Manage Your Next Trade Show Like a Marketing Campaign

The Goal Is For The Right People To Plan To Spend Quality Time With You

As you plan for your next trade show, treat this investment of money, manpower and resources just like you do for any important marketing campaign.   Review the campaign plan to ensure that it will earn an ROI that is commensurate with company marketing investment guidelines.

Determine The Results That You Need To Achieve

• Which sales opportunities can you move closer to Win status?
• How many new leads make the event worthwhile?
• Renew acquaintances with customers, prospects and partners and attract new ones

A Pre-Event Campaign Strategy Is Essential

Rather than hoping that people will visit your booth, your goal should be for your targets to attend your keynote presentation and to schedule a 15-minute time slot at your booth with one of your associates.

• Develop the Message that appeals to your target audience so they will plan on visiting your booth.
• Write an Article and Advertise in your industry trade journal one issue before the show
• Tailor a Media Kit for the event press conference
• Issue online Press Releases before and after the event
• Booth staff should be trained ambassadors
• Your CRM system should be online in your booth

Market The Event To Your CRM Database

Let contacts know you'll be there, what you'll be doing, your booth number and how to schedule a booth calendar time slot with you.  Send personal invitations to a select number of VIPs.

• Promote your event through email invitations and landing pages with content that highlights trends, facilitates idea exchange and showcases your theme.
• Registration through online forms
• Measure results through online reports
• PURL Postcards direct contacts [for whom you don't have email addresses] to personalized landing pages where they can opt-in to receive an email invitation.

Be More Than "Just Noticed" So Visitors Are Happy That They Made Time For You

Give a keynote presentation at the event in a subject matter theme forum.  Free running booth presentations and pre-scheduled audience style demonstrations enable visitors to self-qualify prior to requesting a 1on1 meeting.  Booth staff catch guests by surprise having pre-learned about them. Offer something of value related to your conversation.

• Collateral and Handouts
• Success Stories
• Product Sell Sheets
• Give away e.g. company branded flash drive with collateral information stored on it