The Exhibitor's Resource – Trade Show Marketing Blog

In previous posts, we’ve discussed print-on-demand trade show literature as a cost-savings and waste reduction strategy, but there is another savings opportunity, the ubiquitous giveaway. Based on the shipping and handling costs associated with giveaways, we have some ideas of how to reduce this line item expense for your next trade show.

Exhibitors should consider bringing just enough promo material that they give it all away by the last day of the trade show. Exhibitors may initially object to this, wishing to avoid being empty-handed, but many reconsider once they see the costs of shipping too much to the show, and develop a strategy to manage promo campaigns more effectively.

One strategy is to have trade show booth staff manage the promo supply during the show, throttling it as necessary to make sure qualified prospects are always offered something, and only extending the offer to other visitors as supplies allow. Along with managing giveaway supply at the show, exhibitors can use projections for show attendance to avoid over or under ordering. Trade show promoters should be able to provide exhibitors trade show attendance estimates based on pre-show registration numbers and historical data on at-show registrations.

To further reduce expenses, exhibitors should consider palletizing large giveaway orders rather than as individual small box shipments via UPS or FedEx. Because loose cartons will need to be palletized anyway for delivery to the show to avoid per-box drayage and handling fees at the show site, palletizing from the manufacturer saves shipping and handling expenses at several points en route to the show.

Because giveaways typically have a custom element such as silk-screening or printing, exhibitors could be surprised by the lead times for production and delivery. For very large orders, there could even be manufacturing lead times or overseas shipment time factors to consider. Rush fees for expedited production and shipping are expenses that can be avoided by starting the planning process early. And early planning affords the time to compare the impact of several giveaway options. Some factors to consider in addition to per-unit cost include

• per unit weight – this will directly impact shipping costs

• giveaway objective – is the promotional item being distributed to promote brand awareness, or to influence the buying decision?

• giveaway life span – will the item be held onto by the recipient, or be trashed before it even makes it back to their office?

Once these factors are considered, quantities are estimated, and shipping logistics are planned, exhibitors will be able to place orders for trade show promotional items confident that they are doing so in a cost-effective and low-impact way.

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Popularity: 15% [?]

Corporate Special Events are an increasingly effective way to get face time with your target audience. Special events help your staff and your brand take center stage and capture your audience’s undivided attention. Especially in the cacophony of advertising in email, tweets and other media, event marketing is an effective way to stand out, get your message heard, and be memorable.

Some successful types of corporate events include grand openings, open houses, new product launches, dealer meetings and awards ceremonies, just to name a few. The type of event depends on your objective, but as you start the planning process, be sure to think about what your audience will find to be worthwhile. As hosts, of course you will make every effort to ensure your guests enjoy themselves, but also be sure to build in value so that they benefit from their time investment and leave enriched in some way. Often for B2B events, this means that they learned something. For B2C events, it could be the caché of being the first to learn about a new product, or a special offer for your products or services

Partnering with an exhibit and event design agency will help you pull off your event, both from a logistics and planning perspective, as well as an aesthetic one. Exhibit design and planning firms are seasoned professionals accustomed to the rigors of deadlines and coordinating the services of multiple vendors such as caterers, AV, and entertainment. Organizations that already exhibit at trade shows often combine their existing displays from their trade show marketing program with event-specific graphics, rental staging and special lighting. Additional rental display elements and floral decoration tie it all together. Event marketing firms can help you efficiently use what you already own, and incorporate rental properties into the design.

Offering wonderful hospitality is the foundation to a successful event, but take every opportunity at the event to reinforce your brand and message before, during and after the event. If the event is focused on a product launch, consider putting the product line brand out in front of the corporate one, and promote the event as an exclusive “unveiling” or even a “sneak peek” opportunity. Event-only graphics, giveaways or impressions go a long way towards making it a “moment in time” happening not to be missed. That said, there is every reason to broadcast the event afterwards online, in the media and in promotional materials. Get as much mileage out of the event as you can by distributing photos, video clips and press releases immediately.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Just after the fall busy season is a great time to look back at your 2009 Exhibiting successes and to consider your 2010 schedule. What shows were your best performers? Where could you expand your company’s presence to get more out of your event marketing effort? One strategy employed by some of our clients is to seek out shows in vertical markets outside of their primary industry in order to access to new business.

Take a look at your top 5-10 clients. What trade shows are they exhibiting at? Would it make sense for your company to have a presence at their industry shows? Would this give you an opportunity to get in front of similar companies who have similar needs for your products and services? Often, exhibitors become so focused on their own industry that they miss opportunities in other vertical markets. But having a presence at shows in industries that your company supports or works with gives you the opportunity to stand out in a less saturated field. It may even be worth investigating exhibiting at a show that your competitors’ top clients exhibit at.

Have you already been applying this strategy with success? Great! Perhaps there are still some niche vertical markets that are still untapped. Seek out regional shows or new shows that shift the focus slightly towards your best target audience. Test out these additional shows with a portable inline trade show display with graphics tailored to the attendees at that show.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Exhibiting at trade shows is a vital part of the marketing mix, but the effort can represent a significant investment.  Trade show participation has been shown to be a cost-effective way to generate leads and close new business, according to the findings of CEIR, The Center for Exhibition Industry Research, as explained in their report The Cost Effectiveness of Exhibition Participation. The data from that report and others show that the typical cost of generating a sale from exhibiting at a trade show is just over $2,000, as compared to over the $3,000 average for all methods. Still, trade show professionals are looking to make the most of their event marketing budget, thereby lowering the total expense for each new lead or sale. One way to do this is to use modern online marketing techniques to squeeze more juice out of your next appearance on the expo floor.

Promote your event on your website and in online advertising
For quite some time, Exhibitors have been sending out pre-show mailers to show attendees, their customers and their prospects, often with an incentive to visit their booth space during the show. Exhibitors can translate this to the web by promoting their presence on their website and in online marketing campaigns. Add the trade shows you will be exhibiting at to your company’s online events calendar, or create a new section for a running list of upcoming events. Be sure to let potential expo visitors know what booth space you are in and when in-booth demos or product launches will happen.
Think about how to write about events you plan to exhibit at in this section since useful and interesting and content will both entice your visitors to attend the show and and seek out your display. Good content that includes the keywords of your industry, your product or your company will help people find your site. You may also consider an online advertising campaign to promote your appearance at the show. Similar to pre-show mailers that often include an incentive to visit the booth such as a drawing for a prize, online ads are good place to entice your target audience with some sort of “at show” offer. Remember, even if they are already planning to attend the show, you want to get on the “dance card” of your most important targets.

Tweet, Blog, and update other social media content from the show floor

• connect with show attendees using twitter, facebook, linked in and other social media
• add show photos to your flickr account or your website, and don’t forget to tag
• search for other blogs or forums about the show or your industry and post comments about your presence
• tweet news from your booth space as it happens
• publish blog posts each night to recap the days happenings

Popularity: 11% [?]

Making all of the arrangements to exhibit at a trade show can seem a daunting task. However, having the right information and resources at hand can be a tremendous help in planning.

But where does one begin? We recommend that trade show coordinators start with the Show FAQ often available on the show’s website. This is a quick overview of the who, what, when and where of the trade show.

Once the basics are reviewed, the official exhibitor service manual for the trade show is the next go-to document for exhibitors and their exhibit management firm.  The exhibitor service manual is a comprehensive guide to all of the details of the trade show. Show floor rules and hall regulations, exhibitor service forms, designated contractor contacts and forms, and shipping information are included in the Exhibitor Service Manual. Be sure to make note of all deadlines outlined in the manual, and go over corresponding timelines with your exhibit house.

Becoming familiar with the show details as outlined in the service manual will save you time and money, and help you avoid trade show logistics related headaches. Because trade show agencies like Exhibit Resources work with exhibit service manuals and the service contractors involved on a regular basis, they can help exhibitors make all arrangements quickly and accurately.

Popularity: 11% [?]

North Carolina businesses have been taking the show on the road this year. Trade show displays for Greensboro and RTP based Syngenta have made it to over 150 trade shows this year, including over 75 farm shows, from the of vines of California to the citrus groves of Florida, and from the soybean fields of North Carolina to the potato fields of Idaho. Durham, NC based Burt’s Bees sent their Award Winning Green trade show display just returned from Natural Products Expo East. Cary, NC based Cornerstone Therapeutics just debuted their new Exhibit Resources trade show display at the 25th Annual NANN show. In fact, Exhibit Resources represents many North Carolina companies at trade shows across the country and the world. It’s no surprise, with large metropolitan areas such as the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill plus RTP, Cary, Morrisville and the rest of Wake and surrounding counties), the Triad (Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point plus the rest of Guilford and surrounding counties), and the greater Charlotte Mecklenburg area, there are a lot of businesses with national and international reach based here in North Carolina. Be on the lookout for a North Carolina display at a trade show near you!

Popularity: 20% [?]

Preparation for exhibiting at academic and professional conferences is similar to that of trade shows or expos, but there are some subtle differences that an organization may want to consider.

One common difference is that the venue may not accommodate as large a display as you might set up on the trade show floor or in an expo hall. Working with an exhibit agency such as Exhibit Resources will help you successfully translate the look and feel of your larger exhibit space to the smaller scale that might be required. There are several approaches to small space branding, depending on what is offered at the conference. One uses the conference-supplied table, usually 6ft or 8ft long, for which you will want to develop a professional table top display, including a branded table cover or table runner. Another scenario is a 10′ conference exhibit space in a ballroom or large lobby without a table. A good option for this space is a fabric pop-up display, which can be shipped in a small case to the hotel and then transported to the conference and set up by one or two reps. For more restricted spaces, either narrower or lower than a standard 10′ wide and 8′ high portable backwall display would fit, exhibitors can set up two or three banner stands to approximate the look of a backwall, but with some adjustability in height and width.

Aside from space considerations, the wording of messages may need to be developed specifically for the audience of the conference. Depending on the type of conference, the tone of the message may be need to be more targeted to the specific niche, or it might benefit from a more academic or trust-building focus. Bold yet conservative graphics could be more effective than the in-your-face attention grabbers that may play better on trade show floors.

Popularity: 23% [?]

As trade show exhibitors continue to look for cost saving opportunities, many are discovering that outsourcing Trade Show Management services is a smart choice. Exhibitors are seeing that there is significant value to having industry experts handle time-sensitive trade show logistics on their behalf. A common situation is one in which an exhibitor’s schedule is just demanding enough to be unmanageable by the marketing manager or other staff, but isn’t quite a full time job that would justify the hiring of a dedicated Trade Show Manager.

There are additional efficiencies and benefits to outsourcing Trade Show Management in addition to freeing marketing staff from the burden. In many cases, trade show design firms are more efficient in planning for shows, working with show officials, and arranging freight, travel and accommodations. The overall expense for trade show management can be reduced significantly simply because of this improved efficiency.

Another benefit to outsourcing Trade Show Management is that exhibit agencies have the knowledge and experience to leverage the best outcome for their clients. Agencies are often more familiar with the city, venue, decorator, hotels and freight options than an in-house coordinator ever could be. The experience they gain from one trade show can help inform decisions for another, whether it’s for the same client or for one in another industry.

And because it is their job to reduce the cost of exhibiting, trade show logistics coordinators can often help exhibitors avoid rush fees and other penalties frequently incurred due to overworked marketing professionals who may simply not have the time or bandwidth to meet early bird deadlines, schedule freight to arrive via the lowest cost service, or research the best travel packages.

Ready to find out if outsourcing Trade Show Management makes business sense for your trade show program? We suggest contacting your exhibit house, or us.

Popularity: 20% [?]

Trade show exhibit design and planning should focus on the following objectives that lead to sales:

Attract visitors to your trade show booth to learn more about who you are and what your company’s offer is.
Captivate your visitors once inside your trade show exhibit by presenting a compelling message or a high-energy presentation.
Engage your guests in a dialogue about their needs and how your offer may help meet those needs.
Educate potential clients and existing customers on the benefits and advanced features of your offerings.
Inspire trade show booth visitors to become subscribers to future communication from you and a continuation of the conversation.
Motivate your prospects to take the next step, such as accepting a product trial period, receiving a quote, or placing an order during or immediately after the trade show.

Popularity: 55% [?]

Trade shows have been an important part of a company’s marketing mix for some time, and have supported the overall marketing strategy by complementing the other “pillars” of the effort.

The marketing mix used to only include
Trade Shows, Radio, Print Media, Billboards, Newspapers and TV

Now marketers also have
The Internet , Social Media such as Blogs, Twitter, Linked In, Facebook and Special Events.

Special Events have emerged as another successful Face-to-Face marketing strategy because of the focused, direct interaction with the customer that they offer. A special event could be an after hours, off show site, invitation-only social event held one evening during a larger trade show. It also could be an annual gathering at a company’s headquarters to pump up dealers or introduce new product to the media and existing customers. It could be an appreciation or awards event at a destination location to thank loyal employees, company partners or long term clients. Or it could be a sponsored event tied to a charity fundraiser or sporting event. No matter the venue or focus, special events often have an element of exclusivity, and can afford companies the opportunity to present their message to a receptive audience without distractions.

Popularity: 22% [?]