The way Internet has transformed the lives of people both personally and commercially is something that would have been difficult to imagine in the past. Almost everything in the modern world is dependent on the use of the virtual web. Even trade shows have not remained untouched from this recent phenomenon and have found a new outlet in the form of virtually organized internet based trade shows. A virtual trade show serves the same purpose as of a normal trade show, but what makes it more likable is its lack of infrastructural cost. The organizational and infrastructural overheads are the major investments that are made in a real world trade fair. If one cuts out these costs, the investment needed is almost negligible. The virtual tradeshows are flourishing due to these factors and are very much liked within the trading circles.

A virtual trade show can be organized by simply using Internet and virtual tradeshow software to connect with the participants. A basic description and the requirements for a virtual trade show is given below-

Permission to enter a virtual trade show-It is very important to have a selected gentry interested in trading attend a virtual trade fair. Giving permission to the right people is extremely important at such fairs because there is no other way of checking the credibility of the participants. To avoid the presence of Internet trolls and mischievous people, special virtual tokens or passes are used. These tokens or passes can be distributed to trusted exhibitors and visitors or they can be sold through an online outlet.

Virtual booths-The booths are present in a virtual exhibiting hall at a virtual tradeshow and act like the interface for the exhibitors and the visitors. The exhibitors can use multimedia applications to showcase their commodities and Internet messengers can be used for direct interaction. Such facilities are normally built-in the virtual tradeshow software and are very user-friendly in nature.

Trading- A visitor is free to roam around in the virtual fair and can decide to trade with the exhibitors of his own liking. The decisions are made after going through the listed items in the virtual booth. Trading is done through digitally signed documents.

Even though a virtual trade fair is an excellent way of meeting buyers and manufacturers, it will take a long time for such fairs to replace the real world fairs. The lack of personal touch and reliability are a few factors which go against such fairs. But still, the day by day improvement in Internet technology and change in people’s perception may lead to world wide acceptance of such fairs in the future