When starting a business and working hard to get your name out there, one of the best ways to introduce your brand to a large audience of industry enthusiasts is to have an exhibit at a trade show.
Although, for new businesses, it can be difficult to figure out exactly which trade show would be best for your exhibit to thrive. After all, trade shows can be expensive and time consuming, so you can’t attend all of them. Perhaps you already know you need to be strategic, but you haven’t figured out how to thin the herd and decide which trade show is best for your business.
Here are three surefire ways to ensure you are attending the best trade show for your business.
Determine Your Goal
While that might sound obvious, it’s amazing how many people forgo this vital step.
There are two main types of trade shows. The first is the consumer show. This is where there are outside consumers coming in to buy, possibly get photo opportunities, and meet business owners face to face. This is great for the business who is simply getting their name out to the public.
However, the second option is the true trade show. This is where only people who are serious about the industry show up. This is a networking event and if your exhibit garners attention, it could open some prestigious doors for your company, simply by mingling and showing off your business.
Marketing Madness
At its heart, a trade show is a huge marketing and networking event, while your exhibit is your advertisement. You have a select amount of time to intrigue these people and turn them into leads or business connections, so you can’t bring the whole business. Instead, you must downsize and bring only the essentials for each show.
If you believe you can convert the marketing done pre-show, during the trade show, and after the trade show will generate the number of sales you’re looking for, then this might be a good trade show for your business.
Evaluate the Press Presence
For those businesses that are just starting, putting your business in the line of the press is a good way to garner even more exposure. You want to be everywhere, or at least, give the illusion that your business is everywhere and monitoring trade shows with a high press presence is a good way to accomplish that.
In summation, trade show attendance is highly dependent on trial, error, and personal experience. If you truly believe your business should show face at a trade show go for it. Yet, if you are unsure, of how to figure out the best trade shows for your exhibit, employ these tips to help you weed out the shows that don’t align closest with your ultimate business goals.