What a concert reveals about the enduring value of in-person experiences
From the balcony of Amsterdam’s Paradiso, there are few distractions. You’re high enough to see the whole story unfold—the interplay between performer and public, the sway of shoulders, the ripple of rhythm that courses through a sea of strangers suddenly moving in sync.
At a recent Kamasi Washington concert, that balcony became a vantage point on something far bigger than jazz.
Below, the crowd didn’t just listen—they participated. They danced, nodded, and exhaled in time. It was movement, yes, but also meaning. A live experiment in human connection.
It felt almost ancient.
And oddly enough, it posed a timely question:
If people still move like this for music, why do we question the relevance of physical events like trade shows?
More than a Meeting—It’s Meaning in Motion
Much has been written about the decline in trade show attendance. The numbers dip, the headlines follow. “Is the trade show dead?” they ask. The usual reasons surface: costs, travel, sustainability, digitisation. All valid. But perhaps we’ve forgotten the essence behind these events.
Because when Kamasi Washington lets his saxophone stretch a melody beyond time, and the crowd answers with bodies, not words—it becomes clear: people crave communion, not just content.
And that brings us back to a word that marketers love to use, but don’t often pause to explore.
Communicare: to Make Common
The root of the word communication comes from Latin: communicare—to share, to make common.
Not to inform.
Not to broadcast.
To share.
Live events—whether artistic or commercial—are moments where this ancient act takes place. They create shared meaning in real time. Not pre-recorded. Not streamed. Lived.
Kamasi Washington reminded the audience of this when he said: “Music allows us to connect with musicians who have already passed away.”
A beautiful notion. And perhaps also a prompt to think beyond the hackneyed metaphor of music as a universal language. It’s not just about language. It’s about presence across time. A shared experience that links the past with the present, the creator with the audience, the individual with the collective.
Trade Shows as Jazz Ensembles?
It might seem a stretch to compare a B2B trade show to a transcendent jazz performance. But the parallels are there. Like music, a well-designed event isn’t just about what’s presented—it’s about how it’s received, interpreted, and internalised.
In an exhibition hall, just like in Paradiso’s grand old space, people come together not merely to see but to sense.
To discover.
To share.
To move.
And that’s something no webinar or digital demo has quite managed to replicate.
The Silent Choreography of Belonging
We often speak of audiences and markets as abstract groups. But events remind us that people aren’t demographics—they’re humans. They seek rhythm, relevance, and recognition. Whether it’s over a product innovation or a saxophone solo, what stays with them isn’t the pitch—it’s the pulse.
When the crowd moves as one, when strangers nod in silent agreement, when ideas are not just heard but felt—that’s when communication has truly happened.
So the next time someone asks whether trade shows still matter, point them to a concert hall. Or better yet, invite them to stand in the balcony and watch what happens when humans remember how to connect.
Because sometimes, the most powerful form of communication isn’t spoken at all.
It’s shared.
Like music.
Like movement.
Like meaning made together.
