5 Tips to Ensure Tradeshows Are Worth Your Time

Are you seeing a return on your investment when you exhibit at industry tradeshows?

Tradeshows can offer a valuable opportunity to market your business and gain sales leads, but just setting up a booth and waiting (and hoping) for people to stop by is not an effective strategy.

Also read: 5 LinkedIn Profile Tips to Help Brokers Get More Leads

We exhibit at quite a few tradeshows every year so we know a thing or two about how to get value out of attendance and we understand how to gain leads at these events. Let us help you maximize your opportunities and offer some recommendations on how to create an effective plan.

5 things to remember before setting up your next tradeshow exhibit

First and Foremost, Why Am I There?

Figure out why are you thinking of exhibiting at a specific tradeshow. Are you looking for leads? Do you want to build your brand? Are you interested in seeing what the competition is doing? Answering these questions before you book will allow you to effectively determine your strategy and choose the precise tradeshows to attend. Before you book your booth space at a tradeshow, build your plan, starting with your objective.  Maybe the best option is to go as an attendee to see if this is the right place for you to target your audience. Once you’ve determined your reason for being there, build your plan accordingly. Things to ask yourself:

• Where is the tradeshow? Is this tradeshow going to attract the leads I want?
• Who are the other exhibitors?
• What are my key messages?
• Are there sponsorship opportunities?
• How can I stand out at the show?
• Is there a chance for me to host a meeting or session? Where can I do that?
• Do I have time to create and print collateral? What do I want to take with me?

Who Should I Send to Represent My Business?

Send at least two people who are outgoing and happy to be there. One can cover the booth and have other(s) walk the tradeshow floor gathering information and inviting targeted leads back to the booth. Plan each role at the show beforehand so you’re not wasting precious time making these decisions on the fly. Get out there and start executing your plan right away!

If you’re flying solo, you need to build a plan that allows you the chance to speak to as many people as possible while you’re there. It’s going to be difficult but try not to leave your booth unattended for long periods. You can do this by checking out a few key competitors and leads as time allows. Don’t sit behind a table! Be open and approachable as people will be more responsive and willing to strike up a conversation when you give off a welcoming vibe.

Who to See and Why

Look at the list of attendees before you go and plan who you want to speak to and why. Reach out to attendee’s beforehand and set up meetings at the show, this face-to-face time is invaluable. Make a list of competitors that you want to visit at the show. This is your chance to see what they’re doing and how they’re marketing themselves, they’re probably planning to see you to get the same intel!

Tactics vs. Gimmicks

You want people to come to your booth but how do you get them there? Have a booth that attracts attention. An eye catching color scheme is your best bet. Are you giving something away? People LOVE free food but be alert and at the ready to engage the people coming into your booth, DON’T let them take your giveaway without having a chat.

Be conscious of looking too gimmicky; you want to attract the right people, not just “swag collectors”. Send invitations to the attendees you really want to chat with in advance of the show, inviting them to your booth. You can also use social media to garner interest in your booth before the show, during the show and even afterwards when you’re following up.

Social media, when used properly, can be a great way to involve your leads from beginning to end. Create a plan, know your audience and their aptitude with social media, and plan accordingly. Be sure to use the platform that your audience is most involved with. If they’re on Facebook, use Facebook, if they like Twitter, then use Twitter. Does the tradeshow have a hashtag? Make sure you use it in all your tweets, this will garner participation with more than just your own followers.

Follow Up – Perhaps the Most Important Step

One of the most important steps in attending a tradeshow is the follow up. You’ve spent a fair number of dollars on attending, you’ve created a stellar plan to gain leads and now you need to do the foot work. Take out those business cards you collected and get moving!

Reach out to your leads right away so you remain fresh in their minds. You aren’t the only one following up so stand out from the crowd with a professional tailored message. Remember that they aren’t all in the same place in the sales journey and that each lead is individual so don’t send everyone a templated message or you could miss valuable opportunities.

Try to offer your leads something in return for engaging and tailor your message to their specific needs. This takes more effort but will offer you a healthier return in the end.

We hope this information will serve you well for your next tradeshow endeavor. Feel free to ask questions, we’re always happy to help.

3 more tradeshow tips for success:

Network

Networking is one of the biggest benefits. Building relationships is easiest in person, and trade shows provide a great way to meet new people and catch up with those you already know. You have the opportunity to meet new business partners and strengthen relationships with existing ones.

At a conference, you can meet industry experts and leaders as well as other professionals that face the same challenges. Being at a huge event can also renew your motivation when you’re around so many of your peers in a new environment.

Collaborate

Collaborating with your network and listening to industry experts helps develop your knowledge base. You’ll have the opportunity to attend educational sessions on industry best practices and standards, useful techniques or processes, changes within the industry, and competitors’ strengths and weaknesses.

Gain knowledge

Listening to keynote speakers, attending sessions and visiting exhibitor booths gives you the chance to sharpen your skills or develop new ones! Attending tradeshows are valuable as long as you make the most of it. Get involved and focus on what you can bring back to your company and clients.