Planning and Logistics

Trade shows have taken a halt this year and exhibitors have had to deal with the stress of canceled and rescheduled shows. With this downtime before most trade shows resume, it’s the perfect time to check in on your exhibit properties and determine if they are ready to go as is or if they may need some updates or repairs before they make another appearance.

Did you know that about 72% of exhibitors participate in trade shows to generate new leads? Whichever method is used to collect lead information, whether it’s taking business cards, using badge scanners, filling out paper forms, or other unique tools, leads are a driving factor in the trade show world.

THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO.

YET, VIRTUAL EVENTS ARE HELPFUL IN GENERATING BRAND AWARENESS FOR SMALL AND MICRO BUSINESSES.

For some time, we have gotten used to seeing many trade shows updating us with statements such as: “This year’s show cancelled,” “Join us for our new virtual trade show,” or “Stay tuned for future dates.”

After the trade show industry halted face-to-face marketing for health and safety reasons and pivoted to virtual exhibits, it is encouraging to see several large shows forging ahead with their planned (or postponed) dates for next year. Although we understand that the status of these shows is fluid and changing almost daily, we are very encouraged to see so many doing what they can to ensure we can get back together again in 2021.

nostalgic DETOUR ON TRADE, ROMANCE AND REMEMBRANCE

We are taught in our schools about the beauty, elegance and engineering marvel of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The gardens that now exist in our imagination are a testament of creativity and the romantic love shared by King Nebuchadnezzar II and his wife Amytis.

source: exhibitoronline.com

PHYSICAL DISTANCING AND SOCIAL ETIQUETTE

Teaching proper trade show etiquette to your booth staff is a must if you want to keep attendees engaged in your booth and gain quality leads. Properly greeting, understanding expectations, and keeping attendees engaged are all highly important and will impact your exhibiting results.

CHANNEL YOUR CAUSATION INTO CO-RELATION

Because of the coronavirus outbreak, exhibitors and event managers are experiencing unconquerable anxiety and frustration seems to be their every day companion for the forseeable future.

1. You are dealing with the stress from managing your program with so many shows cancelling or postponing.

2. You’re having to stop doing the best work you can to create tremendous business value for your employer.

3. You are wondering if trade shows will get replaced by digital marketing.

HERE IS THE SHORT ANSWER:

YOU ARE A DUTIFUL SOLDIER OF TASK.

NOT, A BOUNTIFUL STATESMAN OF ASTOUNDING STRATEGY.

TANGIBLE TOOLS TO SELECT YOUR NEXT TRADE SHOWS FOR YOUR EVENT BASED MARKETING

Most exhibitors are loyal to their favorite trade shows and expos. But if you start to see diminishing returns on your exhibit dollar, or if you’re attempting to expand into a new market, it may be time to broaden your horizon

START WITH YOUR POTENTIAL BUYERS LIST

Approximately 40-60% of trade show attendees come from a 200-mile radius of the host city. Take a look at your largest potential buyers and determine, given this data, which shows they are most likely to attend. While big, national or international shows may be your “bread and butter,” over half of exhibitors say they experience most of their success reaching target audiences at smaller, more regional trade shows.

So, you were roped into handling your company’s exhibiting program – now what?  Whether you are just starting to exhibit or you are a veteran, understanding exhibiting basics is crucial to your success.