Making the decision to exhibit at an industry trade show is not an easy one. The costs are many, including staff time, travel expenses, booth furnishings, booth space, marketing, giveaways, etc. But they are still one of the best ways to begin a relationship with new prospects and solidify relationships with existing or previous customers. So, if you make the decision to attend, make the decision to maximize your investment opportunity.
Here are some tips to help you maximize your impact:
1. Plan ahead – If you book your booth
early you will be able to choose the best location and use the pre-show time
for pre-marketing activities. There are often early registration discounts as
well.
2. Pre-marketing – Once you have
registered, develop a marketing schedule that begins prior to the show.
a. Add
it to your web site
b. Get
the pre-attendee list and send early invitation post cards or emails.
c. Touch
base with leads you have met at that show in the past and schedule appointments
to meet with them again and show them your latest products or services.
d. Create
buzz – trade shows are a great place to launch new products, or preview exciting
things to come. Use social media during the last couple weeks prior to the
event to continue the buzz, and announce new products and in-show giveaway
opportunities.
e. Maximize
your opportunity – enter for awards, take advantage of opportunities to write white
papers or articles pre-show that talk about your message, and apply to sit in
on panels that relate to your product or service. Consider sponsorship
opportunities carefully to strategically coordinate with all of your other
plans and increase your investment return.
3. Develop a great booth atmosphere – no matter
the size of your booth, you can create an atmosphere that is inviting and
exciting enough for people to visit you.
a. For
smaller booths, use popup banners to create a story and invite people into your
booth. For larger booths decide whether purchasing your own display system or
renting and having a booth rental company take care of the shipping, setup, and
tear down makes more sense.
b. Really
think about the message you need to convey, who is your target market for this
specific event, and how best to grab their attention amidst all the other
booths and activities that are taking place in their world during the
conference.
c. Use
promotional items and other giveaways strategically – don’t just throw some
pens on the table; think about items that will best convey your message and won’t
end up in the circular file.
d. Plan
your booth layout to be inviting – you need attendees to want to stop and talk
to you, not just walk by.
4. Maximize your time on-site – You’ve set the stage, now you must
follow through.
a. Choose
the best exhibit staff – much better to have someone knowledgeable and engaging
in your booth than someone who just wants to sit there and watch people walk by
and maybe pick up a piece of literature. (We could write a whole article on
this topic alone.)
i. Have
booth staff stand whenever clients and potential clients are in the area.
ii. Don’t
eat in your booth.
iii. Always
have someone staffing your booth; you never know when the next big client will
decide to leave a workshop early to quietly peruse the exhibit hall. For smaller
booths with less staff, if you must leave your booth empty, think strategically
about how you can still offer information or an invitation to come back. For
example, leave a sign to tell folks you had to step away to join a panel
discussion about xyz – invite them to come to Conference Room B to join in the
discussion or meet you back at your booth at 1:00 to hear more about how they can
put this into practice in their organization. Be sure to leave your business
cards so they can contact you for more information if they can’t make it back to
the hall.
b. Solidify
your brand every step of the way – think strategically about staff uniforms,
lanyards, giveaways, messaging, the picture your booth portrays, and customer
service with every interaction. In many cases this will be a potential client’s
first impression; make it last!
c. Think
of creative and innovative ways that mean something to attendees to get them to
give you their business card or contact information. For large shows, use lead
retrieval systems available through the conference. Offer to send a free
publication that is coming out soon or to add them to a future drawing
opportunity. Use social media to your advantage – “like us on Facebook or follow
us on Twitter to be entered to win.”
d. Take
advantage of every opportunity to meet with existing customers while you are in
the same location. Schedule breakfast and dinner meetings, meet for a drink, or
meet in the airport before a flight. Take advantage of your travel dollars and
use them wisely. Schedule appointments with others who may not be attending the
show while you are in the local area.
5. Follow it through – You’ve done all
this work leading up to and during the show and you’re exhausted. But your job
has only just begun! You must take every advantage to follow up with everyone
you connected with during the event. Don’t forget those who attended your
workshop and those you met with outside the booth, even for a casual
conversation. Use multiple opportunities to touch base and stay in touch.
a. Send
a hand written note within a week of the event.
b. Connect
on social media and schedule several follow up postings after the event.
c. Send
a follow up email.
d. Schedule
face to face meetings, one-on-one webinars, and/or phone calls with the highest
prospects.
e. Don’t
forget to do everything you said you would.
The bottom line is that conference or trade show exhibit
opportunities are a big and expensive endeavor. They must be considered as part
of your overall strategic plan for marketing and that strategy must be carried
through every step of the way. Done right with every opportunity maximized,
these occasions can offer an excellent return on your investment.
Do you ever attend trade shows? What are some things that
have worked well for you?
___Kerry Brooks is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff.
