Tricks of the Tradeshow

Tricks of the Tradeshow

While trade shows can be important venues for lead generation, product launches, and one-on-one interaction with prospects, the ROI is not always obvious unless you thoroughly prepare to make the most of your investment.

I recently led a CMA Power Series seminar, Tricks of the Tradeshow, exploring effective tradeshow planning, execution and follow up to maximize show results while minimizing unnecessary costs.

Choosing the right tradeshow. Do not always assume the biggest or best attended show is the one to participate in. Rather, choose the tradeshow best aligned with your product or service and which will draw the greatest number of targeted prospects.

Why are you attending? Have a clear show attendance goal and develop tactics supporting your objectives. There are many possible reasons why a company may choose to participate in a tradeshow including:

• Generating sales and leads from attendees
• Launching a new product or announcing an industry innovation
• Seeking strategic alliances with other vendors
• Performing competitive intelligence

Tradeshow budget tips. Tradeshows can require a significant investment, but savvy businesses leverage a number of strategies to minimize costs:

• Take advantage of discounted dates for ordering booth materials. For some shows this is almost one-half the cost compared to ordering on the “regular” deadline.

• Rent items for your booth, such as furniture, instead of purchasing them. Furniture can be heavy, increasing the overall cost of shipping.

• Ship to the show warehouse instead of direct to the show site, which adds special and absolutely unnecessary material and handling costs from the show services company.

Train your exhibit staff. Your staff needs to be briefed on all new programs and initiatives as well as being knowledgeable about the company and its products/services. Booth staff are expected to be experts and prepping employees in advance ensures they will meet that expectation.

Turn leads into sales. Offer to send marketing materials to an interested prospect’s office to lighten his/her load of materials carried around at the show or the airport. As a practical matter, confirming their receipt once the prospect is back in the office gives you a legitimate reason to follow up, and follow up and follow up. Otherwise, all the work at the show is a wash. One call doesn’t cut it. Be persistent!

Stay tuned for information about CMA’s next Power Series topic!

Erin Higgins
Manager, Client Services
ehiggins@cmasolutions.com