People love free stuff and they expect to score quite a bit of it at trade shows You can entice a crowd with something as simple as freshly baked cookies, or you can go a step further with promotional goods such as pens, hats, notebooks, or water bottles. Not to mention, it’s great to have space where you can relax and chat about your product over coffee. There’s nothing more inviting to a fatigued trade show attendee than a comfortable place to rest his or her legs.Ī lounge space will bring more traffic to your booth and keep potential customers around longer. Include seats or lounge space at your booth You’re going to be standing and sitting for the bulk of the day, so try to get out for a walk to clear your mind and get your blood pumping. Stay hydrated and steer away from too much alcohol if it’s being served. Make sure to get a good night’s rest before the event. If you’re extroverted, then you might not have any trouble with the hyper-social atmosphere if you’re more introverted, you could find yourself depleted of energy halfway through the day. Trade shows can be draining, both mentally and physically. People want to see, touch, or even taste something before they make a purchase. It’s important to display your product and be prepared to allow attendees to test it out. Even if your product or service isn’t a good fit, they may know someone who can benefit from it. Is what you offer something they will find useful? The only way to know is by qualifying them. Your goal isn’t just to sell, but also to establish a mutually beneficial relationship. It’s equally important to ask people who approach your booth questions. In order to make sure your team is ready to go, create a list of anticipated questions and role-play before the show. This means every trade show team member should be an expert on your product and company. Inevitably, everyone staffing your booth will be asked specifics. Prepare your staffīe prepared for questions. A PR pro will be able to field inquiries from the press, a salesman can best convert leads, a tech specialist can answer any technical inquiries-you get the idea. You want to bring team members that complement each other’s skills. In addition, keep specialization in mind when choosing your trade show staff. That’s why it’s important to have a friendly, professional, motivated, and outgoing group to represent your company. Whichever you decide, understand that the people working your booth will be the face of your business. You have two options: bring an in-house team or contract an event staffing agency that has experience working trade shows. The team you take to a trade show can have a huge impact on how the event goes for your company. If you need help setting up your email marketing, check out our article on the best free email marketing tools for startups and small businesses. But, make sure to avoid spamming their inbox by selling your services right away-you want to keep you first contact light and personal. Do your research to figure out which contacts may be interested in your business, and send them a short introductory email.Ĭonsider reaching out to let them know you’d love to meet them and encourage them to stop by your booth. Find out who will be attendingĪttendee lists are available in advance for many trade shows. With this in mind, knock your first trade show out of the park by following the tips below. There is a lot of competition and it’s easy to get lost in the sea of booths and enthusiastic attendees. Preparation should begin at least two to three months in advance-do not just show up and hope for the best. If you aren’t sure how to find trade shows specific to your industry, Trade Show News Network and 10times are two sites that offer a list of trade shows in different industries.Įxhibiting at trade shows requires a lot of planning. While more and more business is conducted online, trade shows offer merchants and attendees the opportunity to find and develop new business relationships and discover new products. Trade shows are simply events where goods and services in a particular industry are exhibited. Startups such as Twitter and Foursquare were able to gain early traction in large part because of unique marketing tactics they utilized at the SXSW conference. One of the most well known is the SXSW event hosted each year in Austin, Texas, by Southwest Airlines. Trade shows offer a wealth of opportunities, including increasing brand awareness, networking with prospective clients, and making sales. If you’re familiar with the industry events known as trade shows, then you know just how valuable they can be to growing a business.
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