Volume and personal interaction gives exhibitors the edge

This is evident in the growth seen by Wedding Expo which has, in only five years, grown into the largest bridal show in South Africa and exhibitors are drawing value by association.

"Wedding Expo is experiencing phenomenal growth which supports the fact that the industry is in an upward growth phase. In September we saw over two hundred companies congregated under one roof spanning a staggering 5000 square meters of floor space," says Wedding Expo's owner and managing director Amanda Cunningham.

Word from the exhibitors is that an exhibition like Wedding Expo affords them a great opportunity to speak to clients and possible customers face-to-face, en mass and in a short space of time. They also say that it gives them the perfect marketing platform, as they can show brides and grooms exactly what they have to offer there and then.

"The fact that I can interact with people and find out what they want, and I can explain and show what I can do to make their day more special, is wonderful and means a lot," says exhibitor, Dorothy Van Staaden owner of Dorothy Couture.

In Cunningham's view, exhibitors can make multiple customer contacts in a short period of time, while visitors enjoy a tactile, 3D experience of the products and services affording them the opportunity to make discerning choices.

Beth Collins of Umphotoworks, a first timer at the show and one of over 20 photographers in attendance, says that other photographers raved about the show and by exhibiting at previous Wedding Expos it increased their business, so she had to try it herself. "Just by being here I am making a lot of contacts and I'm growing my customer base," she says.

Cunningham believes that this supports the marketing strategy of a large number of one person businesses, "Exhibitions are not the only medium of a marketing plan but they deliver what other media can't - personal interactions with real buyers."

Apart from the face-to-face exposure to a specific targeted market - visitors planning a wedding - exhibitors are also getting exposure in various print and broadcast media under the banner of the Wedding Expo brand and thus, access to a much larger audience.

Being at the show, exhibitors explain, already puts them one up on those who only advertise in magazines.

The Wedding Expo which is owned and managed by Amanda Cunningham won the coveted EXSA Exhibition of the Year in the consumer category in 2004 and 2005. Dates for Wedding Expo in 2007: 5 - 6 May 2007; 1 - 2 September 2007.