Global Meetings Industry Day: Why Trade Shows Matter More Than Ever
April 02, 2025
Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) 2025 is an important chance to advocate for the impact of business events, particularly trade shows. The MICE industry continues to grow with higher attendance, increased budgets, and expanded event portfolios according to recent polls. With so much uncertainty about tourism, however, trade shows matter to maintain visitation that drives economic impact.
It’s not just about boosting visitation. Trade shows enhance professional connections and drive industry innovation. Increasingly hybrid and tech-enhanced events show how AI-driven matchmaking, virtual components, and real-time data insights can improve the industry.
Trends continue to focus on sustainability and DEI and allow trade shows to pursue greener event practices, wellness initiatives, and more inclusive experiences. Newer trends toward experiential networking see more interactive, high-impact engagements focused on ROI. Business event attendees want more from their events, and meeting planners and destinations are collaborating to do just that.
But let’s step back for a moment and remind you why in-person trade shows continue to matter more than ever.
1. They Build Trust
Face-to-face meetings build trust and relationships better than virtual ones. You don’t have to look far to find the research that supports this idea. Of course digital tools enhance accessibility, but they can’t replace in-person events. Meaningful, lasting connections are built with a handshake and the experiences shared during a trade show and beyond the exhibition hall.
2. They Facilitate Growth
Trade show events drive lead generation, which supports economic growth. Attendees come to book venues, discover suppliers, and secure deals that fuel local and global economies. While this can happen virtually, it’s never as effective. At an in-person event, attendees get to experience so much more than they would in a little virtual box, including unexpected encounters during coffee breaks, meals, and other experiences.
3. They Offer Exposure
Destinations and organizations gain high value exposure when they attend meetings. Trade shows matter because they provide a platform to showcase unique selling points, infrastructure, and industry expertise. Again, this can happen virtually, but rarely on the same scale.
Breakout rooms don’t quite offer the same type of exposure that you can find during some casual mingling or browsing a convention hall.
4. They Provide Education
Trade shows are more than social events that drive lead generation. They educate us all. Real-time knowledge sharing during these events, including vibrant Q&A sessions and engaging round tables allow us to understand new trends and challenge industry practices in a more open forum.
Trade shows matter because they showcase innovations and strategies from thought leaders and industry experts more efficiently. If you’ve ever tried talking over someone on a video conference, you understand how digital platforms just don’t make it easy to exchange ideas and knowledge as freely.
5. They Go Beyond Digital Limits
Trade shows also matter because hybrid and AI tools are simply enhancing, not replacing, in-person engagement. It’s difficult to imagine the technology that will provide an identical experience to wandering an exhibition hall, attending talks, engaging socially, and allowing for impromptu conversations. If technology can reproduce reality so faithfully, we wouldn’t even need tourism anymore. Thankfully, we’re not there!
While technology supports networking and accessibility, the core value of trade shows remains in real-world interactions and how they grow.
As the MICE sector makes its comeback, in-person trade shows still matter and provide a cornerstone for professional connections and economic impact. Global Meetings Industry Day 2025 underscores the enduring value of in-person trade shows in driving business, innovation, and industry growth.
Attracting trade shows—and attending them—are both important strategies for any destination to enhance its business events game. Reach out to Pamela Laite at pamela.laite@aboutdci.com to learn more about working with DCI’s MICE and business events team to think outside the box.
