The Exhibit Source Blog

With the New Year comes a new season of trade shows to prepare for. If you’re exhibiting at industry expos pre-marketing needs to be a big part of your branding strategy – and the time to start planning is now.

Trade shows provide unique sales opportunities that help in generating new leads, assessing the competition, and improving brand awareness. Trade shows require advanced planning pre-marketing strategies to maximize ROI and ensure ultimate success.

Here are five great pre-marketing strategies that will help ensure that your trade show investments of time and money pays off by translating into better leads, brand awareness, and more closed deals.

Get the word out with email
Prepare an eye-catching email inviting your contacts to attend your next event or meet you at your trade show booth. One or two emails in the month prior will do the trick. Include information on any special promotions or prize giveaways you’ll be offering at the event.

Schedule one-on-one meetings in advance
“76% of trade show attendees rate face-to-face meetings as extremely important in choosing new products and making lasting connections.” So, contact as many attendees as you can before a trade show and schedule them to a one-on-one meeting with you during the show. Offer them an incentive to encourage prospects to agree to a meeting in advance.

Utilize your sales team in advance
Your sales team talks to customers and prospects on a daily basis. Use them to generate a buzz about upcoming trade shows beforehand. They should mention something about your next trade show on every call. This is possibly one of the best ways to get your customers and prospects excited about meeting you and putting a face to a name.

Tweet
Twitter is used by your clients and prospects as a primary way to stay connected. For trade show marketing, be sure to send out tweets leading up to a trade show to announce show specials, and tweet out updates on where your booth will be located. Also offer incentives or prizes for people who stop by. Use event hash tags if available.
 
Get Creative
Trade shows should be anything but ordinary. Use your creative license to drive prospects to your trade show exhibit by generating excitement early on. For trade shows, try organizing a special promotion that gets show attendees involved. The more captivating a booth, the more buzz there will be about it and the more folks will stop in.

For assistance creating a captivating  and show stopping trade show booth, contact the Exhibit Source.

Image Source Magazine

There are five concrete benefits for decision makers to consider when determining the fiscal viability of investing in a trade show exhibit and actively participating in a trade show.
 
1. Cost effective. Trade shows offer the opportunity for hundreds, if not thousands, of potential buyers to view your products during a single event which reduces the cost per acquired sale.

2. Time saving. For the same reason, trade shows save time and the cost associated with individual sales calls and the travel involved presenting products one buyer at a time.

3. Building customer relationships. For many businesses, the only time they are able to meet with customers face-to-face is through a trade show. The opportunity to connect in person with customers and potential customers helps to solidify the relationship and leads to additional sales opportunities.

4. Hands on experience. The best traditional and new media marketing in the world can't take the place of the opportunity to actually see, feel, taste, touch and experience your products. Trade show displays allow buyers to try your products "on for size" and see the potential solutions you offer.

5. Industry trends research. Participating and attending trade shows not only allow you to display and present your products but also afford your sales executives the opportunity to see firsthand what the other businesses in your industry are presenting. Learn and listen to peers, vendors, suppliers and customers to hear what the latest trends are for your industry.

For the first time trade show participant, the most effective and efficient way to plan and prepare for your experience is to partner with a company who offers vast knowledge and expertise. The Exhibit Source offers a menu of trade show services: Event Management Tools, consulting, designing and building custom trade show displays, and a comprehensive knowledge of trade show graphics customized for your individual trade show display. Contact us.

Market Watch

Industry trade shows, conferences, and exhibitions remain popular. In fact, a recent Center for Exhibition Industry Research report reveals an increase in trade show activity. As a participating business, you need to do trade shows right and make the most of your time there. Here are 10 tips to get the most out of your trade show:

As summer begins, this is a particularly good time to start planning for the fall events. So here are some insider tips for getting the most of a trade show appearance.

1. Map out your objectives for the event and create a plan. Show attendance is more than an opportunity to collect leads and engage with prospects. It is also an opportunity to meet with partners, press, potential employees, even competitors.

Consider announcing a new product, implementing an incentive plan for recruiting partners, or arranging meetings with industry analysts. Understanding who will be attending the event and other activities that will take place at the show should play a role in your decisions.

2. Apply early for a meaningful speaking opportunity. Presenting at a conference or trade show brings credibility to your company and amplifies your message. Getting a customer to speak on your behalf is even better.

3. Reach out to the people you want to meet before the show. A good place to start is your prospect database. Use social media like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook to see who is talking about the show. Reach out to these folks via targeted emails. Get personal and be specific about why people should meet with you.

4. Bring the right staff. Pick staff who like engaging with strangers, even if they are not in sales. Product developers are sometimes your best advocates. If you hire local staff to augment your company presence, make sure they know the basics about the company/product. Be sure the best prospects get preferential treatment and the time-wasters don’t clog up booth operations.

5. Choose a good trade show booth location. At a small show, location is not important, so don’t spend extra money on it, but at the larger shows, it pays to get a location that is:

• On a busy aisle or near the hall entrance
• Near an anchor booth (a big company in a related market).
• On a corner. This gives you more effective space than you paid for, since you can encroach on more aisle space without running afoul of the show managers.

6. Booth graphics and messaging need to be simple. Typically, you have about two seconds to capture attention with your booth display. So focus on the top keywords and great graphics on your trade show exhibit. White space is a huge plus.

7. Create an engaging way to interact with visitors. Contests and challenges are good ways to create meaningful interaction, but make sure they are connected to your company’s value proposition. People love to play hands-on games and win a chance to get something substantial, like an iPad. Photographing or videoing participants and uploading the content to the company Facebook page is a great way to keep the buzz going even after show is over.

8. Prepare packaged demos, so people can understand your product within two minutes. If someone wants more information, pass them on to a qualified person to go more in depth.

9. Don’t waste the time and money participating in "Speaker’s Corners"-type demos.

10. Use giveaways judiciously. If there is a way to tie the giveaway into your company's value proposition, then giving something away makes sense, because it reinforces engagement and brand equity.

Also, do all the obvious stuff like wear clearly branded company attire, make sure you have ample literature on hand, follow up with leads quickly after the show.

Contact The Exhibit Source for more information on a captivating and engaging trade show exhibit.

Fast Company Magazine

Trade show attendees expect more from the trade show experience these days. Advances in technology, design and lightweight materials have turned trade show displays into a very powerful marketing tool.
 
Incorporating strong video elements into your trade show exhibit is a good way of connecting with your customers – an eye-catching video is more accessible than a marketing brochure and transmits your message more effectively.
 
In an increasingly competitive marketplace, trade show exhibitors can no longer afford to ignore the powerful benefits of video presentations.
 
What type of video should you use in your trade show display?
 
Trade show display videos offer a unique opportunity to show off products and services to potential customers. For maximum impact, use a variety of testimonials, interviews, product displays and adverts.
 
You can use video to promote newly launched services and also can field video product demos without the cost of employing a demonstrator for the show.  Contact your customers and ask them to give you a video testimonial to use in your display. They will probably thank you for the free publicity.
 
Remember that your display is a gateway to your business. It is worthwhile preparing a good quality presentation.
 
Using a smartphone to capture video gives a powerful immediacy to your display. Imagine the impact of recording customer testimonials at the trade show and immediately streaming it through your monitors, or being able to present a live product display.

The viral effect of social media shares means you will reach far more people this way.
 
By using video in your trade show booth you will have clients at the show engaged with your business.  Once your trade show exhibit is compatible with video and technology, the possibilities for awareness and exposure are endless.

The Exhibit Source is a leader in cutting edge event technology. Contact us.
 
TSNN

Many small to medium sized businesses participate in trade shows. For most trade shows the cost is tens of thousands. And that is before you pay your sales people.

According to the trade show bureau, it takes 3.6 touches to make an average B2B sale from a trade show lead rather than 6.7 touches from other leads.

So, are trade shows worth it?

For companies whose primary marketing strategy is direct sales, the general consensus is “Yes” trade shows are worth it. They must be properly executed, and when they are, there is no bigger marketing investment.
 
It is very important to pick the right show and have a customer focused strategy. But unfortunately, many companies execute a trade show poorly.

Your trade show displays should be a visual bill board. Your trade show exhibits must be part of the strategy of drawing potential customers and clients to your booth. But you must also have other effective strategies in place as well.
 
If your goal is branding and attracting customers, trade shows can be worth your while. But an attractive trade show booth displays are integral. One that can be assembled, transported and reassembled in the next location, can be highly effective and economical as well.

For information on trade show booths and displays, contact The Exhibit Source.

When planning your trade show displays, you need to think about how you are going to transport your booth once it is created. The Exhibit Source will help you design portable trade show exhibits keeping transportation costs in mind.

If you are considering a tall trade show display, consider having it designed so it can be broken down easily.

If using a transportation company to move your trade show display, be sure to incorporate the transportation expenses into your trade show budget.

The Exhibit Source can build high quality, trade show booths that are transportable. But here are some tips if you are using a transportation company to move your display.

Contact the trade show organizers and find out what the earliest available delivery and set-up times are. If you know this you can provide a bigger delivery window to the transportation company and get off-peak rates.

Instead of printing your trade show materials beforehand if the trade show is located in another town or state, have your marketing material made into digital files. You can have them printed near the trade show location to save on transportation space and fuel.

Contact The Exhibit Source for portable and impressionable trade show displays.

Trade shows are designed to let businesses meet numerous potential customers face-to-face in a short period of time.

Every size business does well at trade shows. Overall, booth space is inexpensive and small companies can usually afford attractive trade show displays. With creative marketing and trade show exhibits, small businesses can appear as substantial and profitable as larger corporations.

Those who use captivating and sophisticated trade show displays do well at trade shows no matter what their size, while those who show they are small and inexperienced can waste thousands of dollars and possibly do more harm than good.
 
Trade Show Benefits
 
The Trade Show Bureau claims that the average total cost of closing a sale in the field is $1,080, while the cost of closing a sale to a qualified trade show prospect is $419.
 
Generating sales leads is the most common reason exhibitors participate in trade shows. To do this, you need an appealing and compelling trade show booth. Contact The Exhibit Source for your display needs.

Trade shows. For a small to medium sized company, preparing for them can be time consuming and overwhelming. What are some of the DO’s and DON’Ts of  trade show exhibits? Deciding what to include in your exhibit and how to set it up is one of the first decisions you’ll have to make. But even prior to that: how big is your booth and do you have electricity?

Once you have the answers to these questions, you can begin to think about the actual trade show displays, what you want and what you can do.

Don’t Jam Pack it. Often simple is better. Overcrowding a booth with products, logos, displays and information turn people away and don’t send a clear message of why attendees should stop there.

Make your message simple. What is the main objective? Is there one main product you want to push or introduce? Having fewer, but larger visual elements in your exhibit will reduce clutter and get more attention from attendee’s while creating a lasting impression.

Just a few products. Don’t bring your entire product line to the trade show. Just show the products you want to showcase or the products that make you the highest profit margin.

Moving trade show displays are better than static ones. Have something rotating or moving. At the least, have a tv showing a looping video.
 
If you have a large trade show booth, be sure to have an area set aside, with table and chairs to bring prospective customers to sit and chat.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your trade show display, contact the Exhibit Source. 

The whole objective of a trade show display is to attract the right prospective clients to your trade show booth.
 
But what about your other marketing efforts? Perhaps part of your companies mission statement and marketing effort is bringing your company green. Recycled office stationary and recycling initiatives in your office are not where you need to stop with your efforts.

Is your company going green with its marketing efforts?

The Exhibit Source is proud to be New England's exclusive distributor of the full line of environmentally-friendly trade show display products, including modular exhibits, graphics, and accessories. Our recycled displays have the visual impact and durability you need, made from high quality products.

Theses trade show exhibits exclusively use materials that are renewable, recycled, and recyclable from bamboo plywood to fabric made of recycled soda bottles.  Green exhibits demonstrate your company's commitment to a sustainable environment.

Contact The Exhibit Source for stunning and “green” trade show exhibits.