It’s been almost 2 years since the Covid-19 pandemic struck. It disrupted the lives of every human being. Personal life, work-life, and business life took a massive hit as the world was literally shut down. Business and industries came to a grinding halt. Manufacturing, distribution, and supply chain came to a stand-still and nobody knew the way ahead. Losses in the form of revenue, overhead costs, canceled orders and jobs were unprecedented, incalculable, and huge.
Trade Shows, conventions, and conferences are a melting pot of suppliers, buyers, and enthusiasts. They had to be canceled or postponed until further notice. The gap between vendors and prospects/customers increased and interactions got limited to the mobile or laptop screens.
So, when Fabtech 2021 – North America’s Largest Metal Forming, Fabricating, Welding and Finishing Event was announced, we as an ERP vendor were excited and nervous at the same time. Excited because of obvious reasons and nervous because of the unpredictable nature of the pandemic. We are glad that the tradeshow went ahead as planned.
We want to share what we experienced at Fabtech 2021 after a 2 years’ gap.
How was the overall event?
Because Fabtech 2021 happened after such a big gap, there were a lot of attendees who turned up at the event and it was much more crowded than it usually was. It was no surprise that most attendees came there with a definite purpose in mind, thanks to the nature of the pandemic.
What were the attendees looking for? What were their expectations?
The top-most thing on everyone’s mind was to know how modern technology (machines, tools, software, and hardware) will help them achieve higher throughput while reducing costs at the same time.
Many attendees who stopped by our booth knew what they wanted and were serious about knowing more about how our ERP will benefit their enterprise. They wanted to solve a specific problem they faced within their enterprise. Some looked to efficiently manage inventory while some wanted to consolidate disparate processes and tools.
Overall, most of them wanted to walk the path of digital transformation for their enterprise.
How were their enthusiasm levels?
The overall enthusiasm was high. A lot of attendees, especially the regulars, were happy to be attending a B2B trade show event after such a long gap. Most of them missed the human-to-human interaction which has a far more profound effect than the online/virtual ones. Also, they could get hands-on experience on OmegaCube ERP software and interact with our experts at the booth.
How did our prospects/customers feel interacting with us?
The prospects felt very good interacting with us, and their response was positive. They felt that we have a very compelling enterprise solution that meets or exceeds the needs that they have. We faced many thoughtful questions revolving around how our software will adapt to their enterprise and its needs. This helped generate a healthy interaction and we got to know more about what they do, how they do, and what they are exactly looking for.
How we as an ERP vendor felt about Fabtech 2021?
Being a regular participant at Fabtech events every year, we missed Fabtech 2020 and hoped things got better.
Fabtech 2021 was the first national, post-pandemic, manufacturing show and we were mighty impressed to observe how US manufacturing has grown in the last two years. We got the first-hand experience of new innovative ideas and technologies that have evolved.
We were happy with the turnout and enthusiasm of attendees who were looking forward to investing in newer manufacturing and digital technologies. It felt great to be there on the ground interacting with people and showing them what we have to offer for their enterprise.
What did we expect vs. what we got?
We are delighted with the response we got at Fabtech 2021. In terms of attendance, positive business environment, and interest was shown in manufacturing technology, it was better than what we expected.
We are happy for the fact that there are many enterprises that want to digitally transform their businesses by adopting our ERP technology and expertise.
Did you visit our booth at Fabtech 2021?
If yes, then type in your comments below on how you felt about the event in general and on meeting us.
You can write to us too at in**@om*******.com.
