he times they are a-changin’. Bob Dylan penned those words over 35 years ago but they are as applicable today as they were back then. From the beginning of recorded time, the world has been constantly changing. While some changes were slow to happen, new technologies continue to ensure that the world will always be thrust into new directions. These new technologies bring new opportunities and create new industries.
Think of what the wheel and fire did for ancient man. Imagine the infinite new horizons available with the advent of the automobile and then the airplane. Even new technologies like the cell phone and the internet have created a world so small that anyone can instantly connect with anyone else almost anywhere in the world. It’s a small world, indeed.
While these new industries created new jobs, they also helped usher out some old ones. The automobile killed the horse industry and almost everything associated with it. When was the last time you came across a blacksmith? The radio star was replaced with the movie star. The cell phone has practically obliterated the pay phone. Even the once all-mighty newspaper business has fallen victim to the power of the internet.
So what does this have to do with Circuses and Trade Shows? Growing up in the 70s, I witnessed what I believed to be the last remnants of the travelling circus. Gone were the glory days when circus performers were met with wide-eyed amazement. Gone was the thrill of seeing circus oddities like the sword swallower  and the world’s tallest man. Even in those pre-internet days, television had already supplied me with all the thrills I needed and growing technologies in movie making provided wide-eyed amazement without the smell of musty straw and elephant droppings. Suddenly, that odd, bearded lady didn’t seem so odd anymore.
Some people say that trade shows are going the way of the travelling circus. They feel that today’s new technologies are providing the benefits of the trade show without the travel expense, crowds, and noise. In the comfort of your home or office, you can search the internet for a wide variety of products and services specifically related to your needs. It’s like watching the circus on your TV at home. No noise. No crowds. No lines to the bathroom. But is something lost in all this convenience?
I believe that trade shows are going the way of the circus, but not in the way you might think. Yes, the travelling circus may be a thing of the past but the circus as an entertainment venue has not died. It adapted and is thriving. In sports arenas and event complexes, crowds still gather to watch elephants parade in a circle, ballerinas dance on prancing ponies, and acrobats attempt death-defying feats high above the seats. New versions of circuses, like Cirque du Soleil, are big hits. So how did they do it?
The answer is simple. The circus never lost its core value: hands-on entertainment. No matter what you watch on TV or the internet, nothing matches the excitement of watching an event in person. It’s why theater, concerts, and live sports events are still popular today. There’s a raw energy in experiencing something in person that cannot be matched by any technology. The circus simply needed to discard what was old and stale and repackage the rest.
 It’s the same with trade shows. No matter how fancy a product presentation can be made online, nothing beats having the product at hand. Trade shows provide the raw energy of the live demonstration that cannot be duplicated electronically. Nowhere else can you see, touch, and experience so many new products in one venue. Trade shows may have lost some of their luster but they haven’t lost their core value.
Perhaps the trade show industry needs to take its cue from the circus industry and do a little re-inventing of its own. Many trade shows have become stale. The world still wants to see new products in person, but we don’t need to see them in almost every city in every state. These small local same-industry shows should be merged together to form larger, regional shows. In addition to merging these shows, similar industries can also merge together. These multi-industry shows draw larger crowds and provide more bang for the buck.
Exhibitors also need to rethink their strategies. As the economy improves, so will trade show attendance. The attendee of tomorrow still wants to experience products first-hand, but this attendee will be leaner and savvier than his predecessor. He will be more specific in his needs and won’t waste time jumping from show to show. He won’t be impressed with the circus glitz that exhibitors of yesterday offered. He will have done his homework and have an agenda. He knows what he wants. And it’s our job to see that he gets it, sans the bearded lady. e
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