As Australia begins to reopen, it’s important for makers and distributors of natural and organic products to consider attending industry events.

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that businesses of all shapes and sizes succeed or fail based on human interaction.

Social distancing has affected everyone, from producers and distributors to retailers. And while many of us have survived – and even thrived – during the past two years, it’s difficult to find a business that’s not looking forward to the pandemic receding.

As restrictions ease, we must all decide which person-to-person activities we should return to and which we should leave behind. For many producers and distributors, live events are up for re-assessment. Are they still necessary?

The answer, according to new research by Diversified Communications, is a resounding ‘yes’. If anything, live events are more important than ever. Here’s why.

1. Live events help business succeed.

The researchers spoke to a cross-section of retailers and buyers who have previously attended the Naturally Good expo, and they discovered near-unanimous support for live events. Specifically, 94 per cent of respondents said attending trade exhibitions was important for their business. That finding makes sense: after all, there is no real online alternative to physically inspecting a wide range of products in a short space of time. The internet, we have discovered, can’t meet every need.

2. Meet buyers face-to-face.

Video conferencing has changed the way many of us work, and there are undoubtedly benefits to communicating online. But most survey respondents – 82 per cent – said they would still prefer to attend a face-to-face trade show. And why wouldn’t they? Meeting buyers face-to-face is hard to come by. However as dedicated visitors to trade events, meeting them in-person helps build rapport and puts your products and brands in their hands as they have the purchasing power to grow and transform your business. This opportunity is not one that is easy to come by online.

3. Live events are going to get bigger.

You might assume that trade shows and other live events will take a while to return to pre-pandemic attendance levels. But the opposite may in fact be true: the survey found that 86 per cent of respondents are planning to attend trade shows more frequently or just as often in the future. The pandemic seems to have made us more eager to congregate, not less. And, if the event abides by the latest health protocols, there’s no reason why we can’t do so safely. Meaning you can get back to business as quickly as possible to aid the post pandemic recovery.

Naturally Good will return to Sydney, 6-7 June 2022, as a platform ready to connect the wider natural, healthy and organic industry with key retail buyers, distributors and manufacturers.

To find out more about maximising your natural advantage, contact the team.