No matter how small your marketing budget, your business can afford to have a successful presence at trade shows without incurring big expenses.

Rent a temporary space at a wholesale gift mart or showroom. You can plunge into wholesale shows inexpensively and without being present by renting a temporary space in a wholesale gift mart or showroom. For a monthly fee, you can display your products there for direct sales to retail shop owners. This is a good way not only to break into wholesaling on a small budget, but also to test new products.

No matter how small your marketing budget, your business can afford to have a successful presence at trade shows without incurring big expenses.

Have a sales representative exhibit your line at a trade show. If you can’t afford a booth and travel expenses, a sales rep who exhibits in trade shows or gift marts in your industry can present your product line without the cost of a full-fledged booth. An added benefit is that a professional sales rep has a network of connections and knows your market niche well, and is likely to be more experienced in selling and trade show dynamics than you are.

Now is not the time to invest thousands of dollars into an unknown venture, by exhibiting in the big cities.  Unless you’ve been exhibiting at these big national shows already, I suggest you wait on signing up for the premium space.

Now is the time to look to low cost or no cost exhibiting options.  Turn to your local chamber of commerce, SBDC, city planning department, shopping mall, library and internet.

Ask your chamber to host a small business fair.  A small Xpressions SNAP tabletop will make you look more professional than all the other businesses at the fair.  Attention often goes to the exhibitor that looks the biggest and most professional.

Create a seminar for your local small business development center.  Helping new business people get their businesses started is a great way to get known in your community.

Start a company blog site.  Write about your product and or service offering.  Not from a sales pitch point of view, but as a how-to guide or helpful resource.  Use your blogsite like a tradeshow venue: exhibit your company logo along the side bar with a link to your company website.

Pitch a tent on main street.  Not a camping tent, but a business tent.  Ask City Hall, of course, you need a permit to take sidewalk space.  If there are no local trade shows appropriate for what you offer, then setting up your own exhibit downtown can gain you some new eye balls.

Sponsor your kids sports club.  Be sure to setup a place for the parents to watch the event.  Using your company tent is a great way to increase company exposure and since you are sponsoring the event, there is no extra cost for the exhibit.

Give out company bags at the shopping mall.  This strategy has been working for the big clothing stores for decades.  Custom printed bags are not too expensive and your logo is seen be the bag holder and people around them every time the bag is used.

Post flyers at the grocery store.

Put a stack of business cards on display at the dentist’s office.

Attend city council meetings and hand out cards.

And the list goes on…  Finding inexpensive (even FREE) venues is easy.

Ed Bejarana
Zenith Exhibits, Inc.

Exhibiting at a tradeshow costs money, no two ways about it.  You can do your show on the cheap, but cheap looking handouts, flyers and exhibits translates into less attention.

This article is NOT about your display, but your trade show marketing effort.  If you are going to invest in exhibit marketing, then pull out all the stops and take advantage of FREE pre-show and post-show internet marketing.

People who attend tradeshows look up information about the show before and after the event.  Your pre-show marketing effort should be associating your business name with the trade show name: so when show attendees search, they find your company name along with the show name.

Use business blogging (a FREE blog site on WordPress.com will work) to blog about the trade show and your reason for attending.  Your wordpress blog is NOT a time to sell, rather a time to build relevant keyword associations to your company name AND the trade show name.

When blogging, you should write about the demographics connection and why your company decided to speak to that particular audience.  Be specific, write about how women who own their own service based business (if that is a demographic of a potential show attendee) are an important aspect of your business.  Write about ALL the show demographics if they apply to your business.

Do not relate your blog articles to customers, they are not customers yet, they are not even prospects; they are internet searchers looking for information about the show.  You will have plenty of time to sell later.  Right now you are making marketing impressions.  Write about the show and include your company name as it will appear on your tradeshow booth, business cards, flyers, etc…

Plan on publishing at least one article per week.  Use my FREE Business Blog Article Outline as a starting point for formatting your blog article.

Why?

Basic marketing theory 101 is it takes seven impressions of your business name to stick.  Between your blog site, website, tradeshow exhibitors list, common area signage, trade show booth, business cards AND post-show advertisement; you’ll have seven hits.

Ed Bejarana
Zenith Exhibits, Inc.
BusinessBlogging.net is the internet marketing division for Zenith Exhibits, Inc.

Because this subject is so BIG, I have broken it into three parts and published it on three blog sites.

On this site I covered changes to your face-to-face, trade show marketing efforts and how to use internet marketing to improve your ROI.

Over on PortlandBusinessCommunity.com you can read more about business blogging concept and using community blog sites.

Over on BusinessBlogging.net you can read more about social marketing part of the discussion.

You don’t need a mammoth-sized exhibit or piles of money to make a big (and memorable) statement at your next show. Use these five tactics for getting the biggest bang out of your small booth.

1. Use lighting. According to industry research, lighting can increase awareness of your exhibit by 30 to 50 percent. Renting a portable lighting system or using product spotlights will give your small exhibit the extra exposure it needs.
2. Keep it simple. Feature only one or two products. Any more than that and you’ll just add clutter – and keep your prospects away.
3. Employ bold colors. Find high-impact hues that will stand out from a distance, and avoid neutral colors that will just blend into the background.
4. Invest in graphics. Using fewer and larger graphics is the first step. Then, make sure all graphics start no lower than 36 inches on the backwall. Otherwise, they won’t be seen when people or products are standing in front of them. And remember that dense or too-small copy will not be read.
5. Be proportionate. Large reception counters or product kiosks will crowd your space and make it look even smaller than it is. Leave enough room in your exhibit so staffers can talk comfortably with attendees.

Imagine if you will, walking down a trade show aisle and instead of trade show booths, the row was lined with cereal boxes.  On these boxes, instead of pictures and big words, you were presented with the list of ingredients!

Obviously you are not going to read too much when you are browsing.  Most tradeshow attendees are just browsing and will not take the time to read your back wall.

My favorite trade show booth was a fellow selling windows.  He had three 7 foot long banners hanging from the pipe and drape.  On the banners were hundreds of words:  big words, not so big words.  He had more text than many sales agreements.  I stopped and asked the gentleman what he did.  I got a stare like I was from outer space.  The man gestured to his back wall and stepped out of my way (I guess so I could read the fine print).

Trade show booths don’t sell—people do.  Your trade show marketing effort should be designed to gather new leads.  Trying to sell on the show floor (unless you sell widgets at the show) is a losing proposition.  For every exhibitor, targeting just the single sale is not enough.  Today your profit margin relies on repeat business.

Repeat business is built on relationships.

At the show, make an impression.  Gather contact information and move to the next prospect.

Ed Bejarana
Zenith Exhibits, Inc.

Do you find your trade show lead quality decreasing? It may not be the show, but rather your exhibit attendee engagement strategy.

When your booth is busy, people keep walking.  Often the attendee commits to come back later, but more often than not return visits do not happen.  Therefore, you have one chance to talk to the right people.  If you take too much time with each prospect, then you are losing prospect opportunities.

The goal is to pre-quality a prospect, collect contact info and follow up with the prospect after the show.  Some of you will of course want to close a deal on the spot and if your product is such that you can do that, great!  Do it!  For most of us, however, meeting the prospect at the trade show is the beginning of the relationship.

Prepare Ten Questions

Not just any questions, but questions that lead you to better qualify the prospect.  Your goal is to gather info, you get paid for information you gather, not information you give.

The goal is not to ask all ten questions, but to have an arsenal of questions you can ask back to back booth visitors.  Don’t get the label of redundant.  Keep your questions sounding fresh and non-threatening.

Make sure everyone on your booth staff knows the questions.  Every time a booth visitor agrees to give contact information, note the questions you asked.  Repeat the questions that work, replace the questions that don’t.

Ed Bejarana
Zenith Exhibits, Inc.
(503) 709-1454

“IF YOU AREN’T FEELING the pressure yet of measuring [your exhibiting efforts], you will,” said Mim Goldberg, president, Marketech Inc., at the Event Measurement Conference, sponsored by the Trade Show Exhibitors Association and held in early October in Boston. “Executives don’t want to know that the booths were full. They want to know the return on objectives: What did we put in, what did we get out of it, and how does it compare to other marketing techniques?”

The one-day conference offered solutions for measuring and documenting the ROI of trade shows and proprietary events. About 50 corporate event professionals attended the program, which featured a keynote by Skip Cox, president, Exhibit Surveys Inc., Red Bank, N.J. Mim Goldberg and Marc Goldberg, founder of Marketech, Westboro, Mass., spoke about event measurement methodologies, along with executives from The George P. Johnson Co., a North Easton, Mass. event marketing firm.

Speakers emphasized that before any measurement begins, exhibitors should set objectives for the show. These could range from creating awareness of a brand to introducing a new product. Marc Goldberg explained how to translate these measurement objectives into dollars and cents, such as how to estimate the cost of attracting an attendee to the booth or generating a sales lead. “If we are generating leads for $67 per person, how does that compare to other forms of marketing?” he asked. If it compares favorably, then planners can make a strong case for the value of the event.

On average, it costs about $117 to attract an attendee to a booth, but $200 per visitor to establish personal contact, said Cox, citing research done by his company. Creating an environment that fosters personal interaction often requires additional resources, such as pre-show marketing. “Attendees want information and face-to-face interaction,” he said. “Sometimes we lose sight of those two basic principles.”

In a recent survey of marketing executives by the George P. Johnson Co., just 60 percent say they establish personal contact with attendees at shows, down from 67 percent 10 years ago.

It’s also important to draw the right people to your booth, Cox said. About one-third of attendees at the average trade show make buying decisions, and about half are charged with developing the vendor list. So exhibitors need to recognize that the quality of traffic is more important than the quantity.

Original Publication: Nov 1, 2004 12:00 PM, DAVE KOVALESKI, Meetingsnet.com

Outdoor exhibiting is the perfect solution for companies seeking fresh air and more space for product demos, but it has its own set of problems. Keep these caveats in mind before you pack up and head outside.

The most obvious potential outdoor-exhibiting problem is the weather. Rain, wind, hail, and extreme heat can grind outdoor-exhibit traffic to a halt, while the show goes on without interruption inside the exhibit hall.

Even if Mother Nature is on your side and outdoor traffic is heavy, outdoor exhibiting can still be a real challenge. Surrounded by other exhibitors’ large equipment and potentially noisy demos, your booth can get lost in the commotion, which not only detracts from your message, but also hinders your ability to speak with attendees.

Staff, too, must be ready for the additional rigors of outdoor exhibits, such as less climate control. A lack of show services can also affect outdoor exhibitors. For example, utility hook-ups, electrical power, and Internet feeds are often limited or unavailable outside.

Sometimes show management plays favorites. That is, some shows focus most of their promotional efforts and signage on indoor exhibitors, leaving outdoor exhibitors out in the cold. Before you book an outdoor space, ask show management to explain how it plans to promote outdoor exhibitors and what plans, if any, it has for inclement weather.

John Hasbrouck, NewLeads Inc

No doubt about it: A computerized lead database beats piles of scrap paper. And many exhibitors now import their lead information directly into a sales-contact database at the show with a computerized lead-retrieval system. Every major lead retrieval company has a software rental option; software companies like American Exposition Technologies and NewLeads offer customizable software compatible with any card-reader system. This software can be purchased outright by exhibitors and reused at all shows.

After installing the software on a laptop or computer station, you link an external card reader or scanner to the computer. These scanners also are provided by the show’s lead retrieval contractor. At most shows, attendee badges are imprinted with a magnetic stripe or bar code containing the visitor’s relevant contact information. Once you swipe or scan the name badge, these vitals pop up on your computer screen. You can then correct the errors and add missing information, and most important, you can take notes.

Their convenience makes it tempting to simply swipe a computer-coded badge and then move on. But remember, the coded information on that badge initially was input by a human being. When thousands of visitors need coded badges, mistakes are going to happen. To provide your sales force with the most accurate leads possible, confirm the following information before sending your prospect merrily down the aisle.

Verify that the attendee’s name is spelled correctly, and that his job title and mailing address are up-to-date. Occasionally, a prospect will list a P.O. box in place of a street address. In this case, ask if he prefers to receive mail at the P.O. box or if the street address would be more efficient.
Make sure that the phone and fax numbers are accurate. Ask for the numbers if they are missing. With incorrect or missing phone information, how will the sales force follow up with the prospect? You might also ask if your visitor has a direct extension where she prefers to receive calls.
Ask for the best time to call. Don’t shy away from this; it will save your reps much time and increase their sales and efficiency. Simply ask, “If someone were to follow up with you, what is the most convenient time for them to call?” Subtly press the issue if needed. For example, you might ask, “Are mornings best?”
Ask for an e-mail address. Most people proudly will give it to you. This makes it easy for a laptop-equipped sales force to zip instant information and updates to prospects.
Include specifics about their product interest in your on-screen form. Take detailed notes whenever possible. The more you include in your lead, the better chance your rep will have in gaining a customer.

One of the hardest concepts for some exhibitors to understand is that everyone at the show is not a prospect. At any show, there are really only three types of prospects for your product or service. Handling each one correctly will save you time and them time.

Prospects can generally be classified into three types:

Type A: Ready to order or buy now. These are the people you came to the show to attract and find. You want to spend quality time with them.
Type B: Interested, but need more information. These are the people you want to convert to Type A. If you can determine who they are, you can do more than just give them a product sheet.
Type C: Not qualified or not interested. Thank them and move on.
Once you’ve classified attendees, the next step is draw the best prospects to your booth. Here are three ways to attract the best prospects.

Use good signs. The signs in your booth will help prospects determine their interest quickly. “Image in the blink of an eye.” Communicating the features and benefits of your product or service will get people to say to themselves “Hey, I need that! Perhaps I should look into this further.”
Teach things in your presentations. Product presentations can draw large crowds. Sprinkle trivia about the industry or your product category throughout the presentation so everyone feels they’ve learned something. Make sure that the two important post-presentation options for each person are made clear during the presentation and at the end. Identify where they should go next: either to the order desk or to the in-depth demos.
People do business with people.

Adapted from “The Performance Factor” by Pat MacMillan
Trade show success often hinges on an effective booth team. You can’t just throw a bunch of people together and expect them to prosper. You need to prepare them to work together. Focus on these qualities and characteristics to build a strong exhibiting team.

Common purpose. The effective team is united and motivated by a clear and compelling purpose that provides the reason for cooperation. Make sure your exhibit staff knows all the company’s show goals and expectations.

Clear roles. Roles are the means by which we design, divide and deploy a team’s work. When done right, the team achieves synergy by leveraging the specialized skills of each person. Learn the strengths of your team members, and work with them accordingly.

Quality leadership. High-performance teams need competent leaders who can set directions, manage boundaries and coach team members toward extraordinary results. As the exhibit manager, you need to be that leader on the show floor. Develop and cultivate commitment, initiative and creativity in your team. Set the example through your own booth conduct.

Excellent communication. Fast, clear, accurate communication is the means by which teams tap collective brilliance. The process of productive discussion and dialogue, which should happen during a pre-show meeting and wrap-up sessions at the end of each day, allows the team to stay informed, resolve differences and work toward common goals.

This year we have an optimistic outlook, even in hard times. Bringing products to market is an age-old tradition, year in and year out, the business world turns on the making personal connections at trade shows.

Social Media

The emergence of social media is dramatically changing the business landscape. Not only are we connected via the web, now we are getting to know each other.

In 2009 the trade show industry will find new ways to utilize social media connections. We know that social media helps us to connect, but how can we turn these connections into meaningful relationships?

Mary DuQuaine, Director of Business Development for ExPrT Exhibits explains, “Trade shows are the perfect venue for meeting social networking connections face to face. Show organizers are starting to recognize the power of social media to attract attendees. Twitter, LinkedIn and eventFRIEND, TSNN’s new Facebook application, are already facilitating the meet-up process.”

DuQuaine adds, “ExPrT Exhibits recently launched a new blog which offers product reviews and industry updates. We are also increasing our presence in social media groups like the LinkedIn group “Greener Tradeshows” this year. It is an exciting time of change and expansion for people who are willing to jump in and explore this new means of communication!”

By the way…Green is Here to Stay

Green is no longer a trend, it is the way things are.  Sustainable business practices are now a mainstay in public policy.  In 2008, many businesses took a hard look at what it means to “go green” and changed corporate policy, now the work of implementation begins.

The current economic climate will strengthen resolve to develop lean business practices.  Decisions will be based on needs. Alternative options like display rentals and updating existing exhibits are practical necessities with an overall benefit of being sustainable as well.

“Display companies will need to do their homework to provide green options that are truly eco-friendly.  By now people are aware of greenwashing, so building relationships of trust will be very important.  At ExPrT Exhibits, we understand that people really want to do what is best for the planet and don’t want to be disappointed with products that don’t live up to their claims,” said DuQuaine.

The forecast for 2009 shows that we will continue to see a variety of new substrate options for graphics and exhibit building supplies as the demand for greener tradeshows expands.

Source: tsnn.com on Jan 3, 2009

How do you exhibit your business on a limited budget without looking unprofessional?

Does this sound familiar?

About a year ago you, rented space at an upcoming tradeshow, but now economic times have slowed business to a crawl.  You can’t backup without losing your booth space rent, so what do you do?

Here are a few ideas for over coming the budget challenge when exhibiting your company.

Read More→

I was teaching a class at the Small Business Development Center today and one of my students approached me during the break to ask about trade show displays.  She exhibits as gift type fairs and wanted a display that was easy to transport and use at indoors and outdoor events.  While I would love to produce a list of a dozen different options, reality is no such display actually exists.

Building a display for both indoor and outdoor events are a liability situation.  Making something that is heavy enough to NOT blow over in the wind yet light enough to easily move creates a potential for people getting hurt.  Pop-up displays have 78 square feet of surface area and are VERY susceptible to gentle winds knocking them over.  While popups are light weight and not very likely to hurt someone, they are very likely to damage adjacent exhibits and thus become a liability.

This leaves exhibitors who also show products at their events to their own devices.  More often than not the exhibitors get a hold of grid wire panels (typically used in retail establishments).  While these are very effective for showcasing product, they are very heavy and awkward to setup.

Popup display frames can sometimes be used to hang and showcase product, but they are only good for a dozen or fewer display items.  If you have a large number of items to showcase, grid wall panels are your best option, especially since they usualy can be purchased for about $30 per grid panel (typically 24″ x 84″).

If your display products are long and bulky, you might consider PVC piping. PVC pipe can use built to act as a free standing display stand and even painted or graphically wrapped.  With slip on PVC fittings, your full height display column can be broken down to fit in to the trunk of a small car.  By drilling holes in the PVC pipe, you can use wire hangers to display your product.  You can connect a larger diameter pipe section to the base and fill with sand to help keep the display unit standing in moderate winds.  The best part is PVC piping is very inexpensive, easy to service and replacement parts are available everywhere.  No getting stranded because one part breaks!

My point is trade show displays need not cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.  By being creative and using common hardware store items, you can create an attractive trade show display that can be used in any venue.  While I would love to sell you an expensive display, in many cases the best solution is more affordable from your local hardware store.

Ed Bejarana
BusinessBlogging.net
a division of Zenith Exhibits, Inc.