Hybrid fairs (for house building) - your experiences?

Hi everyone, in general I quite like going to trade fairs. I really enjoy the feeling on site and I like to have things shown or explained to me. I have visited trade fairs for all sorts of things, not necessarily for construction, gardening, or interior design. I have also been to a book fair, a career fair, or a bike fair. I find it a good way to gather ideas and you get an insight into what is available in the field. Now it is the case that some trade fairs also take place virtually; I have the impression that since Corona, this has somehow increased and basically I think it is a good alternative when it is not possible to be on site. Hybrid trade fairs combine both aspects. I have not tried it myself yet, but I could well imagine it. Now the thing is: a very good friend and her husband want to start building a house in the next few years and would like to visit a house building trade fair to get ideas and inform themselves in advance. It would make sense to look for a hybrid trade fair. Would it be worth it or should they just get their information on site? Regardless of that, I am interested in experience reports. Maybe someone here is already somewhat familiar and can tell me something about it. Thanks!

Well, I would prefer to clarify everything on site. I will stick to trade fairs for my example. The big advantage I see there is that you have everything in one place and don’t have to spend a week driving around to different trades. I think virtual things are more for the B2B sector. Whether regular customers accept the offer, I doubt it. Many people are also interested in the experience (especially when I think of specific fairs: holidays, cars, food, sports, ...). Many just go to fairs without actually wanting to buy anything there. It’s completely different in the business sector. There you know what you want/need and then negotiate with the suppliers at the fairs. That would also work online. No one needs the "experience" around it there. But I can well imagine hybrid fairs. Then you don’t have to fly to other countries and can just do everything online. I don’t think you need a fair to be able to build a house. It just makes finding information easier. Whether they want/can wait for the next fair or take things into their own hands remains up to them.

I don't think you need a trade fair to be able to build a house.

Agreement.

It only makes it easier to find information.

However, one should consider that at trade fairs you also get all sorts of ideas put into your head, and see many things that the builder is not even offering. Especially against the background of the high popularity of building with general contractors (GU), visits to trade fairs are therefore of questionable usefulness.

So I would rather clarify everything on site. I will stick to trade fairs for my example. The big advantage I see there is that everything is in one place and you don’t have to drive around for a week to the different trades. I believe virtual things are more for the B2B sector. Whether regular customers accept the offer, I doubt it. For many, it’s also about the experience (especially when I think of special fairs: holidays, cars, food, sports,...). Many people also just go to fairs without actually wanting to buy something from there. That’s completely different in the business sector. There you know what you want/need and then negotiate with the providers at the fairs. That would also work online now. Nobody needs the "experience" around it. But I can well imagine hybrid fairs. Then you don’t have to fly to other countries and can simply do everything online.

Yes, at hybrid fairs you can have both. It’s about being able to visit a fair live and virtually. First the feeling on site, initial gathering of information, inspiration, and then quietly and undisturbed again virtually at home. I can imagine that the combination is quite good to get firm impressions. So I, as an ordinary customer, would accept the offer; I can well imagine it for myself personally and think many feel the same. But yes, in the business sector it might be even more important to concentrate on topics intensely.

I also don’t think it is absolutely necessary to visit a fair to build a house. But I also believe it makes the search for information easier. I am very interested in fairs, like going there, and think it is a good opportunity to gather ideas and inspiration. That’s why I’m glad that the possibility even exists.

When we had the idea of building a house, we went to a regional small (about 100 exhibitors) fair and talked, looked around, and collected floor plans. After that, we seriously tackled the topic and have now been living in our house for 2 years. None of the floor plans from the fair became ours, but we got ideas and concepts, and an architect made our plan livable and logically structured. So go for it, don’t let yourself be talked out of it, and don’t sign anything.

The type of trade fair is ultimately just a matter of preference. I prefer in-person. A hybrid trade fair offers more of both. The content is more important than the form. It's great for gathering ideas and also for making contact with regional companies. Not for letting oneself be unsettled.