The economic climate makes marketing decisions more difficult than ever. How to spend your limited budget deserves careful consideration. Trade shows are a long standing tradition and offer a great number of leads in a very short time. They provide the opportunity for relationship development with potential clients, networking with complementary business and a one stop shop where you can assess the competition. Of course the traditional benefits of trade show marketing remain, when comparing trade shows to field sales, direct mail, telemarketing, public relations or the internet, the CEIR determined that decision makers select expos as the #1 source of final purchases. That’s why so many businesses chose to spend a portion of their budget on shows. Once a business determines to participate, they can continue to make wise choices in how their dollars are spent.

First of all, it’s important to plan ahead for a show. Selecting your booth space early offers you a wider selection and opportunity to see more traffic at the show. “Early bird pricing” can save you big money, as can pre-ordering show services. Don’t miss advanced warehouse deadlines, as direct to floor shipments can be costly! And don’t forget to schedule air travel and make hotel reservations in advance as well. Often hotels block out a limited number of rooms at huge savings for show attendees…but if you snooze…you lose!

Next choose your marketing materials wisely. Collateral giveaways can draw a lot of traffic to your booth, but if the show is open to the general public you may spend more per lead than you expect. Invest in a few higher priced items to be given to pre-determined prospects. Go through your prospect list ahead of time and mail out coupons redeemable for those items…that way the bulk of your money is spent on your target audience rather than on “show rats”. Pens, bags and bouncy balls are great giveaways for the general show population, but mugs, flash drives and tape measures are better reserved for potential clients.

Another place exhibitors are saving money is on booth space. Do you really need a 30 x 30 island, or would you be able to get away with an inline booth? This ties back to planning early, but remember that a smaller booth means lower fees, less invested in the display itself, and fewer employees to staff the booth. Fewer employees translate to lower travel, hotel and per diem expenses, so a smaller booth can have a big impact on your trade show budget.

Your display is another investment worthy of review. Rather than replacing your entire display for each show, updating graphics only can save thousands. Employing a rental display rather than a purchase can cut your display cost in half for a large custom unit and down to a tenth or less for a 10’ pop up! Using a reconfigurable modular or truss display is a wise choice, because it lends itself to a fresh look for every show. Update your existing display with banner stands for your specific show message and use your permanent display over and over again.

The value of participating in shows is undeniable. But there are places within your trade show budget that can be cut back during the economic downturn. Remember to make the most of every lead by following up after the show, and turn those prospects into clients.

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