Maximize Your Trade Show Investment
As appears on the Healthwell Exchange
March, 2001

by Jeff Hilton, Integrated Marketing Group

Sometimes it seems like everybody has an idea for a new trade show. It makes you wonder if they are enlarging the pie or just cutting it into smaller pieces. Not that I have anything against trade shows. It's just that they can be a huge financial drain for manufacturers if they are not managed with an eye on your central branding strategy.

With the increasingly volatile natural products marketplace and sky rocketing costs associated with attending a trade show, the question is how to 1) effectively focus your trade show strategy, and 2) get the most out of your trade show investment. The key is to remember why you are there in the first place—to talk to your customers. And remember why your current and potential customers are there. They attend trade shows to:

• meet with specific exhibitors keep abreast of the “news” in the industry socialize or meet with other industry professionals look at new product introductions gather information for planned future purchases
• specifically, to find business partners that can help solve their problems

Advance planning for every trade show should begin with a review of these key points. Here are some additional guidelines that may help:

Create a plan. Write a plan beginning with criteria for selecting which shows to attend—shows which target the right audience and compliment your overall integrated branding strategy. Develop specific trade show goals with quantifiable objectives. Build a P&L for your show participation and measure your performance against it.

Start early. We've all been there. Scrambling the day before the show. So establish a checklist. Assign tasks well in advance. Hold regular trade show coordination meetings beginning 4-6 months out from the show dates.

Get the word out. A crucial and often overlooked element is delivering your promotional messages to a targeted list of current and prospective customers in advance of the show. Special mailers, announcements or invitations go a long way toward ensuring important customers visit your booth or make appointments to discuss business.

Sell the sizzle. Successful trade show promotion can be summed up in two words—excitement and urgency. The competition for attendees’ time is extreme. Product promotions, announcement parties, press conferences, and contests help you stand out from the crowd. Special signage, give–aways, and demonstrations help your brand make an impact and ensure that customers remember you after the show closes.

Practice makes perfect. People who staff the booth should have good communications skills, solid product knowledge and a clear understanding of the goals and objectives for the show. Booth personnel are there to 1) sell product and 2) capture data and information. What show reporting forms or tracking methods are in place to gather and pass on important data and details to the appropriate internal departments?

Don’t underestimate the value of PR. Trade shows represent one of the few occasions where virtually every editor covering the natural products industry is gathered together in one place at the same time. Take advantage of it. Target editors you want to meet with and contact them in advance to set-up an appointment at your booth. Tailor a press kit with news releases that introduce editors to your latest products, promotions, or corporate news.

Stay on the trail. Studies show that 80 to 90 percent of trade show leads are never re-contacted. With that kind of follow-through, companies are spending thousands of dollars that would be better spent elsewhere. Show follow-up should happen within the first five days after the show, not several weeks later when the contact is cold.

In summary, remember to “speak with one voice.” Trade show activity is not a separate marketing effort. It’s a part of your overall communications plan and has a specific role in promoting and positioning your brand. It combines the excitement of a theatrical presentation with the awesome power of personal selling. Make your trade show participation work as hard for you as any other marketing tool.