Maximizing
Your Trade Show Experience
Marketing Tips You Don’t Want to Forget
Too often, exhibitors forget how important it is to keep their trade show
booth both functional and exciting. Here are a few key ways to maximize
your experience and get the most out of your trade show dollars.
- Ace the A List. Most people walking the floor arrive
with a list of their “must see” exhibits, and have already mapped
their course before they set foot on the carpet. Don’t miss the
bus! The important thing is to get on that list in the months and weeks
leading up to the show.
Explore sending a direct mail campaign of colorful
postcards or letters to your key prospects. Set up a call plan, make
follow-up calls four to six weeks prior to the show and give them a
reason to meet you – an
innovative technology, an important executive, a new capability, or even
a unique or practical giveaway can be a motivator.
- Reject Your Rut. Executing everything exactly the
same way every year is not branding. It’s monotonous, and people
will notice if you’re using the same tired tricks and giveaways show
after show. Find new and creative outreach methods while remaining
cognizant of your brand. Use a different giveaway. Update your
tagline. Emphasize new capabilities. You can even shake up your
trade show uniform. If your team is usually in suits, try business
casual, or vice versa. Whatever it is, try something different!
- Opt for Opinions. Seek an outsider’s opinion
on your exhibit. Ask a professional consultant to evaluate the visual
pull, the placement of materials, the organization of your booth—anything
that people walking by will be evaluating and potentially drawn in
by. Ideally, choose someone with experience in trade shows who hasn’t
seen your exhibit before and can offer an unbiased opinion. Beg for
brutal honesty, it will be worth it!
- Utilize Your URL. Make sure that every piece of
literature and every giveaway include your company’s URL or some form
of contact information. (Remember, your Web site is your 24-7 virtual
salesperson, and studies show that government decision makers are using
Web sites first to learn more about a company.) When they’re lying
around a month later, it will be nearly impossible to remember which tchotchke came
from where. Don’t let your money go to waste—be sure
that your giveaways are giving you lasting value.
- Plan for Publicity. Keep in mind that there will
be hundreds, maybe thousands of companies exhibiting, and your chief job
is to draw attention to your booth in a meaningful, memorable way. Pinpoint
a topic relevant to the conference that your subject matter experts can speak
about. Then, if possible, contact members of the trade press well in
advance and set up a time to discuss it with them. Also, be sure to
have plenty of media kits and press materials. Your company’s
booth number and a section of contact information should be easy to identify
on all materials.
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Looking for an article or trusted interview source on advertising,
branding, marketing and public relations? Contact Jessica Klenk
at 301.588.2900 or via email.
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