Tradeshows – always the bane of every marketing
professional, irrespective of his or her level within the hierarchy of a
company. Whisper that perhaps we should reconsider exhibiting at tradeshows and
suddenly everybody becomes an expert on why we have to go – “everybody will think we've fallen on bad
times”, “that’s where we get our customers from” and “ we've always done that
show” are just a few of the objections. We've all heard them a thousand times.
So let’s assume we are going to go to tradeshows. What
should we consider in the planning and logistics stages?
Goals and Objectives
Define the goals for your business clearly – what are they?
Is it brand awareness, lead generation, a centralized place to show existing
customers your products or services? It may be all of the above, but be clear
on what you are trying to achieve. If it is qualified lead generation then
perhaps a highly focused show is better than a more generalized event where
larger numbers are likely to be present. Defining your objectives up front
assists greatly in targeting which show and later on in assessing ROI based on
upon those goals.
Placement of the
Booth
Many of the larger shows will have zones where your product
may fit into however loosely. Placing your booth in these areas can be
beneficial as you often have motivated and pre-qualified attendees coming
specifically to this region to fulfill their needs and solve their problems.
There are some dynamics to the movement of people at a show
and often I have found that as attendees come to a show they will bear right
(most people are right handed) and circle around the show floor first before
delving into the center. Consequently a booth on the edge and to the right
tends to get the early traffic, important when “Tradeshow Fatigue” can often
set in towards the latter half of the day.
If you can afford it, an island booth gives you so much more
display and design space than a booth trapped between others. However you can
still make your presence known with a different position if you are creative.
Size
Contrary to many theories, size isn't everything. The
size of the show—measured in attendees and exhibitors—should match your goals
but also allow you to maximize your potential. Large trade shows are good for
general leads—people who come to your booth just because you are there
and so are they. Lead quality doesn't tend to be the highest in this scenario
but the quantity may be. (Be aware of this when assessing ROI later). Large
shows also can mean that you get lost in the crowd of exhibitors although this
can be overcome to a certain extent by driving attendance to your booth ahead
of time.
The size of the booth itself can be important, although this
can be dictated to a large degree by your budget. I have seen plenty of big
booths that have made no impression at all, blending in to the corporate
background of Tradeshows. Conversely, small booths have attracted a lot of
attention with enough creativity designed in. Of course the size may be
dictated in part by what products you are showing. Obviously a machine that is
50 feet long needs the right amount of space to be shown effectively.
Competition
Go to a Mall and you will see many shops selling the same
products - the nearness of competitors in one place can be a positive boon for
business. This is often referred to as “Co-opetition“. The same goes for
Tradeshows. Often the organizers will do this placement deliberately. It can be
a good thing especially if you are not the leader in a particular market. Use
their marketing dollars to attract qualified leads that will be going to their
booth and if you plan it right, will see you as a possible option. You need to
understand your competition well so you can counter their messages and separate
your products from theirs.
Design
The big one! How do you design a booth that attracts
prospects, gets over your messages and qualifies attendees? There are so many
companies that will help you with this – for a fee. Don’t try and do this
yourself. Get the professionals involved every time. Unless you are a graphic
designer, you will design a booth that doesn’t work. However, before discussing
anything with a design company make sure you understand what messages and
products you are trying to promote. Then make sure that they understand the
same.
If you want to stand out, study what other companies are in
the vicinity at the show. Look at their corporate branding and colors and if
possible see what they have done in previous years. (I always make a point of
taking photos of my competition especially at every show I go to). Use this
information with your design company to make something different.
Extending Your Reach
If you just rent the space, build your booth and wait for
prospects to arrive you will miss out on a few other opportunities to engage
customers.
Most shows have conferences built around them. Get on the
speaker platform and promote your messages to motivated, interested
professionals within your target market. They are at the conference listening
to speeches that are relevant to them so they are qualified prospects.
Sponsorship at the show can be a very costly exercise so you
should use it with caution. Having your name printed on Lanyards, signs, bags
etc. can all look like a good idea but it can eat your marketing budget alive.
It is better to have something that you give away on the booth that attendees
take with them and carry around. There are many ideas; some that I have used
highly successfully that can create a real buzz and that overshadow standard
show sponsorship. (Email me and I’ll tell you about them).
Driving Attendance
You’ve booked the space, designed the booth and have the
hotel rooms booked. You’ve only just begun. You need to drive attendance from
within your own company.
Hopefully you have a database of customers and prospects. In
the months before and then the final two weeks (most people don’t even think
about the show until a few weeks before they attend), send them all emails
letting them know that you will be exhibiting at this show and how to find you.
Give them some information on what you will be showing.
Get your sales force involved at an early stage including
your distribution network (if you have it) and make sure that they are aware
months ahead of the details. Set them goals on getting customers and prospects
to the show. Make sure that they schedule meetings with these people at the
show if appropriate.
Many trade shows offer the exhibitors the use of the
registration list for pre-show and sometimes post-show direct marketing - of course for a fee. Four to six weeks before the show, send a
postcard or letter to this list, inviting the attendee to stop by your booth
and see what you have to offer. This is often a shotgun approach and can be
costly in terms of direct mail. Two weeks before send a reminder
Finally find out the list of press and analysts that will be
attending the show and have you or your PR people schedule interviews with
them, especially if you have an updated strategy or are announcing something
new at the show. This is a great opportunity to get in front of several of the
key industry influencers in one location.
Cost
The most important part with many companies - how much will it all cost?
You have put
together a well-designed booth, prepared materials to distribute, and arranged sales
and technical staff to travel to a distant city; the costs for a trade show can
rapidly mount.
The cost of a trade show is best measured in ROI. Take into
consideration the issues outlined above such as the effect your presence will
have on your target audience and determine if there will be a positive return
on investment. Return is most often measured in terms of leads generated and
sales later closed, but for some trade show exhibitors a goal might be more
focused on building the less concrete values of good will and brand awareness.
Part 2 to follow - Maximizing the Show
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