What do dental professionals really want out of trade shows?

As Monday's session of the Greater New York Dental Meeting (GNYDM) kicked into high gear, snow made its presence felt in the Big Apple.

The snow may have been beautiful to watch, but it also was heavy for an extended period of time (at least at the Javits Center, site of the meeting) and caused some traffic problems and transportation delays.

Certainly that could have contributed to a quieter-than-normal Monday at GNYDM. However, Tuesday and Wednesday also were lackluster on the show floor in New York City, according to several of the exhibitors we talked to during and after the meeting. Attendance numbers for the GNYDM were once again high, but getting attendees into the exhibit hall continues to be a difficult task.

The quiet nature of the exhibit hall at many meetings has been building over the last few years. The people who attend dental trade shows are changing, both in terms of demographics and mindset. The biggest question facing trade shows heading into 2020 is this: How will they respond to their changing customer base?

Part of that change must involve knowing what dental professionals actually want out of their trade show experience. That nugget of knowledge will have to be one of the biggest things trade shows learn and implement as a new decade dawns.

While at GNYDM, David Rice, DDS, of IgniteDDS (and DrBicuspid.com's clinical editor) and I recorded a short video on the state of dental trade shows and what he believes young dentists want to see in their education experience. You can see our thoughts below.

We also hope that you'll help us answer the question of what you want to see when you attend a dental trade show and what would entice you to visit the show floor. You can drop me a line at [email protected] with your thoughts and ideas.