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“One of the main benefits of appearing at a trade show over selling to individuals is that it’s just like running a retail store. People are coming in the door to talk to you,” Linda Bishop, founder of sales training and marketing consulting firm Thought Transformation, told IMT. “What you should be looking at is the value of a sale. You can look at it as the value of a single sale, or as the lifetime value of a client. If selling to one or two or three people will pay for a trade show, it’s a good place for you to be.”

According to data from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), 88% of the attendees at a trade show usually haven’t been seen by a member of your company’s sales staff in the past year, and 70% plan to buy one or more products. On average, 76% of attendees ask for quotes and 26% end up signing purchase orders. Seventy-two percent of visitors say the show itself influences their buying decisions.

The positive impact of exhibiting at a trade show isn’t confined just to the event, as 87 percent of attendees will pass along some of the information they obtained at the show, and 64 percent will tell at least six other people about it. From a sales perspective, shows can also be highly cost-effective — it costs 22 percent less to contact a potential buyer at a show than through traditional field sales calls.

The Exhibit Source provides a complete selection of event marketing and trade show exhibit solution. Whether you are attending national trade show promotions (where you may need rent 20x20 trade show displays or larger) or simply need support for small-scale training meetings (where a 10x10 Tabletop promotional display is best), we are ready and able to serve your business needs. Our services include exhibit design and construction, graphic design, signage, shipping, and installation and dismantle logistics. With an extensive product line and custom modular displays, we deliver a standout custom look with all the practical benefits of a modular product.

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Trade show season is in full swing. Besides creating an effective and memorable trade show exhibits, remember your loyal customers and stick to your marketing efforts.  Instead, use this as an opportunity to get the most out of your trade show attendance by including your customers in the experience.
 
Here are some easy ways to get customers excited about your new products.

Kick off an online campaign a week or two before the trade show. Give it a fun name, like “Be Our Buyer.”

If you have it in your budget or live close enough to a trade show to avoid flight and hotel expenses, host a contest and have the prize be a day at the trade show. Have customers submit an essay.

If you are not able to bring someone to the show with you, bring the show to your customers. Crowd sourcing has never been easier than with the help of social media. While at a show, snap a few pictures and post them to Facebook. Then, ask your fans what they like best. This increase online engagement, and conversation.

One of the most exciting aspects of attending a trade show is getting a first look at upcoming trends. Share some of your favorite trends with your customers.

Even after you return from your travels, you can keep the excitement going with an inventory blowout.  You will need to make room for your new products anyway. Use social media, email marketing and word of mouth to help spread the word. Let your customers know that you are having the sale to make room for your new product arrivals.

After spending time and effort creating excitement around the trade show experience, host a premiere party to announce your new product arrivals. Send invitations through email, creating a Facebook event and providing invitations. Lay down the red carpet, put out refreshments, turn on the tunes and you will start cranking out sales.

Bring your efforts full circle by offering special incentives for those customers who experienced the trade show whirlwind with you. From those who voted on product pictures to the folks who helped clear your shelves during the inventory blow out, give them the VIP treatment with some extra special savings.

For more ideas on successful trade shows, contact The Exhibit Source.

Independent Retailer

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If your business is heading to its first trade show, don’t be intimidated by your first trade show exhibit buying experience. First, think about what your marketing objectives are and let that strategy dictate your exhibit marketing needs. Now, depending on your goals, consider if you need to purchase a custom exhibit, or if you can purchase a portable exhibit, modular exhibit, or hybrid exhibit which are less expensive. Most importantly, the earlier you start to plan the better.

In buying your first exhibit, a lot of questions will arise; getting advice will help you make the right decisions. There are different types of exhibits which can meet different needs. How you plan to use the exhibit, your image and your budget will dictate what type of trade show exhibit you can buy.

The Exhibit Source can custom design your trade show display or you can buy an exhibit system, which is an alternative to the high cost of having one custom designed. Exhibit systems includes portable, modular, and hybrid exhibits, which are evolving towards custom-crafted exhibits, and custom designed trade show exhibits are evolving towards exhibit systems, both have distinct advantages. Making the decision as to which style exhibit to purchase is where an exhibit consultant can be very useful.

For more information on types and styles of trade show exhibits, contact The Exhibit Source in Newton.

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The Exhibit & Event Marketers Association and the Chief Marketing Officer Council have released a joint study on the value of trade shows and event marketing. The study gathered the views of brand marketers.

Among the key findings, the report noted the continuing importance of special events and trade show marketing across organizations. About 90% of respondents reported that special events held some level of importance for their business, and 31% considered events essential.

“Events and their ability to host intimate, face-to-face dialogues with customers, prospects, influencers and even competitors remains critical to many marketers across a multitude of industries,” says vice president of marketing programs and thought leadership for the Chief Marketing Officer Council.

Most marketers in the survey thought of trade shows and similar programs as ways to increase revenue, with 64% using them to find new prospects and 62% working to gather or cultivate leads.

The process of event and trade show marketing is undergoing an evolution to make them more personalized. About 40% of those surveyed said they were starting to move from the large trade shows toward smaller, targeted gatherings. A similar amount, 44%, reported that they were choosing to host their own events to build their brand instead of participating solely in general events or shows.

For more information on trade shows and trade show exhibits, contact The Exhibit Source.

Business Information Administration

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Many businesses today are going green, but not just in the office. Many companies are going green in marketing. But that doesn’t have to stop with marketing materials; it can spread to your trade show exhibit booth. Green trade show exhibits can show  your client base that you mean business when it comes to social responsibility.

While going green is important to companies, it is also very important to your individual customers. In every aspect, more and more people are making ‘green’ decisions. So, green trade show marketing can make quite an impression to your customers and potential customers.  
Let the Exhibit Source help green-minded businesses engage with booth visitors at trade shows, go green with your marketing efforts. We have a full line of environmentally-friendly trade show displays and booth products including modular exhibits and graphics. We will design and create your booth entirely from renewable materials. A green trade show exhibit will allow your company to demonstrate its commitment to a sustainable environment while making a lasting impression.

For more information, contact The Exhibit Source.

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