Physical Fairs Still Matter When Trust Becomes the Scarcer Commodity

A fair can advertise matchmaking and buyer programmes very effectively and still produce a lot of meetings that go nowhere. How do you decide which buyers are worth bringing in, and how do you judge whether the meetings arranged are leading to business rather than just activity?
Serhan Pul: The number of meetings is not our primary metric. Relevance is.

When evaluating buyers, we look at purchasing responsibility, sourcing activity, business scale and the likelihood that they are actively seeking suppliers within the categories represented at the fair.

A meeting has value only if there is genuine commercial potential. Therefore, we continuously gather feedback from both buyers and exhibitors before, during and after the event.

We pay close attention to indicators such as follow-up discussions, sample requests, factory visits, quotation requests and ongoing negotiations. Those are often stronger indicators of success than the meeting itself.

A matchmaking programme should not be judged by how busy participants look during the exhibition. It should be judged by what happens in the months afterwards.

Intertex Portugal covers a wide spread of categories across the textile chain. That gives the event range, but it can also make it less focused. How do you stop breadth from turning into dilution?
Serhan Pul: Our approach is to ensure that the categories represented are connected through the same value chain rather than assembled simply to increase exhibitor numbers.

Textile production today is increasingly integrated. Manufacturers, fabric producers, sourcing professionals, technology providers and brands all influence one another. Bringing those groups together can create valuable synergies.

At the same time, we work carefully on visitor segmentation, matchmaking and event programming to ensure participants can efficiently find the sectors most relevant to them.

Breadth becomes dilution only when there is no strategic connection between participants. Our goal is to maintain that connection.

International reach is one of the fair’s selling points. But a long list of countries represented does not automatically mean a stronger event. What matters more to you: how many countries are present, or whether the right companies and buyers are present?
Serhan Pul: The second, without question.

An exhibition can claim representation from dozens of countries, but if the companies attending lack purchasing power, sourcing needs or business relevance, those numbers mean very little.

We would rather welcome fewer countries represented by highly relevant buyers, brands and manufacturers than achieve diversity purely for marketing purposes.

International reach matters because it broadens opportunity, but quality of participation remains the most important factor. Everyone who is a part of the exhibition is interested in business outcomes.

Most fairs now come with panels, seminars and side discussions. Very often those sessions repeat the same approved language about innovation, sustainability and opportunity. How do you make sure your programme asks harder questions than the marketing material does?
Serhan Pul: We believe industry discussions should go beyond buzzwords. While topics such as innovation and sustainability remain important, we encourage speakers to focus on real challenges, practical experiences and market realities. Our goal is to create conversations that are informative and relevant for professionals, rather than simply repeating promotional messages.

Sustainability claims are now easy to make and harder to test. When companies exhibit under that banner, how far can an organiser really go in separating serious work from polished presentation?
Serhan Pul: As organisers, we are not a certification body, so there are limits to what we can independently verify. However, we encourage transparency and support exhibitors who can demonstrate their commitments through recognised certifications, measurable actions and clear communication. Ultimately, informed buyers and open dialogue remain essential in distinguishing genuine efforts from marketing claims.

The old logic of the trade fair has weakened in some respects. Buyers can meet suppliers online, sourcing teams can work year-round, and direct outreach is easier than it used to be. What still makes a physical fair worth the trip?
Serhan Pul: Digital tools have transformed the industry, but they have not replaced human interaction.

A physical fair allows people to evaluate products, materials and capabilities in ways that remain difficult online. It also creates opportunities for unexpected discoveries that rarely occur through scheduled digital meetings.

Trust remains a critical factor in sourcing decisions. Meeting face-to-face, assessing product quality directly and having deeper conversations often accelerates decision-making.

We do not see digital and physical channels as competitors. They complement one another. The strongest business relationships often begin at an exhibition and continue digitally throughout the year.

Every event can publish strong attendance numbers afterwards. That does not tell you whether exhibitors met the right people or whether buyers found anything useful. When you look past the official numbers, what tells you that an edition has genuinely done its job?
Serhan Pul: The most important indicators are often the least visible.

We look at exhibitor retention, repeat participation, buyer satisfaction, business leads generated and the quality of professional interactions taking place throughout the event.

We also pay close attention to what happens after the exhibition. Are participants continuing discussions? Are they arranging factory visits? Are sourcing projects moving forward? Are companies returning because they generated tangible business value?

Attendance numbers matter, but what really defines success is the quality of business opportunities created during and after the event.

If exhibitors leave with new opportunities, buyers leave with new solutions and both groups want to return the following year, then the event has done its job.