Success Tips for Your Small Business

Exhibiting at a trade show can sometimes be a costly investment of both time and money, but they can also be extremely worthwhile, resulting in a new influx of business & clients, beneficial promotion, and valuable connections. In order to maximize the effectiveness of your efforts, it is important to carefully consider and plan each stage of your trade show exhibition.

Before the Trade Show

It is first necessary to determine which trade shows will be worthwhile for you to exhibit at. Research trade shows related to your trade or selection of products. You can search for shows both locally and nationally, but you'll want to try and find demographics on attendance, and information regarding other exhibitors, such as competitors. Costs of exhibiting are also a factor of course, especially for shows in which travel may be required, along with the shipment of trade show materials, booth construction, etc.

It might also be useful to know where you might be placed. Acquire a floor plan if possible. Will you be located in a high-traffic area? Will you be next to major competitors? Is the lighting adequate or will you need to acquire additional lighting for your exhibition area? Typically, a full-service trade show display company will work with you to answer any and all of these questions, plus many more you might never think of. However, the cost of retaining the services of a trade show company might not be in your budget, but you can find ample information and resources regarding trade shows on the Internet for free.

When deciding upon specific trade shows, create a list of goals you wish to achieve. Will the trade show serve as a method of promotion? Will you be trying to acquire a new target market? Or will you be focusing your efforts on B2B marketing, seeking other exhibitors as potential clients? Evaluating your goals, as well as the audience and exhibitors of each trade show will help you better prepare your exhibition and marketing efforts.

Budgeting for Your Tradeshow

Next you'll need to plan your budget, which will consist of many factors. Booth space, booth materials and construction, advertising, marketing and promotion, travel and shipping expenses, and labor are all components that need to be considered.

Different venues and different size rental spaces obviously will all have their own associated costs. Some of these costs can sometimes be offset by the promoters of the trade show if you purchase ad space in their advance brochures or on their website. Many different deals and options may be available. Often, trade show promoters will also allow you to purchase or rent lighting, carpeting for your booth, and other materials in advance through their own contractors. This might sometimes be less expensive than buying from trade show display companies.

Marketing and advertising need not consume a large portion of your budget, but should definitely be accounted for. Remember to factor in expenses such as design work and printing costs for flyers, brochures, business cards, press releases, and product information. Utilize cost-effective online marketing solutions such as email marketing and press releases, as well as social media is applicable, to let your target market know about your planned appearance at the trade show. Don't forget to include your booth number!

Planning Your Display

You might already have a purchased or rental booth at your disposal, along with graphics and signage. If not, you'll certainly need one, or your exhibit area isn't going to attract any attention. You don't necessarily need anything extravagant either: trade show display companies sell or rent portable 10' popup displays at reasonable prices. These can be affixed with flexible graphic panels or carpeted material for attaching items utilizing Velcro. There are other options as well; you'll want to research a few trade show display companies regarding pricing, types of popups, and other add-ons, such as tables, lighting, and more.

Regarding graphics, you'll at least want something that displays your company name and a little bit about the services or products you provide. Something eye-catching typically helps as well, but as a general rule, you only have about 3 seconds to capture the attention of those passing by your booth, either through your display or your own social engagement. Prospects wont take the time to read lengthy content, so save any extraneous information for handouts. You can have graphic panels printed that encompass the whole face of the display, or just a series of smaller signs applied with Velcro. It may help you to visit a trade show display company's showroom, or even another trade show, so that you can get a better sense of booth displays and graphics. The possibilities really are endless, provided it is within your budget.

At the Trade Show

Try not to have yourself, other employees, or items like desks or counters blocking the entrance to your booth space. You want prospects to be able to enter your booth easily, so that you can engage them more efficiently. A prospect left standing on the outside of your exhibit space or unable to get closer because of crowds or other items will be moving on quickly.

Make sure you have plenty of relevant information on hand to give to prospects, but also engage them as well. Attendees will likely be collecting lots of information from several exhibitors at the show, so you need to do a little more than just handing out flyers in order to make a lasting impression.

This is also an opportune time to add more subscribers to your email list. Ask prospects to add their contact information to a list that is easily accessible, and be sure to tell them about the benefits of being on the list: informative newsletters, news about special sales and promotions, etc.

Don't just keep an eye on the prospects. Watch out for your own property as well. Amidst the crowds and confusion throughout the course of the day, it can be relatively easy for someone to stroll into your booth and casually steal items or products.

While at the show and afterwards, take the time to assess what worked and what didn't, and what needs to be improved upon in the future for a more successful event. Did you have enough literature? Too much? Were you not engaging the traffic enough? Was your booth space large enough? Was your display ignored or hard to understand? Not every trade show is bound to be cost-efficient or worthwhile. Knowing which ones to attend and what strategies work best at each particular trade show takes time. You might even decide that trade shows aren't a viable option for your business after all. But by following the above tips to minimize cost and maximize effectiveness, you'll be in a better position to achieve trade show success.

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