Trade Show Event Planning

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Trade Shows
by Matt Bacak

Copyright 2006 The Powerful Promoter

Secrets to Promoting Your Business at a Trade Show

Trade shows show promise as a  golden marketing opportunity. Many business owners are stepping outside of the traditional box and investing in portable signage. Talking one-on-one with potential buyers provides an immediate gratification that is empowering. The trade show makes highlighting business services or products easier. Plan Ahead Working trade shows requires some planning. If possible, visit the facility prior to selecting your booth. Walk through the facility looking for potential problems that would inhibit your success, such as:

Food court: Although being located next to the food court could be beneficial, it creates a distraction. It s difficult enough to interest a potential buyer in 3-minutes; you don t need the sweet smell of cotton candy interrupting.

Competition: Don t be suckered into renting a booth that is right next to a competitor. Some people believe its quality that counts and are eager to take the challenge of competition.

Accessibility: Ideally, your booth should be near the entrance or exit of the building, or the restrooms, or the main isle. Wherever there is an adequate flow of traffic.

The location of your booth and the signage you use will have a direct result of your trade show success. Stay focus on the appearance of your site. Use a banner to display your company logo, web address, and phone number. It s important you capture the attention of potential buyers with signage and color.

Keep it short and simple, K. I. S. S. Use a secondary color to present information of importance. The two-tone color method adds depth and retains the attention of the reader and that s a big advantage.

Most booths are no more than a 9` by 5` area. So it is equally important that you make valuable use of the area. Eliminate any unnecessary clutter and keep things organized. It s important that your potential buyer doesn t become distracted.

Offering a special is also a good way to bring more people to your booth. Use a tripod and display board to feature your special offer. Write clear and in large lettering. Be prepared to answer questions. Working a Business Trade Show Business trade shows go hand in hand with network marketing. The primary purpose of this type of trade show is to draw the interest of other businesses. Your objective is to provide enough information for the other participants to promote your services or products by word of mouth or through passing literature.

It s common practice for business groups to exchange business cards and brochures at a business trade show. Each booth gives a 2 minute presentation to visitors, a free gift (ink pen, magnet, sticky notes, or eraser), and ask for the visitors literature. Professionals shake hands and begin asking questions.

" How can I assist you? " What are the benefits of using your services or products? " Who is your target market? " How can potential buyers reach you? " Do you work outside of your area?

Business trade shows are not limited to business owners. Most vendors will invite others that may profit from using the services or products of the network group. Finding a good booth, using the proper signage, and displaying a sample of your services or products are all important elements of trade show marketing.

Matt Bacak began investing his first earnings at the tender age of 12, a young businessman in the making. Now, 15 years later, Bacak survived failed businesses, botched partnerships, heavy credit card debt and bankruptcy - all in preparation for the accomplishments he has achieved today as a well-established Internet millionaire and best-selling author. For more information, visit http://www.powerfulpromoter.com or sign up for his Powerful Promoting Tips at http://www.promotingtips.com Matt Bacak may be contacted at http://www.promotingtips.com.com or videos@powerfulpromoter.com

Trade Shows - A Microcosm of Marketing
by Joe Shaw

Trade shows can be absolutely essential to a business and the life blood-- supplying new customers and sales to your bottom line. Though you may present your trade show exhibits at an industry trade show only a few times per year, tradeshows are a great opportunity to make new prospects, reconnect with current customers and present your products and services to other trade show attendees as well as see what the competition is up to -- all in one convenient location. Trade shows can be a concentrated dose of marketing feedback and valuable lessons. Pay attention to what your potential tradeshow booth visitors are saying. You can learn a great deal in short order by attending and displaying your tradeshow booth displays at trade shows. Making adjustments accordingly to your marketing message can save you months and a considerable amount of money in the long run.

To some presenters, trade shows are a dreaded obligation resulting in aching feet and tired sales staff for those that must work the exhibit booths, but those who feel this way just don't see the opportunity at hand. A tradeshow booth is one of the few marketing opportunities that is a two way street. Rarely anymore do we have a chance to look into the eyes of potential customers in such a non-threatening, open environment. Sure the internet is supposedly a two-way communication tool -- connecting us directly with our consumers, but only in a tradeshow booth do you find a pre-qualified, interested observer willing to talk with you and give you their valuable opinion. They paid to be there! This is priceless! They have not yet made a commitment. They have not walked into your store or show room. They are merely visiting your portable trade show exhibit, but they are a wealth of knowledge and information.

Often it is a challenge to quantify the return on investment of your marketing message of your tradeshow booth design. But everyone else in the industry has exhibit displays there at the big industry trade show . . . you can't not be seen there, lest you risk being left behind in the proverbial dust. So you might as well get the most information from potential customers, and generate as much good will and as many leads as possible while you are attending your next tradeshow.

S2imaging is the expert supplier of trade show graphics, tradeshow booth design and small to medium sized tradeshow booths and exhibit displays. S2 imaging ships everything from 20 x 20ft trade show exhibits to portable trade show exhibit pop up display stands, shipping crates and literature racks all across the nation. Orders can be quickly placed from their easy to navigate website at www.s2imaging.com

Fortunately S2imaging has some of the best pricing in the industry on vinyl banners, trade show displays and portable trade show booths so making adjustments to your messaging or even completely redressing your trade show display can be an affordable alternative.

Author's information: Joe Shaw is owner of S2 Imaging, and has been serving the advertising and marketing industry since 1977 with the latest print technology, providing design and manufacture of large format graphics on a wide variety of materials and display solution.

Joe Shaw may be contacted at http://www.s2imaging.com

Promotional Keyrings At Trade Shows And Conferences
by Gareth Parkin

When it comes to handing out promotional gifts at trade shows and conferences, you might feel like you are running out of original ideas. Everyone is handing out pens, so yours will just go into the bags that your competitor is handing out and be forgotten. You handed out mugs last year, and your promotional mouse mats are a great item for home distribution, but don't seem like the right item out in your booth. So what are you going to do this year for your round of conferences and trade shows?

Keyrings are great promotional items since they are small, portable, and can come in many useful forms. A keyring does not have to be a plastic square that covers your company name and logo and offers nothing else to the client. In fact, if this is all you are offering, then you might just find that your clients are not interested in taking a keyring at all unless your logo is very interesting.

Unless that is the case, you should be looking for something that is unique and fun to look at to attract your customers and make them want to use your keyring for their personal keys or even for their work keys. Your keyring could contain a whole variety of useful features, but steer clear of anything that could not easily make it through airport security. Your clients will not take kindly to having to toss or check their keys, after all, and they will not want to remove their keyring just to get through security.

Now that the pocket knife is out, start thinking about other useful items like a pocket torch. Many keyrings come with a built in LED light that is safe, rarely needs new batteries, and helps with tasks like getting into the house when it is too dark to see the lock properly. These LED lights come in useful in lots of situations, and your company name engraved on the side will only serve to remind them of what a great job you have done in providing them with something that they will use again and again.

Your promotional keyrings could also be a simple but classy design that attracts your customers to it. Leather printed keyrings are great for this purpose as it is easy to make a leather keyring look dressed up for men and women alike, and the leather will last without being brittle or easily damaged the way that plastic can be. You might also want to look at lanyards for a similar reason. While they are less durable than leather, they are attractive in their own way, and might be unique enough to really capture your customers' interest as they pass by your booth at the next trade show or conference.

Another great product that attaches easily to keys is a pocket mirror for the ladies and the gentlemen alike. These mirrors fold closed for safety, and can be flipped open like a cell phone (only smaller) to check makeup or make sure that nothing green is hiding in the teeth. Whatever use your customers find for them, they will appreciate the thought that went into such a nice gift, and your company name on the outside of the mirror will remind them of who they can thank.

Gareth Parkin is the co-founder of Ideasbynet.com, the UK's leading online promotional keyrings and printed keyrings supplier based in the north of England. Gareth Parkin may be contacted at http://www.ideasbynet.com

Choosing Trade Shows that Won t Let You Down
by Charmaine Joy Caro

When you want to exhibit in trade shows, the first issue that you have to deal with is which trade show you will go. You can choose from a wide assortment of trade shows that are at hand. It would be useful if you attend some trade shows before you decide to be a trade show exhibitor. Be observant and sensitive on the do s and don ts or marketing when in the show floor. Pay attention to what exhibitors do when on the floor.

Choosing a trade show is quite complicated. It involves several elements that a trade show exhibitor should take into consideration before he or she attends a show. The first thing that you should take into account is the target market. This specifically pertains to the buyers and what kind of shows do they attend. Try to asses the show and see if it complements to your image, marketing strategy and budget. Is the show well thought-of? Are there many visitors in the show? It would be better if you talk to a trade show marketer and weigh up his or her qualifications as well as experience. Set some objectives. What do you want to achieve after the show? Let your displays be produced trade show experts in order to steer clear of some common trade show errors. You can the exhibit manual for further details regarding the booth space and the set-up times.

Choosing the right trade show is very critical in the progress of a certain business. You can be assured of a wonderful trade show experience when you opt for the trade show where potential buyers of your products and services will attend. Think about the prospective buyers who will make a purchase of your products and services. It s also helpful if you get in touch with some trade show producers and ask them regarding the number of visitors who attend a trade show and what kind of promotional plan do they use to reach their targets. When you have gained all the answers to these questions, you can now determine who your prospective buyers are.

Remember that the most important thing here is to pick out the show that gives you the best traffic. Your main target here is to settle for the show that caters to the right audience and one which meets your trade show objectives. For this reason, you need to be careful in choosing the show. Give attention to all the details of the trade shows that are available specifically their goals and potential market.

Charmaine Joy Caro developed her passion for writing when she joined essay writing contests during her elementary years. Her writing skills were made even more improved when she took up the course Bachelor of Arts Major in English. Charmaine Joy Caro may be contacted at

Get Coverage Using Promotional Bags at Trade Shows
by Praveen Samra

Companies exhibiting at trade shows invest a significant amount of time and money, so it is essential that they maximise this investment by getting as much coverage as possible. Promotional bags are one of the most effective giveaways at trade shows and serve several purposes.

Anyone who has ever been to any kind of exhibition or trade show cannot fail to have noticed the sea of colourful tote bags -- overprinted with a brand name or logo -- carried on the shoulders of visitors as they walk around. Promotional tote bags are popular with visitors because they are extremely useful for carrying all the brochures, catalogues, samples and freebies they accumulate during the day. And all the time they act as a walking advertisement.

Low cost, branded tote bags are ideal if the prime marketing objective is to create awareness, because they can be handed out fairly randomly to anyone passing by. If, however, the quality of leads is more important than the quantity, a smaller amount of more expensive promotional bags may be a better solution. These can either be handed out to reward key customers or form part of a prize draw to bring people to the stand. Other exhibitors may also be giving away promotional bags so it is important to choose a style, colour and design that will stand out from the competition. Offering something a little bit different from the rest will help generate interest and a buzz around the hall.

Affordable, highly visual and practical, promotional bags are undoubtedly one of the best products for creating maximum exposure at a trade show.

Largest supplier of promotional bags in the uk. Praveen Samra may be contacted at http://www.rocketbags.co.uk

How to Protect Yourself Against the Hidden Cost of Shipping to Trade Shows
by Paul Buisson

Trade Shows are lots of work, but they can generate lots of new business for their participants. In addition to the expense of staffing your booth, food, lodging, display, travel, etc. you need to consider how will you transport your equipment to and from the event. This sounds like a simple task, but few freight carriers deliver to trade shows. Why don t many carriers ship to trade shows? Anytime you have lots of businesses shipping to the same destination on the same day there will be problems. Every hour the driver must wait in line to unload their delivery will cost the shipper extra money and delay the remaining deliveries in the trailer. This  waiting charge is in addition to the freight quote given by the freight forwarder or carrier.

As a general rule shippers should only be charged waiting fees 30% - 40% of the time. Some of the larger conventions and trade shows incur wait times of four to six hours. The hourly charge, depending on the location, could be $30.00 - $100.00 an hour. Remember that you will need to transport your shipment to the convention center and return the shipment also. Waiting charges can occur on both the delivery and the return trip.

When counting the cost to participate as a vendor in a trade show remember to budget for the waiting time. There is only one trade show Logistics Company I know of that doesn t charge any wait times. They charge a little more on the front end, but they accept all of the risk of the wait time charges. All of the other trade show logistics services do pass on the waiting fees of the carriers.

There are some carriers that inflate the waiting time charges consistently. Let s say a driver had four shipments to a convention center in New York and had to wait four hours to unload his truck. The ethical thing to do would be to charge each shipment a one hour waiting fee. Since none of the four shippers knows how long the driver must wait or how many shipments are being delivered there is no recourse for the shippers to challenge the wait time fees. If the driver is charging $100.00 an hour they just made an extra $1,200.00 in profits. If the wait time is inflated the profits are increased even more. If you are consistently getting charged high waiting time fees I suggest you find another carrier.

BIO

Paul Buisson has been helping small businesses save on their shipping expense for over three years. He specializes in helping start-up businesses and businesses that don t know anything about shipping. He can be contacted at 985-727-2992. www.shipandfreight.com

Paul Buisson has been helping small businesses save on their shipping expense for over three years. He specializes in helping start-up businesses and businesses that don t know anything about shipping. He can be contacted at 985-727-2992. Paul Buisson may be contacted at http://www.shipandfreight.com/ or contact@shipandfreight.com

Seven Great Networking Tips for Trade Shows
by Graham Green

Trade shows require a lot of effort, preparation, and investment. If you re planning on going to a trade show, it s important to get the most out of it possible. And you won t do it by being a wallflower.

For most of us, networking isn t easy. It s hard work to introduce ourselves to strangers, start conversations, and ask questions. Because of this, going to a trade show often involves getting out of our social comfort zones. Here are a few tips for networking effectively at your next trade show and making the trip as useful as possible.

Wear your name tag. This sounds like it s too obvious but you probably know that names can be difficult to remember. Be friendly to the other participants keep your name tag on at all times. That way people have multiple opportunities to remember your name, and nobody will feel embarrassed for forgetting it which isn t unreasonable, considering that most people at trade shows will learn a lot of new names in the few days they attend.

Don t be too salesy. When you talk to people, try not to sound too rehearsed and don t, whatever you do, corner anyone and give them your strongest pitch. Remember, you re at the trade show for the soft sell meet new people and prospects, introduce yourself and your business, and make a great impression. Follow up later with those sales pitches, once you ve qualified your leads.

Write everything down. You think you ll remember the names of everyone you meet and the details of the conversations you ve had at the trade show but you probably won t. Even the most fascinating conversation can get a little hazy after three days of solid networking. Make sure that you get a business card from everyone you meet. After a conversation, jot down a few (legible) notes about the things you discussed on the back of the person s card. That way you ll remember the person later and you ll be in a better position to qualify them as a lead.

During presentations, ask questions for the benefit of all. Don t be the guy who asks long-winded questions nobody else is interested in at presentations. Be thoughtful of the other audience members and ask general questions. Later, you ll probably have time to introduce yourself to the presenter and ask more specific questions. You ll have a better opportunity to make a contact this way, as well.

Break up your group. If you go with several other employees, make sure you all split up. Nobody likes to approach a group of strangers to network it s intimidating. If you re alone, you re more approachable and better able to join groups of new people. This way, you ll be able to learn new things and meet new people the reason you re there.

Set a goal. Tell yourself that you plan on collecting 10 new business cards, introduce yourself to seven new people, or start a conversation with six new people today. Write your goal down, and give yourself a check every time you make progress. If you have a concrete goal, you ll have something to work toward and you ll probably find it easier after the first few. It s important to give yourself a goal that sounds reasonable even a little low. That way, you won t feel like you ll never meet it and get discouraged. Be a resource. Be willing to give as much information about your industry or business as possible to others without giving away trade secrets. The more open and helpful you look, the better impression you ll make. Incorporate that into your handouts if possible include tips and how-to information, not just sales literature. People you meet will notice and appreciate it.

Follow up. This is where those notes you wrote on the backs of business cards will come in handy. Send personalized notes referencing the conversation you had with each person, and provide extra information about your business plus any literature you think they might be interested in based on your conversation. You ll look thoughtful and thorough and your new contacts will definitely be impressed.

A trade show is an ideal place for making new contacts. Don t be afraid to put yourself out there, talk to as many people as possible, and learn a lot. Follow these tips, and you re sure to make a good impression.

Graham Green is director if http://www.justdisplays.co.uk/ a UK supplier of trade show and exhibition supplies. Based in Essex UK just displays provide a range of quality services to business and agencies. For more info on exhibition and trade show supplies visit http://www.justdisplays.co.uk/future.asp Graham Green may be contacted at http://www.justdisplays.co.uk or info@justdisplays.co.uk

The 7 Habits of Highly-Effective Trade Shows
by Mat Kelly

Steven R. Covey has helped millions of people in their business and professional lives with his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The Seven Habits, first written 17 years ago, has proven to be an effective guide for personal and professional development. And these principles, when applied to your trade show experience, can dramatically improve your experience at the event and your results.

Treating your portable trade show display like your portable office is the key to maximizing your effectiveness at each and every event. The purpose of a trade show is connecting with people, and portable trade show displays enable you to create a space for educating prospects about what your company has to offer and qualifying leads to pitch them for a sale or follow up with them later.

Here s how to apply Covey s  7 Habits.

Habit 1: Be Proactive

Planning is the key to maximizing your trade show experience. Weeks preceding the show, you should exercise your marketing muscles. Let your existing customers and prospects know you will be in attendance. If you have a new product on the horizon, this may be an opportunity to generate some buzz by talking about an unveiling or first-time demonstration at the show.

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind

What type of ROI are you shooting for? Do you want to inform prospects about your industry and how your product will help them, or will your prospect likely be familiar with your industry already? What are your leads and sales goals for the event? What is your follow-up strategy, and how soon will you be following up with your prospects?

Habit 3: Put First Things First

Before you even get to the show, how is the morale of your sales team who will be face-to-face with prospects? Your sales team is a reflection of the company  if they aren t enthused about the show, you re wasting their time and the company s money by sending them.

If you sense that your trade show staff is dreading the event, try something spontaneous to get them hyped about the company and your products. Ideas as simple as attending a sporting event, a concert or a day at the amusement park on the company s dime could boost morale.

And when it s time for the show to begin, what is your plan of action to best utilize everyone s strengths? How will you most efficiently distribute use of their time?

Habit 4: Think Win/Win

It s a very, very old marketing principle that is too often overlooked. Very fundamental to any marketing effort is finding a win/win balance where the customer gets what they need and you get what you need.

Because time is of the essence at a trade show, you must figure out how to get the customer to stop at your portable trade show display, quickly qualify them, and assess: whether or not they are your target market, whether they are immediately ready to buy or need more information before they buy or, if they are not a prospect now, could they be one in the future?

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

What is the customers need? How can you fulfill that need/solve their problem? Clearly, if the customer has stopped at your portable trade show display, they are interested in your product. But the first step in qualifying is figuring out what need attracted them to your portable trade show display. Phrases such as  What brings you by here today, or  What may I do to help you? are good ice breakers to ease the conversation from generalities and politely get to the point.

Habit 6: Synergize Principles of Creative Communication

The saying goes,  You were given two ears and one mouth, and this was done for a reason. Listen more than you speak and you will learn a lot more about what the customer is telling you. Listen to their words, translate their body language. When you think you ve figured it out, feed the information back to the customer in their own words and language. From there, use qualifying questions to build mutual trust and understanding to overcome any objections.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

Now this is where it gets personal. A day or a few at a trade show requires peak performance and lots of energy  it can be quite grueling if you re not prepared. What are you doing to make sure you re able to give your best before the trade show, and recharge after? In addition, a post-mortem after the show is a great way to identify mistakes, holes in planning and preparation and efficiency drains  not to browbeat you and your team so you can feel sorry for yourselves, but so you can brainstorm and discuss a better strategy for next time.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People turned the tide of the American mindset about work and life  empowering professionals everywhere to expect more of themselves at work and at home. The  principles of this extraordinary work have been duplicated all over the world. Apply them not only to your prospects experience in your portable trade show displays, but at every level of your marketing strategy, and you will leap ahead of the competition and create the potential to dramatically improve the results at your next trade show event.

About the Author Mat Kelly is the president of ExhibitDEAL, the Original Exhibit Wholesaler specializing in portable trade show displays and accessories. The company has options to fit every budget, and accessories to enhance your portable trade show exhibit space. For info, visit: http://www.exhibitdeal.com/

Mat Kelly may be contacted at http://www.bigoakinc.com or shell@bigoakinc.com

The Psychology Of Choosing Promotional Items For Trade Shows
by Gareth Parkin

Attending a trade show can seem like Christmas -- all those wonderful booths and exhibitors giving away free goodies. Attendees flit from booth to booth and pass on hints of who's giving away the good loot. In all the hustle, bustle and excitement, it's easy to be overlooked by the crowd in favor of a flashier, cooler or louder exhibitor. How do you get potential customers to stop by your booth -- and stay long enough to become a customer?

The answer lies in choosing the right promotional items and promotional products and tying them into your overall theme. According to one trade show publication, people attending a trade show are 52% more likely to stop by your exhibit if you have an appealing promotional gift to give them. Keeping that in mind, how should you go about choosing great promotional gifts AND using them to their best effects?

Here are some key questions that will help you to choose effective promotional items for your trade show exhibits.

1. What gifts will fit your company or image? Pens, key rings and little trinkets are a glut on the market at trade shows. Besides being  what everyone else has', they seldom have anything to do with your business. Choose items that complement your main business -- USB flash drives for a software company, for instance.

2. Can you imprint your contact info on them? Since one of the major reasons for your promotional giveaway is to encourage your potential customers to contact you, imprinted items are a great choice. Depending on the items that you choose, you may decide to make your imprint discreet, or very very visible.

3. Would you like to get one for free? If it's not something that appeals to you personally, how can you expect it to appeal to others? When you're shopping for promotional gifts start with an open mind, and narrow the field by the "wow" factor. If you see something that you'd LOVE to get, add it to your list of possibilities. Later, you can winnow out the items that are too expensive or don't otherwise suit.

One important thing to keep in mind when designing your trade show strategy is the perceived value of your promo items. People respond best to promotional gifts that they feel are valuable to have and to give. One way to impress people with the value of your promotional gift is to choose an expensive item, but it's not the only, or even the best way. What's far more important is your gift-giving approach.

1. DON'T just lay your promotional items out on a table for anyone to take as they pass. Not only does it deprive you of the chance to make a personal contact or sales pitch, it devalues the promotional item itself. How important is it if you don't have to do anything to get it? 2. DO design your exhibit to highlight your best promotional items to attract attention. Create an attractive display on your table. If the item is one that's an attention getter, detail one of your booth sitters to wander around the exhibit area using the item and directing people back to your booth. 3. DO consider first impressions. Station someone near the entrance to the trade show with an armload of attention-getting carry bags with your logo. Hand them to everyone who enters for a highly visible advertisement for your booth. Be sure that your booth also displays the same logo or colors so that it can be found easily. 4. DO consider having drawings and raffles for higher value promotional items. These little "event within an event" can raise excitement and bring people back to your booth multiple times over the course of a day.

Gareth Parkin is the co-founder of Ideasbynet, the UK's leading online promotional gifts and promotional items company based in the north of England. Established in 2001, he has taken the UK gift market by storm by the application of modern business thinking. Gareth Parkin may be contacted at http://www.ideasbynet.com

Top 5 Reasons Why Businesses Shouldn t Miss Trade Shows
by Charmaine Joy Caro

Most trade show exhibitors would probably answer the same thing when asked why they attend trade shows. Trade shows are very critical in the growth of a certain business. They are the instruments to make your business flourishing. Significant business persons gather together to in the show to present their services and products to the potential buyers and suppliers.

Here are the major reasons why businesses make the most of trade shows:

To connect with customers. Trade shows are designed to help businesses stay in touch with the customers. It s a cost effective way of branding your business and improving your corporate identity.

To be competitive. A trade show is the best opportunity to know more about your competitors. It s where you can compare your capability from the rest of your business rivals. Don t miss this chance to be acquainted with what your rivals has to offer to the visitors. Know their strengths and weaknesses. Use their weaknesses as an opportunity to improve your business.

To discover new marketing concepts. In trade shows you get to meet large numbers of suppliers, retailers, manufacturers and buyers. The shows will help you to learn more information abut what s in and what s out in the market today. All of the information that you can get out of the trade shows will help you to build more strategic marketing plan that will strengthen your business stand in the industry.

To sell. To put your products and services on the market is the main purpose why businesses take part in trade show exhibits. You can obtain many serious buyers in trade shows that s why you have to carefully plan for your trade show presentation. Know how you deal with you re the visitors in your booth. Make sure that you re able to persuade them to patronize your products and services when they stop at you booth.

To generate leads. Attending trade shows are proven to generate leads for the business. This is the purpose why more and more business establishments indulge in trade show exhibitions. Great return-on-investments can be enjoyed when you decide to attend trade shows. No marketing effort is wasted since you re able to meet with your potential customers and clients face to face. Plus, you re able to save a lot in building relations to wide-ranging prospects. When you generate leads, follow-ups are needed. Follow-ups must be done after the display trade show exhibit.

Charmaine Joy Caro developed her passion for writing when she joined essay writing contests during her elementary years. Her writing skills were made even more improved when she took up the course Bachelor of Arts Major in English. Charmaine Joy Caro may be contacted at

Trade Show ROI: Why Trade Shows Give You the Most Bang for Your Marketing Bucks
by Mat Kelly

No matter how much money you have in your marketing budget, it seems there s never enough. From the marketing department at Microsoft to the small nonprofit start-up, there s always the desire to expand your budget for more effective promotion.

On the surface, trade shows may not seem to be the best use of those marketing dollars. But when you factor in some basic components of effective marketing strategy, such as target audience, immediate one-on-one personal attention and follow-up, there are few marketing strategies that produce such a strong return on investment.

Now, a good marketing plan will include more than just attending trade shows. For maximum exposure in your market, you must have a multi-faceted approach: network marketing, marketing materials, a website and trade show marketing These tools and strategies are just a handful of effective marketing techniques, and generally perceived as the most essential. And while each technique has its strengths, none will give you the return on investment that you will receive from exhibiting at a trade show.

Network Marketing

This is one of the oldest, most effective, time-tested methods of marketing. Before there were business cards and brochures, offices and telephones, marketing strategy and advertising budgets, business owners promoted themselves by literally speaking to customers one-by- one. Idealistically, speaking to one person and asking to be referred to friends who may match your demographic creates a ripple effect and brings customers to your door.

The downside of this age-old tactic is the time involved. As a professional, time is money. In order to network, you must attend meetings and go to events that may be of interest to your target market and personally introduce yourself to people one-by-one. In addition, you often pay membership fees for some of these networking functions. The problem is, these meetings and events are smaller gatherings of people, and you are not going to be able to cover the ground that you would at a larger gathering.

Marketing Materials and Website

Most businesses arm themselves with business cards, brochures and other print marketing materials to distribute to the public. And increasingly, the essential need for a website has become standard for any smart marketing plan. Without these basics covered, you will find it quite challenging to compete in your market, no matter what type of business you are in.

The print materials are a good start but allocating the costs of reproducing and mailing them, and the process of constantly updating them, are no small tasks. Websites are an incredibly powerful marketing tool because any business  whether one employee strong or tens of thousands strong  can present you to a global audience. But like the printed materials, the site must be maintained and continuously updated to truly have impact. In addition, because neither of these tools lack interactivity with the prospect, you are not immediately able to guide their interpretations of the information or answer their questions.

Trade Shows

There s two reasons trade shows draw millions of people from all around the world each year  a targeted audience and face-to-face, one-on-one contact.

The trade show is similar to network marketing but on a much larger scale. You have a large target audience swirling around you, so you conquer the first big hurdle of marketing  weeding out the people who are not interested in your industry (because they aren t going to attend the trade show). And face time with your prospects enables you to further pre-qualify them to set a smooth landing for a follow-up or a sale.

The only possible objection with trade shows is the expense of them. When calculating your trade show budget, you must factor in travel expenses such as airfare, ground transportation and accommodations, meals, snacks, giveaways, the cost of being out of the office, the cost of your trade show display, and trade show exhibit fees.

The costs can really add up and, on paper, may make your finance manager reach for the antacid. But there is no other marketing opportunity that affords you personal contact with such a concentrated target market. In the end, attending a trade show is likely to produce the largest pool of qualified leads when compared to many other marketing tools  giving you the best return on your marketing investment.

Trade shows are a crucial ingredient of your marketing strategy. While networking, printed marketing materials, your website and trade show marketing are all interwoven to execute an effective plan, the trade show provides the highest volume of potential customers and is the most direct. Attend trade shows on a regular basis and the results will likely eliminate any second guesses you may have about the money spent.

Mat Kelly may be contacted at http://www.bigoakinc.com or shell@bigoakinc.com

Trade Shows And Those Unexpected Challenges
by Barry Brenner

Disasters can come out of nowhere. Giant thunderstorms can appear without a moment's notice, knocking out telephone and power lines. A bad dinner at a local restaurant can have a member of your staff flat on their back with food poisoning. Open up your collateral material only to discover that it's not what you packed. How do you compensate for these potential catastrophic situations?

Your key to success is advance preparation. Many challenges can be addressed using your common sense and creativity. But implementing those solutions can be tricky.

Advance preparation can make the difference between success and failure. By starting well in advance of your trade show, you'll be assured of smooth sailing, no matter what happens. The three main areas to concentrate on are people, places, and things.

People: You are only as good as your booth staff. The best display, graphics, and promotional items won't save your show if your staff isn't up to the challenge. When it comes to people, providing comprehensive training before your show can pay huge dividends. Cross train your staff so that each member can cover for another. This doesn't mean your sales people need to be technical gurus or that your mechanical whiz-kids need to become top-notch sales associates  but each one should know enough about the other's responsibilities to pinch-hit when necessary.

Places: When you arrive at your destination, it's not enough to just know where the convention center is. Take a few minutes prior to departing and do a search on the internet about your destination and its surroundings. Do you know where the closest medical facility, business center, or airport is located? Having knowledge of the area will save you valuable time if you need to send staffers out of the show center for quick errands. You're only at the show for a limited amount of time. Make it as productive as possible.

Designate a team leader or captain before the show. This person will be the go-to person in case of any emergencies, and should have the authority to make any necessary decisions. If an unforeseen event occurs, your staff will know who to turn to for direction.

Things: The biggest challenges can often come from the simplest things. If your brochures have been sent to London instead of New York, there's not much you can do to remedy the situation, short of hopping a red eye and physically retrieving the wayward literature yourself. But that's not practical. Instead, have a back-up plan. For example: Having a DVD back up of all your literature is a simple, easy step. Most major cities and convention centers have print shops that can quickly run off a few thousand brochures. You might pay a premium for rush service, but that's a small price compared to the embarrassment and potential loss of business.

If you make your advance preparation process a trade show habit, your budget and ROI should never feel the impact of a looming disaster.

Barry Brenner is a thirteen year veteran tradeshow consultant. He has worked with companies of all sizes from small mom and pop businesses, to billion dollar corporations. He can be reached via e-mail at info@bsforu.com or through his web site, http://www.bsforu.com Barry Brenner may be contacted at

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