Trade Shows or Expos are the best times to advertise your Company’s brand and products so that you can acquire new Customers. Depending on the industry your business belongs to, there are regular Trade shows and Expos organised to help business owners and organizations showcase their products and services.
If you have ever attended a trade show which you adjudged successful, then chances are that you must have realized that a whole lot of hard work might have gone into the preparation of the big day. It is no doubt that the dream of every tradeshow planner is that those who attend, as well as vendors build a good and long lasting relationship and impression.
The truth is that if you are not prepared for your tradeshow, you are likely not going to get the kind of success that you desire. You must be deliberate in putting a plan in place that will ensure that you have a successful outing. If you have attended a very successful tradeshow before, then you just might agree that it sure pays put the appropriate plans in place.
It is for this reason that one has got to hold dearly some time tested tips that is able to guarantee a successful tradeshow. It is also very important that you do not jump at any trade show advert that comes your way. This is because you have got to be meticulous in choosing the right tradeshow or event that best suits your business.
Trade shows are basically meant to launch your brand out so that you are able to reach more people in a particular city, community and neighborhood. Therefore, if you are thinking of leveraging on trade shows or expos to market your goods and services, then this article would give you all the necessary information you need to be successful at your tradeshow outing.
10 Tips to Guarantee Success at a Trade Show or Expo
It is true that you must be all out to make profit, as well as convert potential clients into loyal ones. However, it is also very important that you carry out some studies on what tradeshows or expos are really all about and how they have fared over the years. You may also want to consider some more information like the types of tradeshows there are, as well as the type of businesses that should make use of trade shows as a tool to spread their business tentacles.
2. Be Determined
You have got to determine that you really want a trade show outing. Being decisive in this area, means that you would be adequately prepared with the tools that you might need for the tradeshow. This means that if you are decided that your business needs the exposure, then you may then begin to prepare all that you would need to show the teeming potential customers that would be in attendance.
3. Choose the Right Tradeshows
One other thing that you must be looking to tidy up, might be the need to choose the right tradeshow. How then do you know which is which, you just might ask? Well. The first thing that you would need to do would be to look for tradeshows that complement the type of business you do. If for instance you are into the sales of ladies wears, it becomes only natural that you look for tradeshows where you are able to attract the female folks. It is for this reason that you should look at women’s shows or expos where you are sure to meet more of female potential customers.
4. Get Information from the Organizers
Yet another rule of thumb is that you have got to consider getting first hand information from the organizers about the tradeshow. Doing this means that you are able to get the right kind of directives on whether the tradeshow might be suitable for your type of business or not. This is because there are some shows that are for crafts people, while some are service based and what have you.
5. Draw up a Budget for a Booth package
After you might have gotten the right information and have perhaps been certified okay to participate in the expo. One other thing you should consider is the booth package. This to a large extent depends on the budget you have drawn up. This area is really important, as you do not want to spend a whooping sum on a booth without getting it back. Therefore, it becomes wise that you draw up a budget and then look to see if your budget falls within the booth package made available by the planners.
6. Advertise before the Trade Show
You will attract more visitors and customers to your booth if you create awareness for the Trade show and your company’s participation well ahead of the date. You can print fliers of the Trade shows and include some activities of interest that will take place in your company’s booth. This will make visitors curious enough to locate your company’s booth during the event.
7. Prepare For the Show
Now that things are looking really up, your next port of call would be to get all products ready for the event. If for instance; your line of business is in the crafts industry, then you have got to produce the products that you would need for the big day. Be sure that all hands are on deck to produce the best products. This is really needful as you would be required to make good lasting impression as mentioned earlier.
8. Choose Attire for the Expo-: You have to decide before the event on the attire your workers will wear to the event. You can decide to wear Tee-shirts branded with the company’s name and logo for every company staff that will be in attendance for the event.
9. Get your Key Workers Ready
You have to appoint key workers amongst your workers that will be part of the expos, and you have to assign responsibilities for them well ahead of the event. They all should work together to achieve a common goal, which is to successfully advertise the business brand during the Expo event and increase customer base. You need workers to set up and decorate the company’s booth, so ensure that you assign specific assignment to each of your staff member that will be present in the expo.
10. Location of Your Company’s Booth
The idea behind Trade shows is for companies to set up booths where they can showcase their products and services to visitors during the trade shows. It is important to point the fact that booth reservations are done on a first come first serve basis, so ensure that you register on-time so that you will get a good location for your booth. The bottom line is to choose a location that is visible and easy to access by visitors.
11. Booth Decoration
How you decorate your Company’s booth will determine the number of visitors it attracts. Use bright colours or colours on the company’s logo to decorate the booth. Your company’s logo should be bold and visible on the outside of the booth to avoid confusion. Also the inner part of the booth should be decorated in such a way that anybody that pays a visit to your company’s booth will be comfortable.
12. Customer Care
In other to guarantee success in your trade show or expo, you must ensure that you dedicate a portion of your stands for customer services. This should be a place where people can be enquiries about your goods or service. Just ensure that your customer services agents and other employees are well trained.
13. Make Your Booth Lively
Another key factor that will guarantee you success in your tradeshow or expo is to ensure that your booth is lively and bubbling. Part of what you need to do to make it lively is to play good music and also to hire clowns to create to help you spice your stands. The truth is that children will likely pull their parents to your stands once they notice that they can catch fun there. Remember, it is a Trade show, most people are not just there to buy things or get acquainted with new companies and products; they are there to have fun.
14. Showcase Your Products and Services
This is the main highlight of the event. You have to place samples of your products all around the booth where visitors can easily see them. If your company had just launched a new product, this is the best opportunity to showcase it. You can have one of your workers hold a talk show inside the booth on details of each product or service your company offer and how customers can benefit from buying such products.
15. Promote Your Presence at the Road show
It is important that you do not underestimate the role of a good advertising strategy. This means that you have got to tell as much people as you can about your intending presence at the tradeshow. You would be surprised at the amazing turnout. Here are ways to do this; you may consider sending bulk mails to your customers, twitter updates about the event, do the facebook thing too, post free adverts online, as well as put up posters around your office to let people see.
16. Create a Show promo
One of the ways that you can be assured of a successful tradeshow, and especially massive sales at the show is when you come up with a show special. Take for instance; you may announce to your customers how they could get a free product at the tradeshow if they came and purchased it there. You may also consider other mouthwatering specials. Be sure that it is an irresistible offer.
17. Hold a Contest
One other way to get a lot of folks trooping into your booth at the tradeshow and keeping it lively during the event is to conduct some mini contests and promos in your booths where winners are given some of your products. The contest may involve answering some questions about your Company and the services you offer, or you can ask them questions on general happenings in the industry.
The price for the winner of the contest could be a free product, or on the other hand it could be services. You may for instance consider a free makeup session for the winner for a day, week and what have you. This is one way to get folks who aren’t used to your products to begin to use them.
You cannot overflog the role of a business card. The business cards can be very handy at tradeshows since you would be reaching out to a lot of people. First of all, be sure that your business card has all the necessary information that your business requires. You have got to give your cards out always to people at tradeshows this is so that you build a strong networking system that would be beneficial.
19. Share Branded Souvenirs
Souvenirs are gifts from your company to visitors that came to your booth. Some people see it as winnings from a Tradeshow. You can share souvenirs branded with the company’s logo to anybody that visits your booth. Souvenir ideas for Trade shows include; Jotters, Notepads, Pens, Openers, Tee-shirts, Stickers, Key holders, Touch Screen clock with calculators and currency converts. The company’s logo should be boldly written on each of the items.
Lastly, you can also make provision for refreshment for everybody that visits your booth. Refreshment doesn’t mean you have to serve food to everybody that comes into your both, you may decide to share packed or takeaway snacks and canned drinks. You can contract this service to a caterer to provide light refreshments for visitors during the event. Be sure to serve the refreshments in such a way that the visitor has to stay inside the booth to eat it.
These are actionable tips that you have got to act on to be sure that you get the best and most outstanding patronage at the tradeshows you attend. Make all these tips yours and you would be on your way to the zenith.