"virtual trade show" has taken over and it is soaring in popularity across the globe.

For some businesses it has become a necessity to survive in the fiercely competitive business arena. Virtual trade shows have the same look and feel of real trade shows with the exception of the fact that you are not present in person. Users in these shows interact in the same manner and they utilise the venue for promoting and developing their business.

There are some virtual trade fairs that provide users with an "avatar" for the purposes of navigation from one booth to another. This navigation is like the one that is used in video games using the mouse and keyboard arrow keys. The organisers have the freedom and the flexibility to host the show or the conference in any venue that they deem desirable and fit. In this manner the participants get the perception that they are either inside a traditional venue like a convention centre, or they are on the topmost floor of a posh and swanky hotel or they are on a beach in any exotic location.
After the recession and economic downturn there were many companies who had to resort to cost cutting methods in order to cope with the situation. The worst affected areas in this regard were advertising and travel. Sending company representatives to trade events was a costly affair and many businesses could not afford that. Virtual trade shows eradicated the costs of travel and saved time. It gave businesses the chance to showcase their products and services to an internationally targeted market. It was a low cost alternative to promoting and developing your business in the current times.

In the past many small and medium scale businesses could not gain access to high profile trade shows for the costs involved. Time has changed and now virtual trade shows provide an opportunity to them to participate at just a minimum expense. The admission is free for most participants and this makes it easy on the pocket!