While giveaways and tradeshow attractions are an integral part of every tradeshow, they’re not necessarily what are attracting the decision-makers to your booth. To get in front of the influencers and decision-makers at the next show, consider these tips when planning your tradeshow marketing strategy.

Choose The Right Place And Mode Of Communication

Make sure that the show you have selected is one that attracts the decision-makers you seek. Create your tradeshow marketing plan with awareness of who those decision-makers are and where they go.

Internet marketing is very prevalent these days and certainly has its place, but there is no substitute for face-to-face interaction. This is a huge reason trade shows even exist. Try to get that face time with the person who can actually sign a contract. Research shows that a few days of interaction and engaging in a trade show environment can cut the cost and time of closing sales by as much as 50%.

Offer An Incentive

Reach out to potential decision-makers well in advance of the show. Launch a postcard campaign. Send a personal invitation. Whatever means you choose, just let them know where to find you, and make sure you include your booth number for the show. Special offers are valuable incentives when they’re only available to those included in the campaign. Offer a prize to be picked up at that show or a product discount, but make it contingent on a visit to your booth.

It is important that the incentive has something for both the individual and their company. For example, combine a gift for visiting the booth with some sort of incentive for closing a sale within a few of days or a week of the show. A decision-maker is more likely to take advantage of something that saves his or her company money.

Sponsorships

Get noticed by sponsoring an event within the show. Sponsor a party, seminar, or reception. There are plenty of sponsorship opportunities to fit every budget. Figure out which events your target decision-maker is likely to attend. As an added bonus, try to find an event to sponsor where your product or service is actually being put to use. At the events, interact with your audience, but don’t overshadow the efforts of the event presenters. A great perk of event sponsorship is that event sponsors usually get prime booth locations!

Attend And Engage

Finally, one of the easiest trade show marketing tools: Get out into the crowd! Once your booth is staffed with educated well-trained individuals who you can count on to represent your company, you are free to move about the floor. There’s no substitute for personal interaction when it comes to identifying and attracting decision-makers. Work the room and seize the opportunity to personally invite the right people to your booth.

About the Author
Jon Edelman provides exciting trade show marketing ideas, including advice about prize wheels, customizable scratch-off cards, money blowing machines, and other exciting trade show attractions. With years of experience in the trenches, he is an expert on booth displays, lead generation techniques, and networking with trade show vendors. Helping to build a referral-generating system, his ideas continuously lead to a boost in sales and revenue.