Planning For Your Trade Show Will Yield Results!

As mentioned in last weeks trade show blog, there are better and better prospects available on show floors these days, getting their attention and time is the trick. Here are a couple of ideas to help you to that end, while also helping to limit costs associated with attending a show.

Understanding the reason why you are at the Trade Show is they key to attracting the right people to your booth. There are tons of shows, all of which provide some sort of niche when it comes to attendees. This makes picking that right niche the most important single thing you can do in attending a show, especially if you are like most small businesses, with limited time, staffing and money to attend multiple shows. Figure out where you’ll get the most “bang for the buck” and you have taken the first step to success.

Once you have done that, crafting the right message and image to portray at the show becomes your next biggest test. Not only do you have to worry about the exhibit itself and how it looks, but also all of the pre-show marketing stuff that has to be done. It doesn’t matter how good you look, if your message falls on deaf ears, you are already behind the eight ball!

To this point, you need to know the niche that you will be selling to extremely well. Tailor your message and all of your collateral toward what you already know compels them. Invite the decision makers and influencers to your exhibit for a visit, giving them something in return for their effort. (This might be as simple as a promotional product or as elaborate as a discount off their next order.) Once they visit, be ready to accomplish what you intended to do from square one with that prospect.

Most so far is strategy, and that truly is the most important part of trade show success. Of course, if your prospects don’t recognize you when they get to the show, you have obviously done something wrong. While this sounds like a pith from a graphics company to have an elaborate exhibit, it’s really just a check to make sure that your exhibit materials look good and are on point.

If you are new to the trade show world, there are several ways to look great and not spend a ton of money in doing so. There are exhibit solutions that cater to limited budgets as well as others that may cost a little more up-front, but that save you money in the long-term by making graphic switches easier and more cost effective.

No matter what your level of need, there is a way for you to look great and achieve outstanding results at your next show. We would encourage you to speak with your trade show company (if not Bokland Custom Visuals) to discuss your options. Any good vendor will ask you the right questions to put you in the right exhibit solution for your needs, and once that is done have a selection of quality hardware and print options to fit your particular need.