By Douglas Shaw, ContributorTHESE days there seems to be a proliferation of expos and trade shows. A number of companies have begun to realise the benefits that can be harvested from participating in these events. It is no secret what economical benefits can be had for participants of these shows.
Trade show exhibiting offers a unique opportunity to gain new customers, strengthen relationships with existing customers, inform the public about what you do or sell and ultimately get more business. But are companies maximising their marketing potential at these shows? If careful planning and execution are not put in place in the preparation for an expo or trade show, then you run the risk of losing out on what could possibly be a great opportunity to maximise your earning potential.
For instance, just recently I attended a well-publicised Expo on the outskirts of Kingston. At one particular booth I stopped to chat with one of the booth attendant. They were conducting a raffle promotion but they lack the crowd support at their exhibit. The thing is, they were waiting on persons to come to their booth and fill out their entry forms and place it in a receptacle. Seeing the err there, I suggested why not send staff members to the entrance of the venue with the entry forms and hand them out to attendees, in doing so, this will generate traffic to their booth. If they did, I can't be sure, I didn't wait around to see, but based on my experience, this can be a simple but effective solution.
Some companies might be tempted to participate in every possible tradeshows and expos. Unfortunately this approach could be a grand waste of money. It is advisable that one carefully select the shows that they participate in, by targeting a particular market segment that best fits into the company's marketing demographics.
PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS
At most shows exhibitors give-away promotional products with their advertising message emblazoned on them. This is very important, because promotional products and their educated use in conjunction with exhibitions can mean the difference between "trick or treating for adults" and an extremely cost-effective marketing tool. Be very selective of the promotional products you use. They should be consistent with the image the company wants to convey and relevant to that particular promotion. Remember these advertising "vehicles" may very well be around for a long time while in the recipients possession. Opportunities
Due to the nature of some shows, unforeseen opportunities can arise and if one has good planning skills and an inherent ability to market one can anticipate them and capitalise on these opportunities. Here is another instance. At the same show, I made it my duty to collect every possible samples and "give-aways" I could get, like many other attendees of course. In fact I was doing quite well with my collections until I realise my hands and pockets were full to capacity. I had no bags to carry my prize collections in. This would have been a perfect opportunity for an exhibitor to provide tote bags to attendees with his advertising message emblazoned on it. A perfect and practical keepsake item.
PREPARING FOR A TRADE SHOW
If you've done trade shows and done them well, you know it is very demanding work. It can also be some of the best time and money you ever spend as business person. To gain the maximum benefits from exhibiting, it's important to remember that trade shows start long before the doors open and last well into the next business cycle.
You need to start with goals for exhibiting. The most effective goals are ones that are quantifiable, realistic and difficult to achieve. According to marketing author Meg Wittemore, only about 20 per cent of companies exhibiting at trade shows set objectives and communicate those objectives to their staff.
Booth staff will respond to how their efforts are measured; therefore, a good match between your goals and your chosen measure(s) of success is critical. Common measures for trade show effectiveness include number of targeted individuals who visit the booth, dollar volume of sales attributable to the show, number of attendees who stop at your booth, number of appointments set, number of catalogs and literature given or information requested and many others like increasing awareness of brand and creating goodwill.
Ideally, you should attend any potential show the year before you plan to exhibit. Observe the traffic flow and other exhibitors. Pay special attention to the number of attendees. Talk to exhibitors about whether their expectations are being met. When you have a choice of booth spaces, remember that most people move through an exhibition in an inverted pyramid. People tend to enter an exhibit hall and turn to their right, then proceed to the far right corner of the hall. Next they tend to go all the way across the back of the hall to the far left corner, then back to the front and out the exit. Each show has a unique traffic pattern that you need to know (and use) as you vie for attention.
FOOLPROOF TRADE SHOW PRACTICES
Pre-Show
Set goals. Knowing what you want to accomplish at a show will help you plan your exhibit theme, booth layout and display, graphics, product displays and literature.
Read the exhibitor manual. It contains everything you need to know from show schedules, contractor information, registration, service order forms, electrical service, floor plan, etc. This can save you some unpleasant surprises later.
Put graphics design near the top list. Begin these at least six to eight weeks ahead of showtime. Leaving them until the last minute makes for rush orders and costly alterations that adds significantly to costs.
Prepare the booth staff. Most companies spend a lot of time organising for trade show, but spend little or no time prepping the folks who will work the booth. At the very least, tell them what your company's goals are for the exhibition and precisely what they can do to contribute.
At-Show
Consider individual needs of visitors. Instead of haphazardly giving out information to as many visitors as you can, take a moment to find out why an attendee is interested in your product or service -- aka qualifying.
Choose booth staff wisely. Don't force staff members who are uncomfortable talking with strangers to work in the booth. Instead choose staff who are outgoing and enjoy constant interaction.
Familiarise booth staff with demonstrations. Don't wait until the show starts to do demonstration training. Do this at the office before the show and again on set up day, making sure the booth staff is comfortable with the presentation and equipment.
Reserve booth for booth staff only. Don't allow company personnel not assigned to the booth to hang around. Inevitable personal conversations inhibit interaction with attendees.
Post-Show
Follow up on leads. It's easy to let leads become second priority to other things left unattended while you were at the show. Prior to the show, consider assigning someone to begin post-show lead follow-up as soon as the show ends.
Evaluate. The more you know about what you did and how you did it, the more fine-tuning you can do to improve the next time. Start with a post-show evaluation session with staff immediately after returning home.
