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| So You're Going to a Trade Show |
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"Eighty percent of success is showing up!." according to Woody Allen, but there's more to it if you're going to a trade show.
Your plane tickets are in your briefcase, the hotel reservations are made and a friend has supplied you with a list of the best restaurants in the city — you're ready for the trade show!
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 | Bonus Publication from Trendlines Going to a Trade Show
If you are thinking of exhibiting at a trade show, download our free guide.
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In all honesty, you know you need to do more, but you're not exactly sure where to begin and how to get organized.
This is a quick overview of things you should consider. It will give you a good place to start, especially for marketing activities, but you should remember that depending on what you wish to accomplish at the show, there may be other details you need to tend to.
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| Goals |
Identify why you're going and set measurable goals; this is the focal point for all you do, and when it's all over it will help tell you whether the trip was worth it.
The questions you must ask yourself are "What do I want this show to do for my company? Qualify prospective clients? Find a strategic partner? Introduce product? Sell product? Find an investor? Find a distributor?" These questions will help determine your goals. Don't be lofty in your expectations. Set goals that are reasonable and achievable. Don't think about signing four distributors — look for one good one; don't think about signing with a strategic partner, look to open discussions with one; don't think about selling $1 million of product, sell $100,000 with the possibilities of selling more. Remember, goals are only achievable if you follow through on initial contacts. The show may be over, but you'll still have many things to do when you get back to make sure that the work you did at the trade show continues.
| | Pre-show Contacts & Publicity |
If you want to meet with potential strategic partners or possible investors, contact them before you get to the show. Confirm that they will be at the show and make appointments to meet with them. Line up as many appointments as possible, leaving yourself sufficient time for each meeting; and know that some appointments will be "no shows." Don't wait until a week before the show to contact these people. First of all, it might take a while to get to the right person; second, by the time you call, their schedule could be filled, especially if they're not planning to stay for the entire show, as is the case with most senior executives.
Keep in mind:
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| |  | Don't plan to conduct your most important meetings at your booth. There is the potential for too many interruptions and distractions.It's okay to meet at the booth, then move to a more private space.
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If you plan to demonstrate your equipment, application, or system, but don't have additional equipment you can bring with you to the show, do a brief demonstration at your booth, and then move to a quiet place for your discussions.
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Be sure you have a supply of your most up-to-date brochures, product descriptions, business plans, business cards, and so on. These are important items to distribute.
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| | Public Relations — Often Forgotten
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A recent study noted that trade press editors rated trade shows as their most useful source of information. Given this information, your attendance at any trade show is a golden opportunity to reach beyond those attending the show. A few well-placed public relations strategies could result in positive exposure for your company.
Draft a press release that clearly tells your story. If you're doing the writing, you can get some very helpful hints at AccuSubmit and Landrights. Follow the format these sites recommend and always be sure to include the name of a contact person. Identify the media you want to know your story. This can include newspapers, business newspapers, trade journals, radio, television, etc. The location of the media outlet doesn't have to be restricted to the city the trade show is in. Be sure the release is distributed in a timely fashion. Don't forget to send a release to trade show management. They might have a trade show newspaper and would be happy to receive your information. Also let trade show management know you are available to the local media. Major shows provide facilities for the working press — this is another point of contact for you.
Be sure to do follow-up contacts with media representatives. If you can't do it, have some one else follow-up. Don't ask if they got the release. Ask if you can provide any additional information, product demonstration, etc. Let them know when you'll be available and that anytime during the show if they need any assistance, you're available. Be sure to contact the "trades" that are relevant to your product.
Make appointments, have demo disks available (if applicable) and of course brochures. If you don't want to take on the media yourself and there's no one in the company who can do it, hire a public relations consultant.
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| Budget |
When you did your early financial planning you certainly developed a line item for marketing. Trade show participation is definitely part of the company's marketing endeavors. In figuring your costs for trade show participation be sure to include trade show fees (booth space, local labor, etc.), travel expenses (including airfare, hotel, ground transportation, meals and entertainment, etc.). Don't forget promotional and informational materials. These will be important as "give aways" to those visiting your booth or meeting with you. Be realistic and reasonable when establishing your trade show budget.
Be sure to include the following items in your budget:
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Exhibit: If you've "rented" your booth, be aware that all you have is a designated space. It's up to you to "furnish" the area and "make the space yours." If you are new at this, consider renting a booth and customizing it with graphics, poster-sized photographs, etc. We'll talk about this in more detail at another time.
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Printing: Include prices for new brochures or show "specials."
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Travel: Include airfare, hotels, meals, entertainment and ground transportation.
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Miscellaneous: Don't forget to expect the unexpected. This is, admittedly, the short list. There's always more we could add but our objective is to give you a broad and brief overview of the steps necessary to insure positive exposure for your company at a trade show.
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| | At the Show |
We could give you a long list of do's and don'ts while at your booth but since these observe the simple rules of etiquette, we will expect you already know them. What you should be sure to do is have a simple form you can fill out for every "live" prospect who drops by your booth. Be sure to include name, company and address, title, what they're interested in and an indication — perhaps on a scale from 1 to 5 — as to the value of this particular prospect. This form will help you with your follow-up when you're home.
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| The Exhibit
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There is a great deal we could tell you about what to do and how to do it, but most importantly, remember that your presence at the show is a means of putting a face on your organization and like in everything else, first impressions count. Seek an exhibit designer, talk it over within your company and "furnish" your booth in a way that is both attractive and workable for your product.
For more information about portable exhibits check out the following sites:
Derse Exhibits
Trade Show Consulting, Inc.
Exhibits International
Exhibits to Go
Accord Expositions Inc.
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| Follow-up |
you're home, you've enjoyed the city, had a few good meals, but did your company gain anything from its trade show attendance? You may not have signed with a distributor but did you talk to one or maybe two who are interested in your product? Did you meet with an investor who wants you to make a presentation to his or her partners? Did you find a strategic partner that can complement your company's efforts?
If you answer "Yes" to any of these questions, then pat youself on the back, but don't forget to follow up all appropriate leads. If you are supposed to send information to someone upon your return to the company do it ASAP! Send thank you notes to people you've met with and, as for the media, if there's more to your story, do another press release.
Write a short report about the show for distribution within your company. Distribute it widely. Let people know what's happening. Detail how things went with the booth, response to the product, meetings with potential investors, distributors and so on. Make sure your report is complete, don't embellish on the details, report only what happened and what you are doing for follow-up. Make sure you share it with all appropriate individuals in the company. It will help you for this show next year and for other shows you plan to attend.
Be sure to evaluate what you did and whether or not it was successful. If it wasn't, reconsider your plans: is this show right for you? And keep moving forward. Trade show participation is "all in the details." And there are lots of them. If you follow the Girl Scout/Boy Scout motto, "Be Prepared," and remember that preparation includes follow up, you won't go wrong. Follow-up can be where you really unlock the show's value.
Remember, this isn't a detailed outline of the do's and don'ts of trade show attendance, but it's a good plan to start. If you want all the details, Trendlines can provide your company with a step-by-step seminar on preparing for trade show participation. Give us a call.
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The Trendletter team welcomes your comments.
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