100 Reasons to Exhibit at a Trade Show

There are over one hundred reasons to exhibit in a trade show. Does your company fit into any of these reasons to exhibit?

1. Sell products and/or services.
2. Gather qualified leads for post-show company follow-up.
3. Introduce new products to a new or existing market.
4. Demonstrate new products to a new or existing market.
5. Demonstrate new uses of existing products.
6. Give your customers an opportunity to meet experts.
7. Give a CEO an opportunity to meet your CEO.
8. Meet buyers face-to-face.
9. Open new markets.
10. See buyers not usually accessible to sales personnel.
11. Find the decision makers.
12. Understand your prospect’s decision-making process.
13. Support the decision influencers.
14. Make competitive comparisons.
15. Gather competitive intelligence.
16. Solve customers’ problems.
17. Obtain feedback on new products.
18. Obtain feedback on existing products.
19. Conduct market research.
20. Find distributors, representatives, and agents.
21. Educate distributors, representatives, and agents.
22. Find personnel to grow your company.
23. Educate personnel about your company.
24. Develop leads for distributors, representatives, and agents.
25. Establish a new company image and brand.
26. Reinforce company’s overall image and brand.
27. Create or build a qualified customer database.
28. Support your industry.
29. Highlight new products, services, and initiatives to the media.
30. Reinforce brand awareness.
31. Launch new brand campaigns.
32. Distribute product samples.
33. Handle customer complaints.
34. Reinforce your marketing strategy.
35. Distribute product and/or service information.
36. Conduct a sales meeting.
37. Provide networking opportunities.
38. Introduce a new promotion.
39. Introduce a new service to a new market or existing market.
40. Educate your customers.
41. Introduce new techniques.
42. Reposition your company in a market place.
43. Change the perception of your company in a marketplace.
44. Expose new employees to the industry.
45. Learn new industry trends.
46. Network with colleagues.
47. Network with industry professionals.
48. Showcase new products and/or services.
49. Establish business relationships with international buyers.
50. Introduce your CEO to the media.
51. Support distributors, representatives, and agents.
52. Demonstrate commitment to a marketplace.
53. Demonstrate commitment to distributors, representatives, agents.
54. Test international buying practices.
55. Influence customer perceptions and attitudes.
56. Create high ROI opportunities.
57. Uncover technology transfer opportunities.
58. Find new business opportunities.
59. Uncover joint venture opportunities.
60. Unveil licensing opportunities.
61. Find new business location possibilities.
62. Determine the effectiveness of marketing and promotion campaigns.
63. Host special industry hospitality events.
64. Have company experts showcased at seminars and workshops.
65. Conduct market research for future product developments.
66. Introduce new production methods.
67. Use direct influence on decision makers.
68. Use booth space as a platform for blogging or live video presentations.
69. Entertain special customers.
70. Distribute promotional tools.
71. Influence industry trends.
72. Have a portable showroom at the trade show.
73. Showcase multiple uses for products and/or services.
74. Interact with a highly targeted audience.
75. Build sales force morale.
76. Give a prospect an opportunity to experience a product and/or service.
77. Open doors for future potential sales.
78. Achieve immediate sales.
79. Present live product demonstrations.
80. Introduce support services.
81. Offer behind-the-scenes personnel a chance to meet customers.
82. Create a three-dimensional sales presentation.
83. Introduce community awareness initiatives.
84. Support current community awareness initiatives.
85. Find other exhibiting opportunities.
86. Attend or present at educational sessions.
87. Meet with industry experts.
88. Develop new marketing techniques.
89. Demonstrate non-portable equipment.
90. Overcome unfavorable publicity.
91. Publicize company associations with community or industry groups.
92. Explain the effects of corporate changes\93. Bring senior management closer to customers.
94. Shorten the buying cycle.
95. Train new personnel.
96. Generate excitement for new products and/or services.
97. Increase corporate profitability.
98. Enhance word-of-mouth markets.
99. Round out the corporate marketing mix.
100. Reach out to customers and communities.

Now that one or more of the above reasons have been established, the first and foremost thing to do is define your objectives for wanting to exhibit at a trade show.

What kind of business are you in? Do you sell software? Do you sell cars? Do you manage a luxury hotel? None of that really matters. When you exhibit at a trade show, you become a card-carrying member of the IDEA industry.