After coming off a long weekend of exhibiting at Diesel Dirt and Turf, we want to reflect upon Diesel Dirt and Turf in regards to our opinion piece written regarding trade shows in 2015.
Infrastructure Expos
Last year after attending Civinex 2015 we wrote an opinion piece around whether Trade Shows were a thing of the past. Civinex, in its 60th year in 2015, has always been regarded as Australia’s Premier Infrastructure Expo. However after last year’s disappointing foot traffic, and what appeared to be a declining number of exhibitors we were left wondering what was going on in the trade show space. Was it simply that consumers could now find the same information on the internet, quickly and easily, without having to take time off their work schedule and potentially lose income, or was it simply the setup and marketing of Trade Shows and Expos?
Diesel Dirt and Turf
From the 15th – 17th April 2016 Solution Plant Hire attended Diesel Dirt and Turf as an exhibitor. This event was marketed in a very different way to that of Civinex and other Infrastructure Expos. The event was held on a Friday and across the weekend, with activities to involve industry workers families and kids, giving people the ability to involve their family in what traditionally has been an industry only event, set up as weekday functions which were focused solely on work related activities and information.
Diesel Dirt and Turf also set themselves aside by featuring a wide range of exhibitors and activities which in turn attracted a broader range of visitors from an extensive range of industries. This may not instantly convert into more sales for exhibitors (or Equipment Hires for us), it does however lead to greater and more effective branding opportunities with a more diverse range of people.
The event was free to enter, which also no doubt encouraged people of the public, and the industry to attend Diesel, Dirt and Turf, whereas other trade shows can become expensive for those who want to attend, when you combine the cost of the entry fee with the cost of time off work many individuals will elect not to attend.
The event for Solution Plant Hire
At Solution Plant Hire we found the event an overall success with the opportunity to exhibit who we are and what we do not only to our customers but to the public. More importantly we were given the opportunity to interact with the families of our customers, Western Sydney, greater Sydney and even greater NSW by giving out balloons to the kids and giving them the chance to have a photo with a 1.8T Excavator!
With over 18,000 members of the industry and public through the door we were excited to see an event attract these kind of numbers, and look forward to seeing an even bigger and better Diesel Dirt and Turf in 2017!
For photos from the event visit our Facebook page. For more details on the event itself visit dieseldirtandturf.com.au.