Any business that has ever participated in a marketing convention or expo understands that merely setting up a booth isn’t enough. In order to truly leverage every opportunity and maximize success at each event, companies in any industry need to carefully strategize and execute on a plan of action. While the quest for trade show success can seem daunting, particularly for organizations making their first foray into the trade show marketing forum, it doesn’t have to be. Keeping a steady focus on several critical rules of convention engagement can help your business reap consistent trade show success.
Preshow Tradeshow Marketing Planning For Tradeshow Success
Some of the most important rules for tradeshow success actually happen well before the day of the event. Always consider these points in the preshow planning phase:
Allocated Budget: Budget always tops the list of priority focuses during any promotional initiative. Always carefully designate an appropriate budget for all trade show marketing details and items well before your team arrives at their first event.
Select The Best Convention Events: While this may seem like a “no-brainer” of sorts, choosing the right event can prove challenging. Take the time to research details like competitive vendors attending, prospective attendance and if the fees and expenses incurred are likely to deliver a positive return on investment at the end of the day before moving forward.
Set Specific, Measureable Objectives: Simply understanding the many opportunities available to organizations at conventions isn’t enough. In order to truly reap tradeshow success, it’s critical for your team to create a specific list of desired goals to achieve while trade show marketing. Are you hoping to generate 50 new leads at each event? Network with 100 potential partners during the function? Everything should be planned out carefully to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. Not only should you have a detailed list of objectives, but you should also create an outline assigning action items to individual team members so everyone knows what is expected of them.
Create Pre-event Trade Show Marketing Plan: Once you’ve decided the when and when of your next event, it’s time to kick your pre-function tradeshow marketing campaign into high gear. Create your wish list of attendees based on previous, current and prospective clients and send them information about your participation at the convention. Use your social media pages to blast details and updates in the weeks leading up to the event. Put the function facts on your business website. Remember to use every resource available to you as part of your tradeshow marketing campaign to get the word out and ensure the best turnout possible for your business.
Planning For Tradeshow Success At And After The Event
Once all the preshow details have been carefully managed, it’s time to focus on during and after components of tradeshow success. Remember, the most important determinant of tradeshow success is often a direct correlation of how many booth guests a business encounters. While at the event, it’s imperative for your business to have an effective, visually compelling tradeshow marketing exhibit to quickly garner the attention of the crowd and direct them away from the competition. Partner with a reputable design firm that will help your business create a trade show marketing exhibit that has a clear, concise message with your most updated brand images for optimal tradeshow success.
While getting guests to stop and take a look at your business proves critical, keeping them informed and engaged is also a crucial component in trade show success. Your booth staff and exhibit are your most powerful resources when differentiating your business from the competition. Always have a presentable, articulate, well-trained team of staff member manning the booth throughout the event.
Finally, once the event has concluded and you feel like you’re done – you’re not! After every function, everyone who attended the event must convene to conduct a post-event analysis. Discuss what worked, what didn’t work and what needs tweaking before the next expo. Most importantly, determine a strategy for following up on each and every contact generated during the event. This consistent follow up can help your team distinguish itself from other businesses and is often the most important rule to follow to achieve maximum trade show success.
About the author:
Jonathan Edelman provides helpful advice about trade show strategies. With years of experience in the trenches, he is an expert on booth displays, follow up techniques, and using trade show marketing strategies to boost revenue.
