What trade show events are the "best fit" for you?

February 19, 2015

So you have been exhibiting for a while or just started - the investment is big - so you want to make sure you are attending the right trade show events.  According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, closing a lead generated from a trade show costs 62% less than a field-originated lead. This is a GREAT deal as long as you get in gear and plan for your next trade show opportunity properly!   Trade shows, conventions, other exhibitions give you a unique opportunity to generate new leads, find new suppliers, check out what the competition is doing, network and other great advantages you wouldn’t get elsewhere.  But, if you want to effectively accomplish all these things without wasting your time, you must plan carefully.

Finding-the-right-trade-show-eventTradeshow planning means choosing the show with the best ‘fit’ for your organization, setting clear objectives and goals, creating an effective trade show booth, with the right promotional giveaways, and having the change to promote your presence, through social media, e-mail marketing, networking, the list of marketing channels goes on.  How do you get this done before the show, with all of the planning that goes into your trade show booth and presence AT the show?  Here are a few tips to get you started with effective tradeshow planning.

Select a show with the right target audience for you

There are too many trade shows for you to be at and stay within your marketing budget.  Literally, there are thousands.  Start at one.  Pick the show that you think will reap you the greatest reward for your investment.  Just start with one, and then grow from there.

How should you tackle the daunting task of picking a show?  Select one that fits that meets your target markets needs for your product or service.  With thousands of trade shows held annually, picking the one that will net you the greatest benefit for your investment of time and money can be daunting.

Investigate your exhibit floor size requirements
Bigger isn’t always better.  Especially if that means that you are going to be the little fish in the big pond.  And if you get to the show and the mass of people who are there aren’t even your prospective customers for your product or service, you are wasting not only your time, but your money.

If it is possible, look at the previous years’ statistics of the show to help you decide whether your customer profile fits the attendees who go to the tradeshow and what you need to close to make this a profitable deal for your company.  

Understand the show statistics and benefits
Look for anything you can find about the show.  Sometimes, even an image will come up that can tell you a lot about the demographics and the energy at the show.  We did a search for a craft show that one of our clients exhibits at, and because this audience is so social, we found a blogger that produced video within our client’s tradeshow booth wall and was tweeting live from the show.  We never would have found out about this valuable content without a quick, simple and FREE Google search for the tradeshow.

Check out the show
There is no better way to evaluate a product than trying it on for size.  Seeing the show from the viewpoint of your potential booth attendees will give you a good idea if this show is a good fit for you.  Is the audience made up of people who you think would buy your product or service?  Does the show have good energy?  Are people alert and walking the show floor?  Talk to people at the tradeshow and keep your eyes and ears open.  Keep a notepad so you don’t forget anything you might have seen.

Location, location, location
So you think you’ve found a tradeshow that is a great fit, but have you considered if the tradeshow is in the right geographic location to attract the customers you want?  Do you do business on a local, regional, national or global scale?  These are important to consider if you are selecting a tradeshow, because if you are in the wrong spot, the people you are trying to attract might not be a good fit, after all.

Set Clear Objectives
Consider what your purpose is at a tradeshow – why do you have to be there?  To make sure you get the most out of the money, time and energy that you invest in exhibiting at a tradeshow, set goals that you can measure.  Think of everything you do prior to, during and after the show to evaluate whether being there actually contributes towards your reaching these goals.

So now that you have decided - how do you propose this to management?
Here are some reasons for exhibiting at tradeshows.  Pick as many as you like, but be able to quantify them somehow to determine if you’ve reached them what the benefits to your company will be:

  • Sale Orders
  • Understanding your competition more
  • Lead generation to build your database
  • Finding alternative suppliers
  • Meet with current customers and nurture relationships
  • Publicity
  • Announcement of anything NEW
  • Increase company’s visibility

You will have a much better chance of being successful at your next trade show by taking the time to do all your homework and plan.  So get those tradeshow goals in order and select the right show for your company - and close those deals.

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