Exhibitions I have exhibited at, attended and worked for clients
Trade shows are the highest-intent channel in Indian IT services and the one most firms run badly. Here is where I go, what I do there, and what it actually costs.
Where I go, and whether you should
GITEX
The biggest tech show in the Middle East and the most productive one for Indian IT services firms. Enterprise buyers, government buyers, and a floor full of people with budget.
CES
Consumer tech at enormous scale. Right for product companies and hardware, usually wrong for a services firm unless you have a specific reason to be there.
Tech Expo
Smaller, cheaper, and often better return per rupee than the famous shows because your exact buyer walks a smaller floor.
Hannover Messe
Industrial and manufacturing technology. Excellent if you sell into that sector, irrelevant if you don't — and expensive to find out the hard way.
Web Summit
Startup and investor heavy. Good for profile and partnerships, weaker for direct services pipeline.
Regional India shows
Cheap to attend, easy to test, and the right place to practise the pitch before spending on international travel.
Booths, badges and very long days
Unpolished on purpose. This is what the channel actually looks like.
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+What a show actually costs
Everyone budgets the booth. Almost nobody budgets the week of delivery capacity, which is usually the largest line item and never appears on a spreadsheet.
Add flights, visas, hotels at exhibition-week rates, stand build, shipping, collateral, and the two weeks of follow-up that should happen and usually doesn't. For most Indian software firms that is several lakh before a single conversation happens.
What I do instead
I attend as your company. I work the floor, take the meetings, qualify properly, and come back with a follow-up list that has context attached — who they were, what they need, what to say next. You pay for one person instead of four, and your delivery team never stops.
How event representation works →
Which show is right for you
Choosing the right event matters more than being at a famous one. A mid-size vertical exhibition where your exact buyer walks the floor beats a giant general show every time, and part of what you're paying for is that judgment before any money goes on a booth.
Firms I have worked shows for
Consulting clients & ongoing engagements
Companies I worked inside
Which show should you actually be at?
Thirty minutes. I'll tell you which events are worth it for your firm, and which ones to skip.
Book a free consultation