EXHIB-IT! Trade Show Marketing Experts

Whether you are a seasoned trade show exhibitor or a novice or whether you know the basic trade show exhibiting rules by heart or are learning them for the first time, these four Rules for Trade Show Exhibit Success will help make your trade show exhibit experience a success.

These four steps are reasonable and they work. If you follow the guidelines, you will succeed at your next trade show. Whether you purchase a portable trade show exhibit, a custom modular trade show exhibit, a custom trade show display, or a trade show booth rental, here they are.

Rule 1 for Trade Show Exhibit Success
Know why you are exhibiting at a conference, event or trade show.

Ask this question first. Is your trade show display the unveiling site of your most significant new product or service? Do you have a cutting edge industry innovation? Do you need to announce a major change in strategy for your company due to a recent growth, merger or acquisition? Or is it that you want to make sure that your company is noticed and included in your industry’s key trade show so as not to be left out of the competition?

Once you are clear on why you are exhibiting and what your trade show objectives and goals are, make sure your trade show exhibit design and message reinforce your overall marketing objectives. Set smart goals that are attainable, share the goals with your trade show exhibit team, and set up metric systems to measure your results and validate your objectives.

Rule 2 for Trade Show Exhibit Success
Know who your audience is at the conference, event or trade show.

Recruit informed trade show exhibit staff that are competent and are able to connect with and educate your trade show booth customer prospects for relationship building and lead generation. Be sure to have your most qualified trade show exhibit team available to meet with key prospects in your booth space. At the trade show booth, give an educational presentation that will lead your prospects to the right company representative team member for additional information. Match up your exhibit booth staffers well with the positions of those who visit your trade show display. For example, if your target attendees are engineers that visit your booth, engage them with your engineer booth staff members. Also, prepare your trade show exhibit staff on how to engage, identify and qualify important trade show leads and how to politely disengage with those who are not qualified business prospects

Rule 3 for Trade Show Exhibit Success
Know how to attract key attendees to your trade show booth.

There are many helpful ways to attract trade show attendees to your trade show display. In addition to email alerts and pre-mailers, you can build on-site traffic to your trade show booth with a dramatic, attention-getting hanging sign for immediate attention or use social media avenues to give attendees a reason to stop by your booth during the show. When entering the trade show exhibit hall, the first thing trade show prospect attendees do is look up. Your overhead sign can be a signal for attraction with a unique design, shape and/or movement. Gobo lights that travel across a tension fabric can also provide changing colors and captivating interest. There are many new technologies that can bring high drama to your trade show booth such as your interactive Website on a large screen, holographics, robotics, 3D video/laser image displays suspended above, and water screen projections. Take advantage of your trade show exhibit provider’s expertise on graphics, portability, modularity, and cost management. Use tension fabrics, colored metal, layered graphics or woods, that use fewer shipping containers, have an up to date design trend look, and save on operating costs.

Rule 4 for Trade Show Exhibit Success
Know how to qualify leads and then how to follow up on your qualified leads for maximum ROI.

Be sure your trade show booth staffers are well trained in how to accurately qualify and measure the return on your trade show exhibit investment. Check out the many software packages that allow you to identify multiple choice questions in advance that will determine how viable a client prospect is for your company. Identify buyers, while filtering out those who are not qualified, and then measure the results. Rank your lead generated prospects as highly qualified (hot prospect), somewhat qualified (warm prospect), or poorly qualified (cool prospect). Have your sales force follow up on highly qualified hot leads within 1-2 days after the show. Measure the results of these leads in stages for both the number and dollar amount of proposals made to actual monies received from sales. After the trade show is over, be sure to follow up immediately on those highly qualified prospects. Then, when your highly qualified prospects are contacted, move on to the next level of somewhat qualified prospects within 3-4 days after the show. Be sure to have in place a well-planned marketing strategy to close sales with these lead generated prospects.

About EXHIB-IT! Trade Show Marketing Experts
Since 2000, EXHIB-IT! Trade Show Marketing Experts has provided turnkey, one-stop modular and custom event and trade show solutions for clients all over the world. We are well known for highly unique custom modular designed exhibits in addition to portable trade show booths. We specialize in exceeding our client expectations, exemplified by a nearly perfect (98%) overall customer satisfaction rating for design, marketing, production and trade show management services. We welcome the opportunity to work with you to utilize our expertise to guarantee your success, whether with trade shows or any other type of event.

DJ Heckes is CEO of EXHIB-IT! Tradeshow Marketing Experts and Full BRAIN Marketing. She focuses on educating and training companies to significantly improve their Small Business Marketing strategies. DJ Heckes also presents customized training programs for Business Marketing, Social Media, Leadership and Trade Show Marketing. Learn more at www.EXHIB-IT.com and www.fullBRAINMarketing.com. Be sure to follow us!