Trade show booths are expensive. Plus, the cost of the displays can be outrageous. But, there’s plenty you can do to keep your trade show marketing costs down so you don’t blow your budget. It just takes a little creativity. Below, I’ll give you 3 ideas you can use at your next trade show to preserve your cash flow.

Idea #1: The Walking Billboard

Thousands of trade show attendees walk by booths and fail to notice the signs. It’s natural. We develop a certain blindness to stationary signs during the chaos of a trade show. But, here’s where a little ingenuity kicks in. Create a sandwich board with the name of your business and the benefits that your product delivers. Either wear it yourself or pay someone else to do it right outside your booth. It grabs attention and doesn’t cost much.

Idea #2: Working With Trade Show Enemies

Savvy trade show marketing involves doing what others aren’t. Before the trade show, contact 1 or 2 of your competitors who are planning to have booths at the show. Strike a deal with them. Trade fliers. Place their fliers on your booth and have them place yours on their booths. No company can be everything to everyone. This is an opportunity to leverage floor space without having to pony up the extra cash for another booth.

This idea works even better if you can identify 1 or 2 other companies with complementary products. For example, if you sell state-of-the-art mail servers, strike a deal with another trade show booth owner who installs Exchange. The referrals are built-in. It’s a win-win situation.

Idea #3: The Friendly Email

You’d be surprised by how many business owners fail to contact their best customers and strongest leads before going to a trade show. Send them an email and ask them to stop by your booth. It takes 5 minutes to write the email and won’t cost you a dime. If they’re already planning to attend the trade show, it’s a great opportunity for you to either gain a new customer or to build relationships with current customers.

Keeping Your Trade Show Marketing Costs Down

The further you stretch your trade show marketing budget, the greater leverage you’ll enjoy from your efforts. When you walk by other booths, notice how other companies are spending their budget. Most businesses lack creativity. But, if you put the tips in this post into action, you’ll save money and outlast some of your competitors.