Comments on: Hubspot: Pulling Out of Trade Shows

By: Michael Thimmesch

Michael Thimmesch — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:47:16 +0000

When I read the post on the Hubspot blog, I respect their ROI motivation, but thought perhaps that as internet marketers they did not fully understand how to work the trade show to create better ROI. In that vein, I shared some ideas about how they could remain true to their “inbound” marketing mission and still get a lot more results from trade shows. No response from them in comments about whether they had tried those methods already, or if that would perhaps help them.

Later I saw that this is not the first time Hubspot has disparaged trade shows…they even had that cartoon made (like the one above), and others similar to it, that don’t reflect the positive experience of so many exhibitors (think of the roughly 120,000 attendees at CES 2010 swarming exhibitors, more attendees than last year). So I’m a little cynical about their motives, and was thinking the same thing Traci said — the money for B2B marketing that pays them has to come from somewhere, why not the trade show budget?

That said, I do think Hubspot has fantastic content.

By: Nicole Buraglio

Nicole Buraglio — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:19:57 +0000

I agree with Michelle. Trade shows are evolving. They may not be changing as fast as the tech world – right now – but they are much different than they used to be. I don’t believe I have ever heard a (valid) argument against the power of face-to-face marketing. Instead of putting up our dukes to fight this out, let’s find the most strategic ways to integrate our solutions to ensure success for everyone.

By: Michelle Bruno

Michelle Bruno — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:14:09 +0000

I’ve heard Brian Halligan of Hubspot speak before and he was never a trade show advocate. However, he makes some good points and I believe (like Traci) that trade shows (especially those living in the past) might not be the best fit for everyone. That said, trade shows are transitioning quickly. Organizers and contractors are experimenting with new formulas, new practices and new tools every day. If exhibiting isn’t the best path, sponsorship and customized face-to-face opportunities in cooperation with show organizers could be an option. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water Brian. If you’ve got something that works, show us how to use it in our industry so we can continue to do what we do best.

By: Hubspot: Pulling Out of Trade Shows « Expopedia

Hubspot: Pulling Out of Trade Shows « Expopedia — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:59:46 +0000

[...] January 20, 2010 This email came out last week and I thought it would be a good point of discussion for us. I would like to be in the position they say they are – getting more leads via their blog than actually at a trade show. Not many companies can say that, … Continue reading … [...]

By: Traci Browne

Traci Browne — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:21:34 +0000

With only the information they’ve shown on their e-mail I would agree with their decision. Trade shows are just one part of the marketing bag of tricks and if it’s not working for you, or if something works so overwhelmingly better that’s where I’d be putting my money if it were me.

But as with everything it’s not one size fits all. Perhaps they were not good at working the booth. They may not have had proper training on booth sales. They may have not sent the right people. Their whole strategy could be at fault or even missing completely where the shows were concerned.

Or, here’s a thought. They sell internet marketing solutions. This letter could just be a sales pitch for spending more money on your internet marketing. Where are you going to get the extra money? Why not pull out of your tradeshows…that should give you enough.