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Making the Most of a TradeshowAs you may already know, exhibiting at a conference or tradeshow gives valuable exposure to your products and services. It provides your company the ability to demonstrate your products in person, direct access to customers, and the opportunity to hear their feedback. A great deal of your company's time and resources go into tradeshow planning, so it is important to develop sound marketing strategies. We spoke with a number of tradeshow veterans who gave us tips on making the most of your time at these events. Holly Abrams, Director of Product and Program Marketing at the ASCD, stresses the importance of planning ahead. Preparations include: - Researching to decide which events to attend; - Signing up early for premium space; - Deciding which employees to send; - Obtaining a list of attendees and exhibiting companies; - Setting up appointments; - Advertising through mailings, emails, etc.; and - Training inexperienced staff and holding pre-conference planning sessions. Abrams explains that exhibitors who get started early are more likely to receive the space they want and are better equipped to create interesting activities in their booth. Corinne Burton, Marketing Manager at Teacher Create Materials, says that a significant first step is understanding who is attending the conference. Her company takes part in about 100 tradeshows a year, choosing those that target the right kind of person for their business. She also suggests testing new tradeshows to see if they fit in well with your companies' needs, and dropping those that don't any longer. Once at the actual conference, you need to make the most of your time there. This involves: - Drawing attention to your booth and engaging attendees with activities, presentations, author meet-and-greets, drawings, etc.; - Identifying and spending time with your VIP customers; - Making customer and business-to-business appointments; and - Speaking with attendees outside the exhibit hall. Melanie Younger, Director of Conferences at IRA, mentions that offering coupons to attendees can be a real draw. Director of FETC, Inc., Mike Eason advises looking beyond simply manning your booth in the exhibit hall to speaking with attendees at different functions. He says that striking casual conversations builds relationships that can turn into sales. Eason has noticed that trade shows previously were expected to produce big sales, however, now they are "just the beginning of the conversation." Greg Daurelle, Director of Marketing at SAGE Publications, which typically attends and exhibits at over 90 conference a year, agrees that the focus for publishers has changed over the years. He believes that these conferences are more about building an image and brand rather than just selling. They also help companies understand the marketplace.
Deborah Young, Exhibits Manager at NAESP, suggests having a lead retrieval machine at tradeshows for use afterwards. When attendees stop by exhibitors' booths and swipe a card, these devices capture all their information, and are a great marketing tool. Work doesn't end after the event is over. All the veterans agree that after a tradeshow you should: - Evaluate business leads; - Follow up with contacts through phone calls, mailings, or in person meetings; - Find out what products received the most interest; and - Determine how well your company fared.
Questions, ideas, or in need of more information? Please contact Stacey Pusey at 302-295-8349.
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© 2011 The Association of Educational
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