Trade Show Management Services
A "trade show" is now much more broadly defined than it used to be. In addition to the traditional shows put on by the more than 3000 trade associations, many smaller events are hosted by niche or regional groups that may be very valuable to you. Plus, smaller events are often hosted by users groups, your possible business partners or even your competitors. Trade show initiatives don't always mean a booth. Sometimes you can gain valuable market intelligence just by attending the sessions and walking the floor.
Getting the most from your trade show effort is costly and labor-intensive, but the ROI can be great in many cases. I have extensive experience in trade show marketing, and can act as a support to your in-house staff:
- Research and planning: I can help identify the best shows, and help you forecast the possible ROI for each show. If it's not worth the effort, I'll tell you. I can build an annual calendar of shows, with all deadlines and actions identified.
- Pre-show marketing: driving traffic to your booth may require a company-wide effort weeks or even months before a show. I'll work with your sales team to drive customers and prospects to your booth through direct mail, email, PR, telemarketing, customer service and advertising.
- Booth design and staffing: you may not need a large space with an expensive backdrop to be successful. I can design effective (and easy-to-ship) graphics, and help train your staff. Too often, I see booth personnel using this time out of the office ineffectively. Trade shows are hard work, and your staff must be at the top of their game.
- Market research: if needed, I can attend a show on your behalf in order to focus on research while your staff works the booth. I can ask questions, gather sales materials, and attend breakout sessions in order to build a current and accurate illustration of your customers' pain points, and your competition's positioning. I can interview the media for “what’s hot”, and position you as a leader in your industry.
- Lead acquisition: if you don't define a clear-cut process to gather the maximum number of qualified leads, then your trade show initiative is bound to fail. I'll develop incentives for prospects to give up their contact info, and create a process to separate those leads into hot/warm/cold categories.
- Post-show marketing and sales: once those leads are collected, then what? I'll help you develop a program that ensures 100% follow-up and follow-through for every lead. I’ll provide an email marketing system to reduce the work load on your sales staff in the days following the show.
Here are some useful tips on trade show management >> |
