Thanks to Exhibitor magazine for the info!

The key to great exhibiting is marketing. But marketing is a very inexact science that leaves room for a multitude of errors to occur. The following are 10 of the most common marketing mistakes that exhibitors often make. Learn to avoid them and you will increase your chances for a successful trade show.

1. Have A Proper Trade Show Marketing Plan
Having both strategic exhibit marketing and tactical plan of action is a critical starting point. In order to make trade shows a powerful dimension your company’s overall marketing operation; there must be total alignment between the strategic marketing and your exhibit marketing plan. Trade shows should not be a stand-alone venture. Know and understand exactly what you wish to achieve - increasing market share with existing users; introducing new products/services into existing markets or into new markets; or introducing new products/services into new markets. This is the nucleus on which to build.

2. Have A Well-Defined Promotional Plan
A significant part of your marketing includes promotion - pre-show, at-show and post-show. Most exhibitors fail to have a plan that encompasses all three areas. Budget is naturally going to play a major role in deciding what and how much promotional activity is possible. Developing a meaningful theme or message that ties into your strategic marketing plan will then help to guide promotional decisions. Know whom you want to target and then consider having different promotional programs aimed at the different groups you are interested in attracting. Include direct mail, broadcast faxes, advertising, PR, sponsorship, and the Internet as possible ways to reach your target audience.

3. Use Direct Mail Effectively
Direct mail is still one of the most popular promotional vehicles exhibitors use. From postcards to multi-piece mailings, attendees are deluged with invitations to visit booths. Many of the mailings come from show management’s lists and as a result, everyone gets everything. To target the people you want visit your booth, use your own list of customers and prospects–it’s the best one available. Design a piece that is totally benefit-oriented and makes an impact. Mail three pieces at regular intervals prior to the trade show, starting about four weeks out, to help ensure your invitation is seen. Wherever possible, use first-class mail. There’s nothing worse than a mailing that arrives after the trade show is over.

4. Give Visitors An Incentive To Visit Your Booth
Whatever promotional vehicles you use, make sure that you give visitors a reason to come and visit you. With a hall overflowing with fascinating products/services, combined with time constraints, people need an incentive to come and visit your booth. First and foremost their primary interest is in “what’s new!” They are eager to learn about the latest technologies, new applications, or anything that will help save them time and/or money. Even if you don’t have a new product/service to introduce, think about a new angle to promote your offerings.

5. Have Giveaways That Work
Tied into giving visitors an incentive to visit your booth is the opportunity to offer a premium item that will entice them. Your giveaway items should be designed to increase your memorability, communicate, motivate, promote or increase recognition of your company. Developing a dynamite giveaway takes thought and creativity. Consider what your target audience wants, what will help them do their job better; what they can’t get elsewhere, what is product/service related and educational. Think about having different gifts for different types of visitors. Use your website to make an offer for visitors to collect important information, such as an executive report, when they visit your booth. Giveaways should be used as a reward or token of appreciation for visitors participating in a demonstration, presentation or contest, or as a thank-you for qualifying information about specific needs etc.

6. Use Press Relations Effectively
Public relations is one of the most cost-effective and successful methods for generating large volumes of direct inquiries and sales. Before the show ask show management for a comprehensive media list, and find out which publications are planning a special trade show edition. Send out newsworthy press releases focusing on what’s new about your product/service, or highlighting a new application or market venture. Compile press kits for the press office that include information about industry trends, statistics, new technology or production information. Also include good product photos and key company contacts. Have staff members at the booth who are specifically assigned to interact with the media7. Differentiate Your Products/Services
Too many exhibitors are happy to use the “me too” marketing approach. Examine their marketing plans and there’s an underlying sameness about them. With shows that attract hundreds of exhibitors, there are very few that seem to “stand out from the crowd.” Since memorability is an integral part of a visitors’ show experience, you should be looking at what makes you different and why a prospect should buy from you. This is of particular concern with generic products in your industry. Every aspect of your exhibit marketing plan, including your promotions, your booth and your people should be aimed at making an impact and creating curiosity.

8. Use The Booth As An Effective Marketing Tool
On the trade show floor your exhibit makes a strong statement about who your company is, what you do and how you do it. The purpose of your exhibit is to attract visitors so that you can achieve your marketing objectives. In addition to it being an open, welcoming and friendly space, there needs to be a focal point and a strong key message that communicates a significant benefit to your prospect. Opt for large graphics rather than reams of copy. Pictures paint a thousand words while very few exhibitors will take the time to read. Your presentations or demonstrations are a critical part of your exhibit marketing. Create an experience that allows visitors use as many of their senses as possible. This will help to enhance memorability.

9. Realize That Your People Are Your Marketing Team
Your people are your ambassadors. They represent everything your company stands for, so choose them well. Brief them beforehand and make sure that they know: why you are exhibiting; what you are exhibiting and what you expect from them. Trade show training is essential for a unified and professional image. Make sure that they sell instead of tell; don’t try to do too much; understand visitor needs; don’t spend too much time; and know how to close the interaction with a commitment to follow-up.Avoid overcrowding the booth with company representatives. Have strict rules regarding employees visiting the trade show and insist staffers not scheduled for booth duty stay away until their assigned time. Assign specific tasks for company executives working the trade show.

10. Follow-Up Promptly
The key to your trade show success is wrapped up in the lead-management process. The best time to plan for follow-up is before the trade show. Trade show leads often take second place to other management activities that occur after being out of the office for several days. The longer leads are left unattended, the colder and more mediocre they become. It is to your advantage to develop an organized, systematic approach to follow-up. Establish a lead handling system, set time lines for follow-up, use a computerized database for tracking, make sales representatives accountable for leads given to them, and then measure your results. 

Thanks to Susan Friedmann for the info!

 As the sun set on the industry yet another day I find myself being so at peace with the tools that we have as a Skyline office and knowing that any answer I need is at my finger tips. I will close my eyes now and go to sleep knowing that we have succeeded at yet another feat   I look forward to the challenges of tomorrow and being able to be a leader in the industry is the perfect beginning of every day.

 Did you know that 79% of all trade show leads aren’t followed up on?

Whether you exhibit once a year or once a month, trade shows can be a great way to market your business. They can also be an expensive venture if you aren’t getting the most value you possibly can from each show you participate in. Here are a few before, during, and after the show tips to help you get more value from your next trade show.Before the show

• Set goals – why are you exhibiting? http://www.skyline.com/skyline.asp?cmd=%21dsp%20tst_objectives
• Develop a market survey
• Analyze your marketing database
• Publicize you’ll be there
• Decide on giveaways or promotional items
• Decide on style of trade show exhibit and ways to attract traffic
• Train your booth staff
• Bring plenty of business cardsHere’s a great checklist from Skyline: http://www.skyline.com/object-dsp/pdf/mkbrochures/N_03.pdf

During the show

• Arrive early to set up
• Have plenty of staff
• Don’t sit at your booth
• Dress the part
• Smile. Be engaging. Make it fun (Most important thing you can do!)
• Acknowledge person’s name in shortly after shaking hands – helps with name retention
• Listen for things you have in common
• Exchange business cards and make notes on back
• Ask how you can help them
• Network with other vendors

After the show

• Review survey responses and prioritize leads
• Enter survey information in database
• Follow up – meet for coffee or lunch
• Measure and examine results
• Get team exhibit feedback
• Use the exhibit in your office

With some focused planning and follow up, your next trade show experience is sure to be a success before, during and after.

Thanks to Rose Slaymaker from the Nemec Marketing Group for the info!

  We have enjoyed positive growth in the trade show and event industry since 2002 due to many factors: strong corporate profits, convention center expansion, low airfares, the need for training and education, low interest rates, and the continued activity of event marketing to reach buyers.  Recently we have seen a shift in the economy.  Flat growth for 2007 and 2008, with a forecast of economic uncertainty, has everyone looking at their marketing strategies closely.  Many companies are looking at no growth budgets for trade shows, and others are withdrawing funds to protect their bottom lines.  Everyone is searching for economical and effective communication to reach customers. 

Face to Face contacts with potential customers is the most effective way to influence your potential customers.  Trade shows and event marketing offer the opportunity to meet face to face with many prospective qualified customers all in one day and will accelerate the selling cycle.  You can match attendee needs with your ability to fill them.  Because adults are visual and experiential learners, exhibiting is a visual medium that allows your customers to view your products, graphics and collateral materials as well as experience the interactive dynamics of the exhibiting process through hands-on demonstrations.

Skyline has recently produced a white paper entitled “Successful Exhibiting Strategies in Uncertain Times” and has developed a checklist with 16 tactics to drive successful exhibiting.  I have included this valuable checklist to encourage your successful participation in trade shows.

Exhibiting Smarter

1. Make Trade Shows a Part of Your Integrated Marketing Communications Plan
2. Exhibit for the Right Reasons
3. Proactively Evaluate the Shows in Which You Participate
4. Evaluate the Space You Occupy Versus Your Objectives
5. Focus on the Objective: Reducing Your Cost of Ownership
6. Invest in Graphics
7. It’s the Quality of the Audience, Not the Quantity
8. Focus on Your Targeted Audience
9. Don’t Rely on Traditional Selling Techniques
10. Invest in a Motivated Staff
11. Recruit Management as Part of Your Exhibiting Team
12. Exhibiting is Not Just Collecting Names or Swiping Badges
13. Create a “Follow-up TEAM”
14. What is Your Measure of Success?  Measure the Results
15. Plan to Work the Show Every Moment the Show is Open
16. Think Bigger- Think Beyond the Trade Show Floor

You’ll reap greater results by targeting high-quality audiences and providing the right marketing materials and qualified staff to address the needs of prospective and current clientele.  Your measurable results will show how trade shows need to be an integral part of your successful marketing strategy. 

For a copy of “Successful Exhibiting Strategies in Uncertain Times” or other information please contact Skyline Metro Chicago at info@skylinemetrochicago.com

- Plan your entire annual show schedule at one time (or even better your schedule for the next 3 years). This includes planning all of your potential booth sizes and trying to design these with the greatest number of common parts.

- If you exhibit at many shows, it is usually more cost-effective for you to buy your exhibit. However, if you exhibit at one show that is much bigger than the rest, it makes more sense to rent the additional parts to fill out your space for that one show.

- Make sure you put aside 1-3% of your budget to track what is and isn’t working. This way you can trim the fat for the next show or next year and focus on what is making you money.

- You can have an attractive, functional, lightweight modular exhibit (even for islands) that could save you up to 50% on your shipping and drayage costs. Those savings can be kept or spent in more productive areas such as graphics, promotions, staffing or ROI measurement.

If you notice, the biggest commonality when it comes to frugal exhibiting is planning. The earlier and more detailed the plan, the less room for costly mistakes.

1. Select one main image—Make sure your graphics convey who you are and what you at a glance. A bigger, simpler image is better. Stay away from busy designs.

2. Limit your text, aim high—Keep your text from about 6-10 words in length and place it in the top 2 feet of your display.

3. Select proper fonts—Skip the artsy fonts, make sure your font color is easy to read on the background, and make the font big enough. Basically make it legible.

4. Try different positions—Consider moving your tabletop from the back of your space up to the forefront. Bring it closer to your prospective customers.

5. Cut the clutter—It’s already a small space, don’t make it worse by including things you don’t need. Take out chairs, desks, and other furniture.

6. Light it up—If you want people to see your display, you must light it. It’s recommended to use two 100 or 200-watt bulbs, or use a tabletop with a bubble, backlit panel.

7. Train your staff—Since you have such a small space, your staff is really where most of your focus should go. Make sure they are well-versed in your company’s mission as well as all things trade show. The best number of staffers is two, but not in the booth at the same time.

8. Promote—Just because you have a smaller display doesn’t mean you should cut out your pre-, at-, and post-show promotions. You need to let people know who you are and where you’ll be.

9. Create an illusion—Get a table skirt that is the same color as the majority of your display. This gives the illusion of having a full-height 10×10 exhibit.

10. Consider add-ons—While you should always try to keep it simple, there are a few add-ons that may be useful. Think about getting a header, a portable DVD player for presentations, or small uncluttered product shelves.

Just because you have a smaller space doesn’t mean you can’t compete with the big dogs.