So what do your customers think about the state of today's dental trade show?

Working with our sister publications, RDH and Dental Economics, we polled dentists and hygienists and asked them what they like and don't like about attending trade shows – or if they even go to trade shows any more.

In all, 588 dental team members (dentists, hygienists, assistants, and front office personnel) responded to our survey. We are only including dentists and hygienists in this article because their sample size was large enough to be representative, in our opinion.

Here are some of their answers…

Dentist Responses

How many dental conferences/trade shows do you attend per year?

Do you attend any of the following prominent dental conferences?

During a typical trade show, how much time do you spend in the exhibit hall?

Survey participants were asked what they liked best about dental product exhibitions, as well as what they dislike.

Sample comments of what dentists like best about the exhibit include:

• Knowledgable sales personnel and the ability to use a product

• Seeing the new products and receiving special show pricing

• Touching items that will be used at work

• Keeping up on new products and being able to handle them and sample them firsthand

• Getting to use the products and to ask the reps exact questions

• Seeing new products and services and technical info on products I use or am interested in

• Having opportunities to see new equipment, try new materials, and get samples of these new products. Discussing problems with the vendors in person – people are much better than emails or texts

Sample comments about things dentists do not like about exhibit halls include:

• I hate the exhibit hall. I like going to specific companies and booths to look at specifics and not be pushed. If the salespeople push, I walk away. It has been five or six years since I bought anything on an exhibit floor. The best thing is socializing with my friends that happen to be in there.

• Vendors who try to keep you even if you politely try to excuse yourself.

• The salespeople have gotten cheap and have attitudes. This last CDA in Anaheim was the worst ever....and I go every year.

• Salespeople who forcefully engage visitors out of booth.

• Every manufacturer always says their products are the best. Without proper data, one can never be sure.

• Aggressive, time-wasting salespeople

Hygienist Responses

Sample comments of what dental hygienists like best about the exhibit include:

• Demonstration of products, and the ability to see and try products in my hand before purchasing.

• Learning new information (either new products or new techniques, or even refresher information about the products that we already use). It would be great if the sales reps would say "... did you know that this or that product ... can be used ... or help ... or the specific ingredient ... or why it is unique and how that product is superior compared to the others."

• Learning about new products and the opportunity to talk to reps; where I live we never have reps visit our office.

• Getting to see new products and having questions answered about how to use products better.

• Nice time to ask a rep specific questions about products, especially if I am having difficulty using them at work.

• I like having the opportunity to see new products and get information from the reps. Samples are great since they let you try the product before buying. It's easier to get your doctor to buy new products if you can use them first.

Sample comments about things dental hygienists do not like about exhibit halls include:

• The size of the exhibit floor at large meetings

• Having sales people who are not knowledgeable about our profession

• Often times, I am ignored because I am not a dentist. I am the person in my work place that has direct influence on the products we use in our office

• Always crowded at booths and a lot of attendees are rude

• Time spent waiting to talk to reps at the busier booths

• Awkward layout of hall, I would prefer more like products corralled together for comparison

• When there are no samples, just a lot of paper/pamphlets to read

Sample comments about things dental hygienists do not like about exhibit halls include:

• Rude and pushy sales people with seemingly preconceived attitudes about RDHs

• Crowds around a booth that prevents me from talking to a rep

• The exhibit hall is too crowded for the limited time that I have available

• The waste of paper/flyers that is forced on everyone. Give us a card and a website

• Recently visited several prominent vendors at a conference and was dissatisfied with uninformed reps at the booths who could not answer my basic product questions! I have 38 years experience and felt like I should be selling to them

• The worst part of the exhibit hall is the crowds and/or the poor attitude of reps. I hate it when I try to ask a rep about their product and they act uninterested. Without information, I cannot ask my practice to invest in their products

Overall Responses

As a side note,

"booth babes" are overall not well received by our survey respondents.

The pretty women that some exhibitors hire also have a negative effect with at least one dental hygienist. "Not only are most dental hygienists women, I would guess half of dentists are now women," she wrote. "I had a patient who, while in my chair, received an email from her modeling agency to work [a national dental conference] this year. She has a great smile but knows nothing about dentistry."