Prior Marketing Preparation for the Tradeshow

Posted October 31st, 2008 by Karl

You’ve decided to take the plunge and booked space at a tradeshow; you have your display arranged and now you are marking down the days to when you will be on the floor at a busy venue with hundreds of potential customers looking to give you orders.

Now here’s a real world reality check.

You still have work to do!

Those exhibitors who manage to snatch failure from a surefire opportunity tend to be lazy – they do nothing to prepare for the tradeshow and believe that simply booking space, throing some money at a display and turning up on the day at the venue is all there is to having a successful tradeshow.

The truth is there is a lot for you to get right before the tradeshow which will dramatically affect your success at the event.

The organizers are going to be doing some marketing for the event (indeed how much marketing they are doing is something for you to consider when electing tradeshows to exhibit at) but there is a great deal you can do to generate interest and attention for your own presence.

Make sure you tell all of your customers that you will be exhibiting; send them a mailer or an email with details of the date, time, cost, venue address and your location in the exhibition hall so you can be located easily.  Do the same for your prospect lists and you can add some spice by offering a giveaway such as a gift, a hotel break or dinner at a local eatery depending on your budget.

Exhibiting is something that as far as your customers and business contacts are concerned, is newsworthy – tell them!

Don’t forget to tell your suppliers as frequently they may be exhibiting themselves (giving opportunities for cross referrals of visitors) but also they may be interested in helping you to defray the cost of the tradeshow.  If you are selling insurance policies, then a provider of life insurance policies is likely to be interested in helping you on the day with practical and financial help, indeed they will have a budget set aside for just this kind of marketing activity and so do many, many other industries and service providers.

Issue a press release to your local media regarding your presence at the tradeshow.  You may think this is small potatoes but in fact, many newspapers are desperate to fill space in their paper so fax them a one page release stating the time, venue and location together with your business information and that you are of course, going to be there.

Some tradeshows also carry a list for mailing purposes of those who are attending whether it be as exhibitors or as attendees.  Ask the organizer for any such contact lists and contact them prior to the tradeshow so they know who you are, that you will be there and especially, where you will be located in the tradeshow arena; many forget to add this crucial piece of information and so are never found!