Closed Loop Selling through Trade Shows

Trade shows and other kinds of industry events present superb PR and marketing opportunities. In addition to meeting prospects and potential partners, trade shows offer ideal venues for meeting reporters and editors. The shows are perfect for major news announcements and new product rollouts or product upgrades. The trade show itself also promotes announcements by exhibitors.

Goals & Metrics

The first step is to agree on your team’s goals and objectives and define the benchmarks. You might compare show-to-show or shows vs. direct mail vs. Facebook. The goals you select are instrumental in choosing the metrics. For instance, if your object is to sway opinions, the goal may be percent change in perception.

Choose a measurement tool. A clicker to count people visiting the booth may be simplest tool. Count the average number of people in the booth at the top of the hour, advises Katie Paine, CEO of Paine Publishing in her Trade Show & Event Measurement Checklist.  Repeat at random times throughout the day and take the average. Other tools include surveys that measure the change in perceptions, sales tracking tools in customer relationship management systems (CRMs).

Tracking badge scans provides another level of booth visitor measurement. In entering badge scans in the company’s customer relationship management database, make sure to identify the individual as a trade show contact.

Monitoring Solutions

Media monitoring services offer an effective way to gauge the effectiveness of PR emanating from trade shows and industry events. Social media monitoring reveals what people say about your event, before, during and afterwards. Monitoring during the event may guide changes in messaging during the remainder of the show.

Make sure you begin measurement as soon as you release marketing materials, Paine recommends. Note the medium, the data, the author and if possible the source. Was it from a speaker, an attendee or a competitor?

“Don’t just compare events, look at the big picture,” Paine advises. “Are events the most efficient way to get your message across, or to get new leads? Compare online virtual events to IRL (In Real Life) events.”

“Don’t forget to factor in the costs of attending,” she adds. “Travel budgets are severely restricted these days and a small change in the price of a ticket can make a big difference.”

Major Trade Show Metrics

Marketing and trade show experts suggest tracking metrics to measure the value of attending trade shows.

Media mentions. Note product mentions, if key messages were reported, if competitors were also mentioned and the message’s positioning, visibility and prominence.

Social media reach. Social media reach is a vanity metric which on its own gives no useful insights. Used in conjunction with other social media metrics like social media engagement, acquisition and conversion, however, media reach will give you an idea whether participating in a trade show was worth your time and money, says Stephanie Campanella of Tradies Get Online. “Use social media monitoring tools to track different social media metrics,” she advises.

Website traffic. Compare the difference in website visitors before and after the trade show, including changes to both direct and organic traffic, and calculate the percentage change. There should be an increase if the trade show was successful. Some companies create a landing page dedicated to the trade show to segregate and track visitors.

New leads. If your goal is to expand your database of leads that you can then nurture with lead management techniques, make sure to measure the number of new leads generated through trade show marketing, urges Rachel Sprung, events coordinator in the marketing department at HubSpot. Your marketing software with analytics tools should allow you to identify which of the submissions are new to your database.

Revenue

Attributing revenue to trade shows is difficult since sales staff usually don’t close deals until months later – and because prospects at trade shows often have had previous contact with the company.

However, marketers can reach a reasonably accurate estimate based on the following internal assumptions, explains Ed Jones, retired president of Constellation Communication Corp., a consulting firm specializing in event ROI, in Exhibitor Magazine.

Number of hot leads. Identify the number of prospects who commit to a specific sales-related step as the result of the trade show.

Close rate. Ask your sales department for your company’s average percentage of closed sales per hundred sales calls.

Average value of sale or contract. If you promote multiple product lines, develop a weighted average based on the level of interest for each product at the show and its price.

Use this equation to calculate estimated revenue: Number of hot leads X close rate X average value of sale of contract = estimated revenue.

Bottom Line: While trade shows often provide considerable marketing and PR benefits, they can be costly. Measuring the results of trade show marketing is needed to validate those costs, identify the best events to attend, and find the most successful marketing strategies. Monitoring traditional and social media can reveal comments about your organization before and after the trade show, providing valuable information on the event’s effectiveness.

Trade show planning has come a long way from the classic information booth. Handing out your generic pens and flash drives just doesn’t resonate in today’s diverse markets, and doesn’t help you create new business relationships in any meaningful way. When done right, however, creative trade show exhibiting can be huge for your business. It’s a prime opportunity to engage new clients with your brand and generate some of the highest-quality leads. The exposure that you get at these events can directly lead to increased sales.

Savvy marketers are use their trade show exhibits as a part of complex, integrated marketing campaigns–and they’re yielding great results! If you’ve been thinking of getting creative with your trade show exhibition concept, these 5 exhibitors will surely get some of your wheels cranking.

Here are 5 of the most creative trade show exhibits, and the marketing campaigns that supported their success:

1. Promega Corp’s Coffee-Themed Campaign

Despite a thriving market in 2015, biotechnology company Promega Corp was finding it difficult to land good returns on exhibit marketing. This led them to take a new approach for the 2015 European Society for Human Genetics conference.

They started with identifying and understanding their target market. They knew going into it that biotechnology scientists didn’t want to merely be sold to. Although sales were the ultimate goal, Promega’s exhibitor team knew that they needed to do more than present their brand–they needed to engage with their attendants in conversation. What better way to do this than over a cup of coffee?

Promega began their plan of attack prior to the event with email blasts priming guests to take part in an interactive cafe environment. At the conference registration, the show bags included coffee cup-shaped Promega flyers that offered each guest the chance to win a coffee mug. At Promega’s mini coffee shop exhibit, exhibitor “baristas” wore Promega branded aprons and offered their guests coffee. Their creative and warm approach allowed them to casually discuss attendees’ business problems over a cup of coffee. This led to doubled booth traffic from the previous year, and increased their quality leads by 400%.

2. Steelhead Productions “Play” Exhibit

Steelhead Productions’ innovative exhibition captivated the whole crowd at EXHIBITOR2104. Their approach? A vintage carnival theme, complete with a ring toss, pop-corn machine, and fortune-teller machine–all of the carnival essentials.

Steelhead introduced the carnival to their attendees in several pre-show mailers, one of which included tickets for the exhibit’s ringtoss game and fortuneteller machine. For industry VIPs and press staff, the company also sent a gift bag containing peculiar branded items like lunch bags, sunglasses, yo-yos and lollipops.

Aside from resulting in an Eddie award-winning booth, Steelhead’s Play exhibit led to a 229% increase in leads from the previous year, in addition to a 48% increase in booth traffic. The company left the show with a whopping 88 qualified leads, and it ultimately led to $1 million worth of business in the following months. Saying this was a success would be an understatement!

3. Grand Hall USA’s Rock Band Display

The small manufacturer Grand Hall USA took a hardcore approach in order to stand out amidst its giant competitors. Their 2013 exhibit at the International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition featured a rock-n-roll theme crafted to appeal to their predominantly male, blue collar contractor demographic. Grand Hall used music, music videos, and animated clips to educate their new leads about how revolutionary their product actually was. The team collaborated with Texas-based rock-n-roll band The Walton Stout Band to create rock tracks that explained their complex External Hybrid systems in a catchy way. The exhibit, named the Hybrid Hysteria Tour, was complete with a stage setup, concert t-shirts, and VIP passes. 

To build up anticipation for their exhibit before IACHRE, Grand Hall send out mailer teasers that drove people to a microsite, where they were automatically entered into a drawing. One of the dozens of attendees who entered each day of the exposition was chosen to crush a guitar right there in the exhibit!

In the end, Grand Hall increased their leads by 85% from the previous year, obtaining 409 in total. Additionally, they received a 47% increase in media mentions with the buzz surrounding the campaign. Staffers continued to get questions about the t-shirts, and the exposition’s attendees could be seen wearing the shirts even months after the show was over. This example was a true testament to the lasting effects of a strong idea and a simple execution.

4. Derse Inc.’s Comfort Suites

Quite the opposite of a simple execution, marketing agency Derse Inc. used an extravagant display to encourage attendees to try something new. Their “Step Outside Your Comfort Zone” exhibit at EXHIBITOR2011 was complete with a tower-topping amusement ride.

The exhibit itself was created to sharply contrast the comfortable with the uncomfortable, thrilling, and, for some, scream-inducing. Derse employees wearing plain white shirts, khakis, and converse welcomed attendees into an exhibit that appeared very cozy. Silk string hung from the ceiling, sofa-sized bean bag chairs invited guests to take a seat, and the scent of chocolate chip cookies filled the air.

Attendees got to sit and converse comfortably before they were led (with glow sticks) to venture ‘outside of the comfort zone.’ Outside of the comfort zone, staffers wore darker-colored tones like black and grey. They invited attendees to sit on benches comprised of screws and fed them wild hibiscus flowers.

At the end of the exhibition tour, each attendee was invited to Derse’s after-hours event, where they could continue to push their boundaries (bellydancing, anyone?). They were also offered a ticket to ride an amusement ride, Insanity, which dangled the riders from atop Las Vegas’ Stratosphere Tower.

The whole campaign led the company to a 19% increase in leads from the previous year, and approximately $750,000 in revenue. The creative execution paid off all around.

5. Xirrus, Inc.’s Boxing Theme

How does a small company stand up to its giant competitors? Fight for the audience’s attention of course! Wifi network provider Xirrus, Inc. took this quite literally at Interop Las Vegas 2009, an annual show in Information Technology. Xirrus wanted to let convention attendees know that their device could deliver more bandwidth and coverage than its competitors, while requiring fewer devices, a shorter installation time, and less cabling. Since they were generally unknown in the market at the time, they set up a round of boxing matches that they knew would capture the crowds.

Their boxing match was complete with an announcer, a professional referee, and, of course, a ring girl to announce the rounds. Xirrus hired boxers from the Richard Steele Boxing Agency to compete in real intense boxing matches, with the exhibition attendees choosing the winners based on their applause.

The results for Xirrus were obvious, both immediately and in the months following Interop. The company’s booth traffic from the previous year had quadrupled–the boxing ring drew in approximately 3,000 attendees, and the booth scanned more badges than any of the competitors at the convention.  In the months following, the show generated $1 million in related sales.

Injecting a bit of creativity into your exhibit’s campaign is vital if you want to create valuable leads at your next tradeshow. All it takes is a bit of planning ahead–come up with a solid concept, get to work, and make sure you implement the marketing to support it. Happy exhibiting!

Once you’ve secured a spot at a local or international trade show, it is go big or go home. And you’re likely busy brainstorming creative ideas to stand out from the crowd.

Of course, you can leverage tech and consider which trade show apps to organize schedules, hotel arrangements, inventory, staffing, and more all in one central location hosted on a cloud server or even rent the best floor displays, pop up booths, and table top displays.

This is just the tip of the iceberg toward ensuring success at your next trade show. Here are 10 more ways to make sure buyers remember your exhibit, secure leads and position your team to close more sales.

 

1. Select your best verticals

Real estate agents know it’s all about location, location, location. So, keep this in mind when you map out your trade show marketing plans. You know how crucial it is to your business to focus on the niche in your market. In fact, that’s marketing 101: the more tailored your products to a vertical market, the more leads you’ll earn. And that’s one step closer to securing a sale.

 

2. Go against the grain

There’s no way to be creative without going against the grain. Creativity is what draws people in. Presenting the world in a new light and offering endless possibilities. Be new! Be exciting! To heck with “by the book” booth and vendor tactics. Have the guts to create a visually stunning experience! Why not? This is your chance to inspire, wow and awe.

 

3. Make it a game of things

Keep the day light and easy. Keep it fun. Entertain and amuse. Three “prize” games you can add to your exhibit include the Money-Blowing Machine (exactly what it sounds like), a customized Prize Wheel, and attention grabbing promotional items that are well outside the box.

Coined by legendary direct marketer and copywriting genius, Gary Halbert, grabbers or “items that grab attention” are tried and true tactics. When Halbert, the “Prince of Print” ran his mail promotions, he’d attach dollar bills to the tops of his sales letters. This dollar represented what the letter was about: making money.

Nowadays that shtick has run the gamut, and is worn-out and done to death. So, what new, exciting grabbers can you come up with? Go nuts here!

 

4. Don’t forget “WIIFM?”

This is the hard fact (and if you don’t know it by now, today is a good time to learn): Nobody cares about your business — until you make them! Simply showing up isn’t enough.

You’ve got to be fearless when it comes to generating leads and closing sales. When you design your exhibit, focus on answering the question “Why should people care about us?”

What do you bring to the table? How does your business help people’s problems? What do your products offer? This is less about solving your niche’s problems, and more about re-evaluating the reason you created your business in the first place.

Then splattering that message all over your customers’ faces. Remind them why they should go with you, instead of competitors. This is the core value behind marketing, remember? You owe it to your customers and prospects to solve their problems and make life easier.

Forsaking that in the name of being overly entertaining for the sake of amusement is sacrilegious. And bad for sales. Don’t believe me? Watch.

 

5. Deliver P.T. Barnum showmanship

That said, entertainment draws. “Exciting” awakens. P.T. Barnum, the “Shakespeare of Advertising,” was known for his crazy antics and public deception. He had a museum and, to draw in a crowd, he paid a man to lay bricks in a circle outside his museum. The man would lay down a line of bricks, pick them up, and lay them in another line.

Believe it or not, this drew an audience! To the point local police had to shut down the event. The brick-laying goon was blocking traffic. Naturally (since human behavior can be typed down to a science) people in the crowd wanted more. And they went into Barnum’s museum. Mission success? I think so.

 

6. Hire keynote speakers

Or, better yet, sponsor one! Hiring (or sponsoring) keynote speakers that are dominating the public arena will… (drum roll) ... Drive traffic to your exhibition! This is really a no-brainer, but it’s a good refresher to keep in mind when your creative ideas are running on fumes.

 

7. Go social media crazy

Develop a way to incorporate your official social networks before the show and during the event … Twitter, FB, LinkedIn, you know the deal. “Social media” is just a fancy phrase for staying in touch.

 

8. Charge up

Let me ask you this: Do you know how many people in the world have mobile phones?Six billion. Prospects at your booth who are out and about probably forgot their charger at home, in their hotel room, or simply don’t have it. For shame.

Listen: Standing out from the crowd is crucial. Having a charging station at your booth shows prospects and guests that you’re considerate and thoughtful. If they’re reallyserious about doing business with you, this hot tip will center you on the top of their minds.

 

9. Be human and get in the crowd

Listen: We’re people. Not statistics. You can’t learn what’s going on in the hearts and minds of your customers by sitting at your pumped-up booth. You’ve got to actually sell people by walking with them and talking with them. Maybe even eat with them! Crack a joke and laugh together. Maybe have a couple beers after the day’s done and it’s closing time.

It’s been said in advertising that door-to-door salespeople are better copywriters than “real” writers. This is true (and rightly so). Why? Because door-to-door salespeople experience human life first-hand. You can’t sell to people if you don’t understand what they’re looking for, what makes them buy and what problems they need to solve. It’s selling 101.

 

10. Post-evaluate

Same as with testing direct mail promotions, website testing analytics or doing A/B split tests for your lead gen forms, you’ve got to test your big day’s work after all is said and done.

Figure out what worked. What didn’t. What brought the most public interest? Why’d people spend time at your competitors? This is easy to overlook, especially when there’s so much to evaluate… but we’re out to make money here.

When money is on the line: cutting corners is unacceptable. You’ve gotta be mercilessly when it comes to analysis. In the world of marketing, the only thing that matters is results.

At a very crowded trade show you are aiming to be like a unicorn carrying cocktails:

All eyes are on you and everyone wants to be your friend. Like the unicorn, you can aim to look good and provide something very welcome, but it’s more than that. In essence, being a unicorn is about being something different, novel and attention-grabbing in a room full of horses.

So how do you become a unicorn?

A sure-fire way to get attention at a trade show is to do a bit of guerrilla marketing. guerrilla marketing works because it’s a cheap and fun way to draw attention to your brand. However, while guerrilla marketing seems simple, it’s success depends on ensuring that you choose the right activity in the right context. So what are some tips to make sure your company is the shiniest unicorn at the trade show? Below we have 3 great ideas to make sure your guerrilla marketing activity makes a splash.

1. Be organised

Logistics are the lynchpin on which a successful guerrilla marketing campaign hangs. Inc. recommends doing a bit of reconnaissance before the show. Find out the layout of the show , but also where is it in proximity to:

• Transport
• Parks
• Recreation
• Bars
• Hotels

What opportunities will you have to connect with people? Where will the attendees be going for their dinner? To mingle? You’re not just confined to the small world of the exhibition. If you start thinking laterally, the whole world can be your billboard.

2. Be funny 

Everyone loves a laugh, it creates instant rapport, gets people talking and can give rise to a truly memorable experience. Remember, humour relies on context. What may be hilarious to your buddies, may be inappropriate in a professional context. If in doubt, err on the side of caution.

A great example of humour was Central Desk’s Collaboration Angel. This cloud-based company had a cigar-smoking bearded angel set-up to greet people at their booth.

Instantly amusing, simple and all it cost was a bit of dignity on the part of their winged hero.

3. Be intriguing

This is a fantastic tactic to employ especially if the trade show goes for over several days. Plus it’s a great way to prolong exposure to your brand if you can keep the idea going. A campaign that caused so much intrigue that it went viral, was the CES crop circles. Ahead of the Las Vegas tradeshow, a mysterious crop circle emerged in California causing alien conspiracy theories to run riot.

After weeks of speculation, Nvidia came out and and acknowledged that they were behind the stunt to showcase their new mobile processor, Tegra K1. Jen Hsun Huang, CEO of Nvidia stated that the daring tactic was the result of a challenge he had put to his team:

‘I told the [engineers] that Tegra K1 is impossibly advanced, it’s practically built by aliens. I want you guys to go out and launch this product, to put a marketing campaign behind it that rivals the technical contributions. I want you guys to go and do something that when we sit back will have global reach ... and you have zero budget.’

The ‘crop circle’ didn’t just garner the attention of the attendees of the trade show, it drew the attention  of thousands of people and media outlets attempting to decode the message (it was the number 192, designed 2 ways in braille, symbolising the tegra 192-core chip.)

The idea was bold, simple and brilliant. It also perfectly encapsulated the essence of the campaign’s slogan which was  ‘impossibly advanced.’

How to be a unicorn

You don’t need a lot of money to pull off an excellent piece of guerrilla marketing. What you do need is to be innovative, bold and original. You need to consider how the stunt will fit in with your brand and if the relationship to the product makes sense. Most of all you need to make sure that it will have attendees talking about your product long after the show has ended.

If you want to stand out from the crowd at your next industry trade show, start the process early and carry through after the show. By combining social media and traditional marketing techniques, you can make the most of your marketing budget for the event.

Before the show

• If your business doesn’t have a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ or YouTube account in addition to your company website, set them up to begin promoting the trade show.
• Create a landing page for the event on your company’s website.
• Join Facebook and LinkedIn interest groups related to your industry and start a conversation about the event’s agenda topics.
• Update sales collateral and have them printed in advance. Create electronic versions (pdfs) to send by email and social media.
• Consider shooting a brief video about your company or new offerings using a smartphone. Download it to YouTube for easy access.
• Update all social media and mailing lists and send a series of posts to promote the show.
• Interact on Twitter with those you’d like to meet at the show by re-tweeting interesting industry information.
• Add a landing page to your company’s website to highlight the event and enable customers to find show information.
• Obtain the official Twitter hashtag for the event and begin tweeting about the show well in advance.
• Create your own hashtag to facilitate contest entries or consolidate buzz on your products or services.
• Order enough business cards and include your LinkedIn and Facebook account addresses.

 During the show

• Post comments daily about the event on your social media feeds. Keep the tone upbeat, fun and lively.
• Take photos and post them in real time to social media and on your website’s trade show landing page.
• Create a short video (30-60 seconds) at the show and post it on YouTube and your company’s website.
• Use social media to draw a crowd to an event at your booth, such as a contest, celebrity appearance or special drawing.
• Instead of handing out printed material, place press materials and sales collateral on a flash drive for distribution.
• Collect business cards and Twitter addresses. Tweet after the show to thank visitors for coming to the booth and share news they may have missed.
• Keep track of questions asked by prospective customers and plan to incorporate the answers into future collateral.

After the show

• Update mailing and social media lists from the business cards collected at the event. Send a personal message thanking individuals for stopping by the booth and follow up on information requests.
• Use social media to research new leads and connect with them on LinkedIn and Facebook.
• Recap the trade show on social media and include photos for those who were not able to attend.
• Create a blog posting capturing the highlights of the show and new trends or information you learned while attending the event.
• From the list of questions that surfaced during the show, draft a trade journal article or blog post addressing those issues.

All companies that invest in exhibit marketing should have a good understanding of “Why” they are investing, “What” they hope to achieve, “Who” they need to get in front of to accomplish the goal(s) and “How” they need to interact with the target prospects once in a face-to-face environment.

However, too many organizations minimize the detailing of goals and leave the extensive potential value of investments they are already making on the trade show floor.  So whether you are quantifying and measuring to establish a formal ROI (Return on Investment), or simply want to enhance awareness of the many values trade shows offer your firm, below are five extra gifts from the world of exhibit and event marketing.

1. Your Senior Management has opportunities to initially meet or strengthen relationships with contacts at key accounts, whose only tie to your company may be their particular Sales representatives. Management (or owners) also have the benefit of witnessing their teams in action as well as spending quality and intense time with their teams in a compact amount of time.
2. Your company has an investment in its Brand. Unless you’re a start-up, the efforts to build and enhance a brand started long before consideration of what your exhibit would look like.  The brand is everything from your people, the logos on their shirts, the industry’s perception of your company and its products or services. A trade show amortizes the investment in your brand because it likely has the largest collection of potential customers in one place at one time.
3. What’s next for your company’s growth? Gather some research. Before you invest in tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars (or more) in product development, utilize the fact that the future buyers of a new product are already assembled at a trade show. Take the time to implement some informal research on their openness to acquiring the future product or their ideas on how you might improve it.
4. There are plenty of training opportunities at trade shows. The training can be on key benefits a manufacturer wants to convey to its distributors, or a professional services corporation that want to reinforce skilled training among a geographically dispersed sales force.  Training can be veteran staff working with newer staff in the booth, or can be taking advantage of classes, seminars, breakouts and speakers that are part of most trade shows.
5. Your competition is likely exhibiting at the same trade show you are. Check them out!  Get close to their products; notice the people they are meeting with. Are your competitors meeting with your customers or prospects, too? I’m not suggesting clandestine or sneaky approaches, but it doesn’t hurt to go shake a hand and meet the competition.  One of their better employees may be your next superstar!

There are many reasons to exhibit at a trade show. Take time to think about the benefit exhibiting has brought your company outside of what is listed above. Let us know what value you’ve found from trade show exhibiting in the comments below.

One goal, three letters: ROI. It’s one of the most important considerations when drawing a trade show strategy. But for so many, it’s also one of the hardest to measure.

However, there’s a solution. In fact, calculating the return on your trade show exhibit may be more straightforward than you imagined.

In just four steps, you could be on your way toward unveiling the true value of your exhibition. It’s information you can use to defend your trade show to key stakeholders, as well as data to inform your next showing.

Let’s dive in.

Step One: Define your goals.

Simply put, what is the goal of your trade show strategy?

Before setting up lead and conversion tracking for your exhibit, establish what you will be measuring. It could be one of several goals. But one thing it must be is measurable. If you can’t answer a clear “yes” or “no” to achieving your goal, it’s a no-go.

Here are some potential goals you could shoot for:

• Lead generation (e.g. I want to acquire 100 leads at the conference)
• Brand awareness (e.g. I want to increase brand awareness by 20%, and measure our success by the number of booth attendees and organic traffic online)
• Publicity (g. I want coverage from 5 or more news outlets and/or blogs)
• Sales closed (e.g. I want to generate $25,000 in sales over the show weekend)

 

Step Two: Track and label leads.

If you are defining success by the number of leads or post-show sales generated at an event, you’re going to need to keep track of and properly label these new contacts. And there are a few ways to accomplish that.

A custom trade show exhibit with digital lead capture is the best way to build this repository. If possible, either import newly acquired leads or sync them directly with your CRM.

Then, to accurately monitor if new sales are acquired from leads generated at a trade show, you will need to implement a naming convention. Give each new contact from the show a unique tag. This simple strategy will give you crystal clear insight into whether your trade show was successful in producing real, valuable leads.

Step Three: Calculate the lifetime value of your customers.

This step takes some time (and some existing data, too). But keep going – you’re almost there!

How much is your average trade show customer worth over their lifetime as a customer? And yes, the source of the lead matters here, as their value is often different depending on where it was acquired.

To calculate this number for a specific trade show, divide your total profit from a show by the number of leads tagged for that specific event. It’s that simple.

However, this process could take some time, especially if your business’s sales cycle is not instantaneous. If that’s the case, it might take a few months to determine the lifetime value of your customers for single trade show. But, in the end, you’ll have a much clearer picture of how much ROI your trade show efforts were worth.

Step Four: Keep measuring, and optimize accordingly.

As a marketer, optimization should be a word close to your heart. Now that you can better calculate the ROI of your trade show, it’s time to take that data and reach even higher.

Exhibiting at a trade show for a new company is a little like launching a new company’s website. How do you reach people that don’t know you’re there? Also like a website, exhibiting at a trade show is all about generating traffic, leads, and sales. Here are some tips for how to grow all three, even when you’re new.

1. Start early. The time to generate traffic is before the show, especially when you’re new and few attendees will be looking for you. Most events allow exhibitors to email to opt-in lists of attendees, either for free or for a fee. Even it if it costs some money to email attendees, it’s probably the best marketing investment you can make at a show. Reach out to people with a clear message about what you do and who it benefits, an invitation to your booth, and some preview of what they will find there.
2. Go small. Don’t expect to make a big splash at a show like CES unless you have a really big budget (most startups don’t). Not only will you be dwarfed by the other exhibitors, you’ll likely be stuck in a poor location because trade show space is allocated based on seniority. Pick an event that is narrowly targeted to your ideal customers, whether an industry, technology, or geographical location. If you make medical devices, for example, don’t start with large healthcare trade shows, where medical devices are a small subset of the industry.
3. Keep it short and sweet. Keep your message on your display direct and brief. Large, established companies can have more opaque messages, because most attendees already knows who they are. GE, for example, can say “Imagination at Work.” That doesn’t mean anything coming from an unknown company. “Cash for Gift Cards,” on the other and, tells any passer-by both what you do and the value you deliver.
4. Use your shirts. One low-cost way to generate some buzz and traffic is by having multiple employees at a show wearing company shirts that echo the booth message. It can give the impression that your company is “everywhere” at the show and generate traffic. You’ll find people enter your booth and mention “I’ve seen you all over the place.”
5. Use your booth wisely. Startups typically start with small booths, the 8 x 10 size. Depending on a show’s configuration, this can relegate you to a section of the show with rows of booths that look like a Turkish bazaar, full of hawkers trying to sell their wares. To stand out, offer some respite for the visitors. Instead of crowding your booth with literature and products, use furniture to create an inviting, more intimate vibe. This also communicates that your company can deliver the kind of personal experience large companies can’t.
6. Giveaway value. The best way to use giveaways is to use something that both qualifies and engages visitors–something related to your business and that your target audience would likely appreciate and that will draw them into your booth. Think outside the squeezy ball. A company that makes fishing equipment might giveaway branded fishing lures. The people who will want them are probably people who fish, right? The giveaway attracts the right audience and gives them something they might actually use. An alternative giveaway strategy is to give away things that will carry your brand around the show and even back to the office–a branded water bottle, for example. Avoid things that will be dropped into a bag and given to the attendee’s children.

Even in the age of all things digital, trade shows remain a powerful marketing channel. When an entire industry or business segment gathers in one place for a few days, it can also be a cost-effective, efficient channel. For startups, the challenge is getting found, and getting found by the right people. It’s not easy, but it can be done.

Tradeshows present all businesses with the opportunity to connect with clients, prospects and industry contacts in a contained and efficient environment. But before attending a tradeshow, it is vital to consider several key factors. Is this the right show for your business? How have you prepared for this show? If you attend, will you drive in the right kind of business? These questions and many more form the foundation for maximizing ROI (return on investment) during your next tradeshow or large-scale industry event.

To shed light on some of the methods and best practices employed by successful tradeshow exhibitors, high-impact visual and custom display supplier MVP Visuals looked to the experts in the field. When it comes to maximizing ROI, here’s what they had to say:

“Stop ignoring the audience; engage with attendees” — David Spark, founder of Spark Media Solutions.

While this facet of tradeshow management may seem simple and almost a little too obvious, Spark indicates that it is important to minimize looking at your phone, working at a computer, eating, or chatting with co-workers when at the booth. Since tradeshow attendees may feel naturally hesitant to start talking with you in the first place, work hard to remove any barriers that may position you as disinterested or unapproachable.

“Seek your targets and bring them to the booth” — Barry Moltz, owner of Getting Small Business Unstuck and AM560 radio talk show host

Do you know who your target client is? Are you completely aware of what they need and how your business can provide the appropriate solution for their problems? If so great. If not, you may want to partner with a market research firm to help you uncover your ideal patron and then execute on this information. Once at the show, seek out these opportunities and don’t wait for them to come to you.

“Come equipped with a simple, non-threatening agreement” — John Greathouse, partner at Rincon Venture Partners.

Few binding contracts are signed on the tradeshow floor, but a simple letter of intent (LOI) can help to convert prospects into customers. These agreements are generally non-binding and may include such benefits as special tradeshow prices for those willing to commit to a meeting. You can also create agreements that convert to binding contacts after a set period of time unless the client rescinds the offer within 30 or 60 days. The bottom line here is that positive ROI is much easier to attain when you weed out the tire kickers and find prospects who are willing to work with you.

“Measure and Track KPIs Appropriately” — Dan Scalco, founder and director of growth at Digitalux.

If you’re interested in maximizing ROI at a tradeshow, you have to understand the fundamental financial concepts related to the event. Scalco indicates that there are three main areas of focus that are critical when gearing up for the event: aligning the tradeshow strategy with the company’s vision, selecting the right show for the business and measuring KPIs properly. He goes on to recommend bringing in a third party market research firm to provide additional insights – preferably a firm that has tradeshow experience.

“Use back-end, nurture marketing” — Gary Hennerberg, leading US marketing consultant and author of Crack the Customer Mind Code.

The idea with back-end, nurture marketing – in a tradeshow context, is to increase the number of prospects that are eventually converted into customers. Obviously, conducting a tradeshow event will cost a considerable amount of working capital and doubling the number of conversions effectively cuts per customer acquisition costs in half.

Hennerberg states that, “Nurture marketing is more than just making phone calls. It’s using an automated program that deploys emails and will enable you to systematically send follow-up letters or postcards. Social media can also be part of an automated nurture marketing system, too. It takes multiple steps and sometimes months, to convert a lead you paid a lot of money to acquire at a trade show.”

Trade Show - Marketing or Sales? Marketers bemoan the fact that sales doesn’t follow up on leads & sales people grumble about quality of leads.

With the display, booth costs, travel, hotel, etc., trade shows can be a relatively expensive way to meet prospects. With this in mind, leads can be like gold. It is critical to capture every lead you can in order to make your trade show worth the investment.

Before you go to the show you want to decide:

A. Are you going for volume? The most leads. A great way to build up your mailing list.

Or...

B. Are you going to focus on capturing just the “right” prospects? Spending quality time. This is a great way to build relationships.

Infusionsoft is ideal for capturing trade show leads. It has some great intake methods so everyone you talk with can go right in to your cloud-based Client Relationship Management (CRM) system.

Capturing Volume at Trade ShowsPick a Prize

If the strategy is to capture volume, perhaps consider a drawing with a highly valued prize for your booth. Make sure to choose the prize wisely. You want the prize to match the desires of your target market.

Scan with Snap

If you are going for volume, you’ll need an efficient way to capture large numbers of leads. Ask for their business card and use the Snap App; it is free with Infusionsoft. It is like a business card scanner, except it uses your phone’s camera. You just take a picture of the card and it magically is entered automatically.

 

 

Have them fill out a little paper registration form to enter. Then Snap that. Snap can handle this because it does not use Optical Character Reader (OCR) technology... It is an actual person entering the info!

Text a Keyword

Another way to handle a high volume of registrations at a show is to have people text a keyword to a special phone number. Most people have their phone handy while attending an event. It gets rid of the excuse of 'I don't have a business card'.

To see this text registration in action, try this... text the keyword BLOG to 971-407-1900. Just for checking it out, we'll register you in a special drawing for an Amazon gift card. So try it now!

 

Engaging Quality Leads at Trade Shows

If you are shooting for quality over quantity, i.e. low volume capture, you can set up an intake form in Infusionsoft where you enter their info and some notes on the conversation. This way you can follow up on a personal basis.

You may even wish to schedule appointments right at the show to make sure you have the continuity. Send out gifts or photos of you at the show so they remember you.

It’s a scenario far too many exhibitors are familiar with: you’re at the trade show, your trade show display is up and running, you go to reach for something, only to realize that you’ve forgotten it. With all of the planning that goes into trade show marketing it can be difficult to remember all of your exhibit essentials. Avoid the possibility of any future trade show blunders with a well-stocked emergency exhibiting kit that covers all scenarios. Below is a list of some must-have items in your trade show emergency kit.

Office Supplies

image: http://cdn2.business2community.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/office.jpg.jpg

This may seem obvious, but pens, business cards and other office supplies are very popular at trade shows simply because everyone uses these items on a daily basis, especially when marketing at a trade show. Some useful office supplies to have nearby are:

• Business cards: Pass these out to attendees to promote your brand and yourself
• Pens/pencils/markers/Sharpies: Bring plenty for your staff
• Staplers/paper clips: When dealing with documents, you’re bound to need them
• Scissors: Just in case you need to do some cutting
• Notepads: It’s never a bad idea to have extra material to write on
• Calculator: Bring one for each member of your staff

Tools

image: http://cdn.business2community.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/6254307843_82cba6cebd_z.jpg.jpg

You never know when an trade show display emergency is going to pop up. It is best to be prepared with a wide assortment of tools that can help you make a quick fix no matter if your have a custom trade show exhibit or a portable display. Key tools to have include:

• Flashlight: You never know when you may need an extra light
• Screwdriver/Hammer/Screws: It’s always good to have the basic tools around to fix your exhibit
• Measuring Tape: For any architecture-related issues
• Duct Tape/Packaging Tape: A quick fix for (almost) anything
• Box Cutter: Many don’t think to bring a box cutter, but you’ll never be sorry you did

Cleaning Supplies

image: http://cdn.business2community.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/3608119114_11a4f96e46_z.jpg.jpg

Trade show marketing veterans know that emergencies may arise that require cleaning supplies. Best to be prepared with a wide variety of items.

• Paper Towels: For any spills or light cleaning
• Carpet Stain Remover: Booth staff and visitors can track dirt into your exhibit space (and don’t forget coffee!)
• Adhesive Remover: Keep your exhibit looking like new every day on the show floor

Miscellaneous Trade Show Marketing Items

image: http://cdn2.business2community.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/361765595_2ec653d666_z.jpg.jpg

There are many miscellaneous items that can come in handy for you at your exhibition!

• Breath Mints: Your staff will be engaging with attendees all day, make a good impression with fresh breath
• Sewing Kit: Wardrobe malfunctions can happen at any time
• Ziploc Bags: These can always come in handy
• Tissues: Everyone needs to blow their nose now and then
• Hand Sanitizer: As you’ll no doubt be shaking many hands, it’s best to fight germs so you can stay healthy for the duration of your show
• Basic Medicine: Keep your staff healthy and on their feet with aspirin, antacids, eye drops, throat lozenges, and other over-the-counter treatments
• First aid kits: For minor medical emergencies
• Hair ties: You can never have too many
• Batteries: Never be caught off guard by faulty batteries when you have extra
• Phone Chargers: Bring backup chargers for iPhones and androids…your staff will thank you

Read more at http://www.business2community.com/brandviews/nimlok/trade-show-marketing-101-top-emergency-exhibiting-kit-items-01658489#jkIGIxFu3PIlVMBi.99

Attending trade shows is a popular way to showcase your products and connect with a brand new audience of customers. But in order to make the most of your trade show marketing efforts, you need to take a few steps before, during, and after the event. 

Have Something To Hand Out That Is Memorable

A lot of people who attend trade shows will end up collecting a lot of different freebies from the many booths that they visit. If you are one of many companies handing out business cards or small brochures, it is likely that your materials will be lost in the mix after those customers get home. However, by providing something memorable, such as stickers or self adhesive labels with your logo on them, pens, totes, etc., you can give customers something that they will want to use again and again. And each time they do, they will be reminded of your brand and the fact that they should check it out.

Always Have Specific Goals In Mind

As you get your team together for your next trade show event, make sure that you also think up specific goals that you want them to meet. For example, you might have a certain number of new customers that you would like to attract, or maybe you have a particular number of quality leads that you want to generate. Without specific goals in place, it will be difficult for you and your team to know you need to do, and it will be impossible to determine if your efforts were effective.

Promote The Trade Show Ahead Of Time

Don’t just assume that there will be people walking over to your booth during a trade show in order to learn more about what you have to offer. Instead, implement an effective pre-show marketing strategy that will let people know about the trade show, and the fact that you will be there. You can generate a buzz on social media, add information to your site, send out emails to your mailing list, invite existing customers to the event, etc. You can also tempt people to stop by your booth by offering something special, such as a prize raffle.

Always Follow Up With New Contacts

Any contacts that are made during a trade show event should be followed up on. Never leave these people hanging. After all, you worked hard to connect with individuals and encourage them to give you their contact information, so why not send them an email with a special promotion to get them to check out your products? Again, it is not enough to promote your event beforehand, or entice people over to your booth during the event; you also need to continue working on your marketing plan after the event is over.

If you start implementing the tips above, you should find that your next trade show is more successful than the last. See what works and what doesn’t, and tweak your strategy so that you will be able to really make the most of the time that you spend at trade shows.

It’s every association executive’s favorite time of year – it is trade show time! Exhibitor space is almost sold out, registration emails have been sent, reminder postcards have been mailed, promotional products are packed and ready to be shipped, and the staff is filled to the brim with enthusiasm about engaging with the membership on the trade show floor. There’s only one problem. You forgot to utilize one of the strongest weapons in your marketing arsenal – social media.

Whether you were looking to increase event awareness, sell exhibit space, solicit sponsors, increase registrations and ticket sales, or just increase your association recruiting and retention numbers, having a well-rounded social strategy is key to the success of trade show marketing these days. Not only will a digital event marketing plan benefit your millennial members, but it’s relatively inexpensive, highly efficient, and quite simple to execute if planned correctly.

To help you plan for your next trade show, I’ve created a social media matrix below, detailing some ideas of how you can use the different social channels to pull off a successful trade show marketing plan.

One more thing: If, after your event, you don’t look back at all of your social media efforts, gauge their effectiveness, and make plans to adjust your strategy for the next event, then you’re really missing a huge piece of this whole event marketing puzzle. Take some time to do that, and you’ll be able to fine tune your strategy over time so that you can get current and potential members more engaged with your events and with your association.

How do you survive in an increasingly competitive economic environment when you cannot afford marketing expertise? Given below are a few markting  tips to help you find your way through; but before you actually set out to create a marketing strategy ask yourself the following questions –

• WHO are you reaching out to? 

Marketing is more than simply letting people know about your products or services. You need to know who your customers are and they need to be segmented into groups based on ‘needs’ or ‘demographic profiles’. You need to be able to communicate to them about why they need what your business can provide.

• WHAT do you want to achieve from your marketing plan? 

Create measureable marketing goals which will help set the direction for your marketing efforts. Remember to be as targeted as possible so that you can evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.

• WHY should people buy your product? 

Study the marketplace and competitors. Organizations that leverage data intelligently do better business as the application of insights help make more relevant decisions and shape sharper more effective marketing campaigns.

 

Read more: http://blog.dazzletoday.io/take-on-marketing-in-the-absence-of-experts-with-our-simple-tips/

It’s well known in this industry that planners need to be skilled at juggling a variety of tasks when it comes to events, conferences and meetings. Trade shows, however, take that to the next level. To continue with the imagery of a juggler, picture someone adding flaming batons to their routine, and now you have a trade show manager! How can they possibly keep things running smoothly with so many factors to focus on? In part one of this two-part series, learn trade show management tips, including the role of a trade show manager, important first steps of the planning process and how to prep exhibitors for the big day.

Enter the Ringmaster

With all the little details that go into managing the logistics of a trade show, an organizer is well served to bring a meeting manager on board to handle the internal aspects that are hard to outsource, such as selling sponsorships and space, reaching out to secure exhibitors, and focusing on the rest of the meeting’s content. Bringing in someone to take care of the details allows the organizer to focus on other important tasks, plus it creates a single point of contact for all parties involved—the client, the vendors and the exhibitors—making communication more efficient.

Built to Amaze

Before the planning process even begins, a trade show manager needs to nail down the type of program it will be. Is the trade show part of a larger conference? What is the goal of the trade show? Is it going to be a smaller event, with exhibitors situated at a skirted table and chair, but no pipe and drapes? Does the client want a standard set-up with 10’x10’ or 8’x10’ booths for each exhibitor? Or perhaps they are going all-out with larger booth sizes, some in the range of 20’x20’? Once the goals and scope of the trade show are determined, a manager can jump in and get to work.

The next step in the process is selecting a drayage company—a decorator—who can help determine the floor plan for the space, including obtaining fire marshal approval and ensuring everything is up to code. There are some key items to discuss with the decorator, including (but definitely not limited to):

• Set-up time: How long will they need the exhibit hall space prior to exhibitors moving in? When can the exhibitors begin to set up their booths?
• Shipping and receiving: Will an advanced warehouse (where shipped items are stored prior to the trade show) be used? When can shipped items from exhibitors begin arriving?
• Pipe and drape: What colors will be used?
• Duration: How long is the trade show?
• Teardown time: How long do you have to move out of the venue?
• What will be included in the booth space? Tables, chairs and wastebaskets are standard, but are carpets or power and internet connections?

It’s absolutely crucial to work with the decorator and property ahead of time to ensure all fire codes are met with your floor plan. Depending on the city, fire marshals will stop by your trade show and have no qualms asking you to rearrange it all if it doesn’t fit the code.

Come One, Come All

Unlike other events and meetings, a trade show planner often interacts with the attendees—or, in this case, exhibitors. Determine the plan for how to manage the exhibitors, including how they will go about purchasing booth space and whether or not there are sponsorship packages that come with exhibit space. Once that is settled and the applications start pouring in, send each exhibitor the following information:

• Confirmation of their exhibit space, including a floor plan and booth number
• What is included in the booth space as well as ordering information for any additional items they would like (furniture, power, AV, carpet, foliage, catering, etc.)
• How they will receive the exhibitor service kit (will it be provided on a website or via email?)
• Set-up and teardown times
• Exhibit show hours
• Shipping information (where they can send their items to and where they can pick them up)

Also, consider providing lead retrieval services for exhibitors or offering them the option to purchase it as an add-on. This allows exhibitors to gather attendee information for easy follow-up after the trade show.

You’re now well-equipped for the planning and preparation process of a trade show, but that’s not all you need to know! Look for part two of this blog next month to learn how to get through the hectic set-up and teardown stages, how to manage exhibitors and visitors on the big day, and the three keys to a successful trade show.

Trade shows are all about being noticed, and this can’t happen without staying on top of your game. In a study at the end of 2015, Exhibit Surveys found that 64% of trade show attendees were not existing customers of the trade show exhibitors they visited, and 38% stated that their visit influenced their purchase intent.

Staying abreast of the latest trade show developments is imperative to attracting that curious 38% of the crowd. Efforts should involve researching the most up-to-date trends and technologies and being among the first to present them to the public. Innovative merchandising and brand concepts, after all, are being developed at record speed.

The following are some new and inventive ideas for trade show exhibitors, and tips on how they can get ahead of the game.

Trade Show Exhibitors: What to Keep In Mind

1. Unique Experiences

In this modern age, experiential marketing is by far the most effective means of grabbing a consumer’s attention. A trade show booth is nothing without a memory that attendees can take away. Since typical 10 x 10 booths are a bit limited in space, designers must invoke an innovative spirit to make the most of that 100 square feet.

Creative ideas for experiential booth marketing always involve the attendee. Perhaps you can hire performers or have your marketing team create a game attendees can play. Whatever experience you choose, as long as it involves your branding, you are good to go! It’s important to remember to use your imagination. Experience is all about what you make it.

3. Technologies

Wearable technologies are taking off. Gone are the clipboards and the branded pens. Take for instance, companies like Poken––a cloud-based platform that makes sharing data instant and effortless. It’s an all access pass to trade shows, and trade show exhibitors are falling in love with it.

Boosting marketing and igniting conversation, attendees simply don these wearables around their necks (much like a name tag). Prior to the show, both vendors and consumers fill out a profile. This data is immediately transferred when a person is interested in an individual booth, and they touch devices with the vendor.

Wearable technology has greatly simplified information exchange. Just be careful as to not forcibly swap data. You run the risk of isolating your business if you accidentally connect with uninterested consumers via faulty technology.

3. Booth Design 

The first step to grabbing an attendee’s attention is to personalize the experience. What can your booth offer attendees that can be internalized as a personal takeaway? This should be about fostering a positive and personal connection to your brand.

In some cases, companies have bypassed booth regulations, and have parked trucks outside—guiding attendees to a booth experience that was literally “thinking outside of the box.” Mobile displays are another trend that has been taking off in 2016. Why explain to a consumer your equipment, when you can show them? For some companies, booth design that falls outside the realm of the traditional has been incredibly successful.

Staying One Step Ahead

Staying on top of trade show trends means knowing where to look. If you are waiting for inspiration to pop up on social media, chances are thousands of people are already familiar with the concept. You need to find the trade show exhibitors that attract your attention, and ask them who their exhibit companies are.

One of the deepest repositories for new information regarding the booth design industry are exhibitor award shows. Noting the concepts and methods that designers are winning awards for is the first step in familiarizing yourself with the marketing potential of a booth idea. Exhibitor Magazine holds their 31st annual Exhibit Design Awards this year, and if you are looking to what is trending for booth design, you will want to be there.

Trade show exhibitors will definitely think up a host of new ideas by the time this article is published. Creative ideas are inspired by those who are open to trying anything new.

While working a trade show exhibit, you are sure to meet hundreds — possibly thousands — of attendees from all over the world, each with their own agenda and interests. With the multitudes of attendees you are sure to meet, it can be difficult to decipher the pretenders from the prospects. As Halloween fast approaches, we unmask the different types of trade show attendees to help you get an edge at your next event.

The Bored Attendee

Who they are:

Like the family out car shopping on a spring day, The Bored attendee stops by your exhibit out of pure curiosity or boredom. They are typically attracted to exhibits with fun graphics or flashy interactive features such as multimedia kiosks orproduct demonstration areas. However, their interest centers around alleviating their boredom; they have little to no interest in your product or service.

How to spot them:

You will be able to spot The Bored Attendee right away because they will walk leisurely around your exhibit, hands in pockets, lost in thought and may wander out just as quickly. They will try to avoid your booth staffers because they are just looking to pass the time, not for conversation.

The Grabber

Who they are:

The Grabber is on a ceaseless quest for trade show bounty. No swag item is too big or small for them to take and they have a keen eye for the best giveaway and promotional items from each exhibit on the show floor. Grabbers visit your exhibit for one purpose and one purpose only: to snatch up all of your goodies.

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How to spot them:

Spotting The Grabber is easy. They are usually lugging around a branded tote bag bulging with swag from each one of your competitors and have an unreasonable amount of company logo key chains, branded notepads and pens. Beat them to the punch and keep your best swag out of reach or require that they be pre-qualified to receive.

The Investigator

Who they are:

The Investigator is on a mission to find the best product at the most competitive price. The Investigator’s main objective is to gather your information and move on to the next exhibit to compare and contrast capabilities and pricing. The Investigator is in your exhibit to ask questions while avoiding answering any of yours.

How to spot them:

You can spot an Investigator by the endless product brochures with circled pricing information, and their skittish demeanor that causes them to run when you ask for their contact information.

The Competitor

Who they are:

The “other guy” at the trade show, The Competitor may saunter casually in to your exhibit and ask very specific questions about your product or service that typical attendees would not ask, including wholesale pricing or production costs.

How to spot them:

You will know The Competitor by arms crossed over their branded name badge or polo shirt and because you walked by exhibit earlier in the day.

The Buyer

Who they are:

The Buyer approaches your exhibit eagerly, is upfront with their questions and concerns and forthcoming with their contact information for a post-show follow up. The Buyer will engage in conversation with your staff and will ask buyer’s questions.

How to spot them:

You will quickly discover the Buyer because they know their objectives, have a budget in mind, have the authority to select the vendor, they express a need for your product or service and they have a timeframe for a potential purchase.

Although it is great to meet potential customers of all kinds, the Buyer attendees will make your trade show experience worth the time and money you put into it, so make sure you can identify them.

Exhibition marketing remains one of the most popular and effective tools available to businesses. In fact, according to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, B2B exhibitions account for around 40% of all B2B budgets, while Statista suggest that exhibition industry revenue is growing by more than 2% every six months.

 

A CEIR report entitled The Changing Environment of Exhibitions claims that a staggering 99% of marketers believe that trade shows offer unique value, which cannot be achieved through other mediums. So what makes trade show marketing so valuable, and why is exhibition marketing still the tool of choice in the event industry?

1.The opportunity to meet new prospects

One of the major plus points of trade show marketing is the ability to spend face-to-face time with prospects, and exhibiting is an effective way to cast a wider net and reach a greater number of people. Indeed, research from Exhibit Surveys, Inc. shows that 67% of all attendees represent a new prospect and a potential customer.

Unlike with some other marketing events, trade shows allow a two-way dialogue, where both the business and the prospect can get their points across, where contact information can be exchanged and where demonstrations of products can take place. Moreover, exhibitions provide a great place to meet potential business partners as well.

2.The ability to build brand awareness

In addition to meeting people, trade shows also provide a great opportunity to build up brand awareness. Intelligent exhibition stand design can help to expand awareness of company products, services, slogans, colour schemes and fonts, while businesses also have the potential to generate press coverage by engaging with journalists.

“Contact relevant magazines well before the event to ensure that your business is featured in the pre-show editorial coverage,” suggest The Marketing Donut. They also recommend that businesses invite members of the press to their stand, in order to maximise exposure, and place some company literature in the press office of the exhibition.

3.The genuine chance of making sales

Meeting people and gaining exposure are great, but exhibition marketing also offers the very real chance to make sales. The CEIR estimate that 88% of trade show attendees have what they call ‘buying authority’, while the Association of Exhibition Organisers claim 91% of attendees go with the intention of buying.

Staff with sales experience have a very real chance of closing some deals, especially because products can be demonstrated to potential buyers. Moreover, the AEO claim that 29% of people who make purchases at trade shows only buy at trade shows, making them a great place to reach people you would otherwise miss.

4.The excellent value for money provided

Last, but by no means least, exhibition marketing is one of the event industry’s best marketing tools in terms of value for money. Even when you factor in design costs and the costs of hiring exhibition stand builders, it is a relatively inexpensive form of marketing, considering the various benefits it can provide.

In actual fact, figures published by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research estimate that the
average cost of each face-to-face contact with a qualified prospect at a trade show is around $142. By contrast, the average cost of a face-to-face sales call with a prospect at their own office is in excess of $100 more than that.

We’re in the middle of the busiest time of year for marketing conferences and trade shows.

Between traveling either by yourself or with your team, setting up booths or figuring out which booths to visit, presentations, networking events, and more, you’ll never be bored at a large event like a trade show.

As you move from trade show exhibit to trade show exhibit, you’ll also meet a lot of new people, all with different goals for the conference. People attend trade shows for many different reasons — whether it’s to drum up business, promote a new product, or network. Sometimes you’ll share goals and sometimes you won’t, but you’re all in the same trade show boat together.

Take a look at these 10 profiles of people you’ll meet at trade shows. In fact, you’ll probably recognize some of them!