major events. So play your cards right and schedule your company news at that time.
No press list? No problem, we can send out your industry news for you.

Which TV Industry Events Deserve Your Time This Year?

We hope this guide helps you plan your schedule for the year ahead and maximize your impact at TV industry events.

The TV Events Hub displays upcoming events for approximately 3 months in advance. Sign-up here for instant access to the complete list of 100+ important industry events that we track for the full year ahead. It’s updated every two months.