Trade
shows can be a daunting prospect for any business, and much like McDonald’s
chips — if done incorrectly — it can often leave a bad taste in your mouth.
With concerns about ROI and exhibition space now costing more than my sister’s
Christmas list, many smaller companies are choosing to neglect the convention
of conventions.
And
yet, 71 per cent of SME’s do the majority of their new business connections at
networking events, meaning those who fail to participate could be missing a
huge trick of the trade — literally.
Fresh
from appearing at Advanced Engineering, Technical PR agency Stone Junction’s
marketing executive, Tasha Bodger, gives her top tips on how to get the most out
of your next exhibition.
Plan
far, far, far … far ahead
If you
don’t want the exhibition booth closest to the WC, you’re going to need to plan
quite far in advance. Often, trade shows are annual and begin renting exhibition
spots about a year beforehand — it may seem excessive, but the more prep time
the better.
Once
you’ve booked your slot, a whole array of trade show planning paraphernalia
opens up to you — lucky you! You can begin to think about stand design specific
to your dimensions, corresponding promotional material and how many of your
colleagues need to realistically attend. Not to mention, the quicker you’re off
the mark, the better chance you have of getting a position closer to a big-name
brand with high levels of traffic.
You
need to social network
Staying socially active
throughout the event is crucial. By using the official event hashtag across
multiple networks, you’ll likely receive engagement by the organisers themselves
or interested businesses. Check the exhibitor list too and begin to interact
with companies who you may want to work with. Slide into their DM’s, give them
a cheeky ‘like’ and hopefully they’ll return the favour. Ultimately, it’s all
about building an online relationship with potential business partners so
broaching a real-life conversation doesn’t seem so difficult.
Be a
MERCHant
Free
things sell — it’s ironic but true. The average human attention span is only a measly
eight seconds, so having brand-appropriate giveaways is a great way to hold
someone’s interest — and start a conversation. We all know the best bit of a
trade show is the grownup party bag full of swag you get to take home — pens,
stress balls, the odd packet of Haribo. Handing
out merch, food and/or business cards extends the opportunity for retrospective
marketing. 71.6 per cent of attendees who receive a promotional product remember
the name of the company associated with it — and that’s the whole point of a
trade show after all.
Follow
the LEADer
Leads
are the piéce de résistance of any trade show, but they’re completely
useless without the appropriate follow-up. The easiest and most personable approach to
follow up’s is by making notes on any business cards you receive, briefly
outlining the conversation and any future actions. Once you’re back — and basking
in the post trade show glow — you can assign each follow-up to whoever spoke
with the potential client, safe in the knowledge you won’t have forgotten who
they are or what they do or need.
Want
to exhibit at your first trade show but don’t know how? Contact the experts!
Call us today on +44 (0)1785 224 516 or sayhello@stonejunction.co.uk
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