Marketing Tips

ExhibiTips^TM: Ten Secrets of Super Successful Exhibit Managers

By: Susan A. Friedmann, CSP, The Tradeshow Coach

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The most important ingredient of a successful exhibit is pre-show planning. Planning helps determine what you want to get from the exhibition and lays out the steps that must occur to get there. By determining your marketing goals and taking care of the logistical details prior to the show, you can prevent future problems.

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The first step in pre-show planning is to pinpoint your company's goals, objectives and target audience.

• What is our objective for this show?
• How well does this show fit our marketing needs?
• What percentage of attendees fall into our target market?
• What promotions will we use?
• What is the purpose of these promotions?
• Does the booth promotion support our show objectives?

Given that most attendees arrive on the show floor with an agenda of whom they want to see, you must find ways to generate interest in visiting your booth prior to their arrival. Studies from CEIR confirm the measurable benefits of pre-show advertising. Among its findings, advertisers pull in 56% more visitors than non-advertisers, and one-third of attendees visit a particular booth because of advertising. At small shows, promotions can be kept to a minimum, since most visitors will cover the show floor during their attendance. But at large shows, those that boast miles of aisles, strong pre-show promotion is a must.

The first step in pre-show promotion is to set objectives for each of the specific promotions you'll be using. Your target audience will be comprised of existing customers, existing prospects, and those people with whom you've already had some form of contact, and lastly are prospects you haven't yet identified. To determine your target audience, first speak with show management. Many shows offer a pre-registration list or the attendance list from the previous year's show. Once you have these names, you can pinpoint your audience and gear all promotions their way.

Of all the media available to exhibitors to promote their presence at a trade show, the most effective and versatile is direct mail. With variations ranging from postcards, letters, and packages to broadcast faxes and e-mails, direct mail is something that should be used by every exhibitor.

To enhance memorablility, all media should be coordinated to present a single, consistent message. This message should have relevance to the recipient and create a desire to visit your booth. But don't provide too much information, as this could create a sense that a visit to the booth is unneeded.

» Visit Susan Friedman's web site - http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com
» Email Susan Friedman

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