Trade Show Planning

Exhibiting at trade shows, expos, conventions, fairs and other exhibitions gives you a unique sales opportunity that can also help you generate new leads, find suppliers, check out the competition, do some networking, and get publicity. In short, you can achieve at one trade show what it would take you weeks or months to do if you stayed home. And it may even save you money - according to the Center for Exhibit Industry Research, it costs 62% less to close a lead generated from a trade show than one originated in the field. But to accomplish all of the above you must plan carefully. That means choosing the correct show, setting clear objectives, creating an effective exhibition, and promoting your presence. All this, before you even get to the show! Click on the subjects below to learn more about getting the most out of your trade show experience. Choosing the Correct Show Setting Clear Objectives Creating an Effective Exhibit Promoting Your Presence Planning Your Follow-up Strategy

Choosing the Correct Show With more than 10,000 trade shows held in the United States annually, picking the one that will net you the greatest benefit for your investment of time and money can be daunting. Begin your search by looking for trade shows that fit your product or service. You can find these out by looking in directories such as "The Tradeshow & Convention Guide" (BPI Communications) and "The Tradeshow Week Data Book" (Reed Reference), both of which list trade shows across the U.S., as well as various show data. On the Web, you can try one of the trade show search sites such as Trade Show News Network. Trade Show Central Trade Show News Network Another resource for finding out about shows is your industry's trade association, since many shows and conventions are sponsored by industry groups. Your local Chamber of Commerce or Convention Bureau may also be able to help you find out about smaller local shows. Here are some additional tips to help you make the right choice: Don't just choose by the numbers Big trade show crowds can actually be a waste of time if they don't include people who are buyers or prospective customers for your product or service. Look closely at statistics of past years’ shows to help you evaluate whether attendees fit your customer profile. The show manager should be able to provide you with this data. Ask your customers for help Talk to your customers to find out what trade shows they attend, since shows that meet their needs will likely be attended by other prospects. You can also speak with your competitors to find out what shows they've found most useful. Check it out ahead of time The best way to evaluate a show is to take a first-hand look. Before you sign up, go to the show as an attendee. Is the show active and exciting? Are the people walking the show floor potential customers? Who are the other exhibitors and where would your product/service fit in the mix? Talk to people and keep your eyes open. Evaluate it carefully Once you've got a list of show possibilities, ask these questions to determine if the show is the right one for your purposes: Is it big enough to draw a cross-section of prospects and vendors - but not so large that you'll be competing against the giants in your industry? Is it in the right place, geographically, to attract your customers - whether they are local, regional, national, or global? Is it scheduled at a time when you can service the new business you’ll attract and follow up on leads? Are the show's promoters reliable and does the management have a proven track record of success? Don't wait until the last minute Some popular shows fill up fast. If you wait too long, you could find yourself on a waiting list. Plus, the earlier you sign up for a show, the more choices you'll have regarding finding a good location for your booth.

Setting Clear Objectives To get the most out of the time, money and energy you invest in exhibiting at a trade show, it's vital that you decide what your purpose is for being there and set measurable goals. Everything you do before, during, and after the show should be evaluated in terms of whether it contributes toward reaching these goals. Possible goals for trade shows Here are some reasons businesses exhibit at trade shows. Your goals may include several of these, or others that are important to your small business: write sales orders research the competition spot trends generate leads for future sales build your mailing list with quality names find better or cheaper suppliers build rapport with current customers get press generate excitement around a new product increase company's visibility within the industry Be sure to staff your booth adequately and smartly You can't do it alone. No matter what your goal, you will need at least one person to "spot" you when you leave the booth to take a break or to check out the competition. A good rule of thumb is to have two staffers for every 100 square feet of exhibit space. Your staff should be well-groomed, well-trained, friendly and knowledgeable. They should understand your goals and know their role in reaching them. If you don't have employees on the payroll, hire relatives, friends, or part-timers. Focus your message Pick just two or three key ideas that you want to get across at the show and train yourself and your staff to "stay on message". Design your graphics, pre-show promotion, literature and show directory advertising around your message. Create a budget Once you know which show you're going to and what your goals are, draw up a budget. Without a budget, costs can quickly spiral out of control (last-minute impulse purchases to jazz up your booth, for example) and defeat your best laid plans. One rule of thumb is that your space costs should represent about a quarter of your total budget. So when you know what you'll be paying for space rental, multiply by four for a rough idea of your expenses, excluding personnel costs.

Creating an Effective Exhibit Where your trade show booth is located and how your booth looks will have an impact on your trade show success. Use these tips to help you along. Shoot for a high-traffic location Be sure to look at a floor plan before you choose your site. Foot traffic is heaviest in certain areas of a typical trade show floor. Look for locations near entrances, food concessions, rest rooms, seminar rooms, or close to major exhibitors. Try to avoid dead-end aisles, loading docks, obstructing columns, or other low-traffic regions. Consider sharing a booth New exhibitors often get the least desirable locations. One way around that is to share a well-located booth with a colleague in a related business. Talk to your sales rep, or try to hook up with an established exhibitor whose products or services complement yours. Elate the senses Make sure people coming to your booth can experience your product or service. Let them touch, see, feel, hear or taste it. Are you selling decorative pillows? Display them in an appropriate setting and have samples that buyers can touch. Have you developed a new software package? Be sure to have multiple computer terminals available for attendees to try the package. Keep it simple Don't go overboard with trade show booth graphics. One large picture that can be seen from afar may have a greater impact than many small ones. A single catchy slogan that describes your business may say more than long blocks of text. Gimmicks work Gimmicks and give-aways can also drive traffic to your booth. Hold a contest; have a loud product demo; give away pieces of candy; hire a masseuse and offer free back rubs. Just make sure that the gimmick fits your company's image and the sensibilities of your clients.

Promoting Your Presence Remember that the best trade show planning will fail if nobody knows you're there. The CEIR estimates that as many as three-quarters of show attendees know what exhibits they want to see before they get to the show. Strong pre-show promotion will let your customers and prospects know about your exhibit. These tips will help. Work the phones A month to 6 weeks before the show, start calling your top customers and prospects to set up meetings. Many people arrive at a show with a firm schedule and have little or no time for other booths, so it's important to get on that schedule as early as you can. Be sure to confirm all phone meetings a week or so before the show. Send out mailings The show's management will often let you purchase a mailing list of pre-registered attendees. Try a simple pre-show mailing focusing on one or two benefits of dropping by your booth. Be sure to include show contact information, including your booth number. Use the press Issue press releases to trade publications and local papers that will be covering the show. Your release should highlight something newsworthy about your exhibit - a new product introduction or a special demonstration, for example. You'll also want to prepare plenty of press kits for the show, and be sure to drop them by the press room so reporters can find them. Look out for show publications Advertising in publications that are distributed only at the show can be expensive and ineffective. These publications often have a narrow focus, and they get lost in the blizzard of paper that rains upon trade show attendees.

Planning Your Follow-up Strategy The time to plan your follow-up strategy is before the show begins. That way, you can reach prospects with your follow-up message while the show is still fresh in their minds. Here are some things you should know about follow-up. Make follow-up a priority According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, 80% of show leads aren't followed up. Make following up on leads your number one priority after a show, taking precedence over just about everything else - including catching up on what you missed while you were out of the office. Write your follow-up mailer before the show Your post-show mailing can be as simple as a thank-you note or a brochure with a cover note. Write it and have it printed out before you leave for the show, so you can send the mailing immediately upon your return. Qualify leads during the show Rank your leads by level of importance and interest, and base your post-show efforts on these priorities. Phone your hottest prospects within a week after the show ends - the longer you let them sit, the staler they'll become. Send everyone else some kind of follow-up mailing. Keep your promises Be sure that you keep any promises you made at your booth. Have enough brochures and product sheets on hand before the show so you can send out requested information promptly.

How you think about trade shows

Got An Attitude? About Trade Shows? How You Think About Them - Shows - 5 Simple Q&A
By Julia O'Connor

Got an attitude about trade show? Love ‘em, hate ‘em or tolerate ‘em, the way you think about trade shows – shows. In your demeanor, vocabulary, conversational tone – your general attitude. These are five important Q&A about attitude and training from clients like you.

1. Our Sales and Customer Service training center gives us sessions on how to sell and follow-up. What's so different about trade shows?

Trade shows are a completely different environment. The time is compressed, the expectations are high (sometimes too high), you're constantly on stage meeting strangers and when you get back to the hotel room or the office, you have to follow-up leads as well as do your regular work. The more you know about this unique marketing opportunity, the more comfortable and successful you will be.

2. We're just going to a show to walk the aisles. Why do we need training?

Are you a good spy? What are you looking for? Do you know trade shows are the best source of market intelligence about your industry, new products, new processes, new suppliers, new partners, new reps, new employees and new competitors? Training can help you be more aware of your surroundings, focus on your targets and be open to new opportunities.

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3. Personally, I think trade shows are a boring, insufferable waste of my time when I could be doing some real selling. I'll bet training can't change my attitude!

You're right! So, stay home. Actually, you're probably an exceptional sales professional who hates the lack of control you feel at a show. TSTi has identified the five reasons you're uncomfortable, can help you prepare for shows and at least get you to grit your teeth, smile and produce for three days.

4. We usually just send one person and he always complains about how tired he is. What can training do for us?

Trade shows are hard work, but he's your responsibility. Get him in shape. Send a younger person. Get him some relief via a temp service - or ask a local client, rep, retiree or supplier to help staff the booth. If he's tired and shows it, he's pulling down the image of your entire company. Change it!

5. We really go to shows just to see old clients and keep up those relationships. What's training going to do for us?

While it's nice to be part of the old gang and keep up with personal and industry gossip, trade shows may be an expensive way to do it. Training will help you find new "old clients," look for relationships with new suppliers and, at a minimum, make you less insulated in your approach.

Julia O'Connor - Speaker, Author, Consultant - writes about practical aspects of trade shows. As president of Trade Show Training, inc, now celebrating its 10th year, she works with companies in a variety of industries to improve their bottom line and marketing opportunities at trade shows.

Julia is an expert in the psychology of the trade show environment and uses this expertise in sales training and management seminars. Contact her at 804-355-7800 or check the site http://www.TradeShowTraining.com

Corporate Branding and Trade Shows

8 Tips for Trade Show Staff
By Julia O'Connor

Trade shows are part of the marketing mix and the appearance by your firm should be a continuum of your entire marketing including advertising, public relations and events.

While you may introduce a new product or showcase a service, many firms make mistakes by not connecting the overall corporate branding with the show. How can an exhibit staff person be up to speed on what the company is doing?

1. Make sure you have information about the trade show exhibit – what is in it, why it is there – before the show. Not the day before but as soon as you get your assignment. The exhibit manager has the responsibility to make sure the exhibit is on time and looks great - among many other duties. The marketing team decides the theme, products highlighted and rationale.

2. Read your company and division web sites. Sure, there are lots of pages but there are hidden nuggets in there that you may have forgotten or may be new to you. Here’s what you may not know – attendees who are serious about meeting with you – well, they will check your web site. Best to be as informed as your prospective clients are.

3. Read all the promotional materials that you will hand out. If an attendee has a question while at the booth, your answer will not be – DUH?

4. Know what is in all the demonstrations. Are there cues to expand on the demo? Clues as to how to lead a conversation? Listen carefully and make your life easier.

5. Read advertising in your trade publications. What does your firm promote versus your competitors? Can you explain the differences?

6. While reading the trades, look for articles and releases about your company. Check your online press release section or ask the PR department about releases sent before the show.

7. Understand the role of your firm if a sponsor of an event.

8. Ask. Ask. Ask until you get answers that satisfy you. Your goal is to make you the best representative for the company you can be.

Having an understanding of the broad marketing aspects before the show makes your firm well branded at event.

Julia O'Connor - Speaker, Author, Consultant - writes about practical aspects of trade shows. As president of Trade Show Training, inc,, now celebrating its 11th year, she works with companies in a variety of industries to improve their bottom line and marketing opportunities at trade shows.

Julia is an expert in the psychology of the trade show environment and uses this expertise in sales training and management seminars. Contact her at 804-355-7800 or check the site http://www.TradeShowTraining.com