Preparing for your First Trade Show
One of the most taxing and beneficial parts about working in this industry are the trade shows. We all know they are a necessary evil, but that does change the fact that you are spending twelve hours a day standing on a concrete floor. For first time exhibitors, that is not the worst part. The most tedious aspect is not only creating a booth from scratch but also finding the best way to extract the highest return on investment (ROI). In this article, you will find the general woes of trade shows and some of the tricks we have learned along the way.
“How do I find the right show to attend?”
If you are not used to the trade show circuit then the best place to start is by finding which shows you should attend. The easiest way to do this is on social media and general internet searches. You can start by searching through your competitors social media, news, and website to determine what shows they normally attend. This does not mean to only attend these shows, but it at least give you an idea of what kind of shows you should be attending. Door number two is researching your target audience. If you are manufacture roofing accessories, then try to find a show geared towards roofing contractors and those who distribute to them. Once you find the shows you want to attend, it is now time to build your booth.
“How do I know what my booth should look like?”
Step one in building and designing your booth is to attend a similar trade show to scope out the competition. I have been to a very diverse blend of tradeshows over the years, and almost all of them have the same design scheme for their booths. Even though there is a standard design for booths, you still want to add your own unique flare to the booth. With any show that you go to, you will always notice the difference between the billion dollar and the Start Up companies. Not only is the scale of their booth a big factor but also their presentation and presence at the booth. The people representing these billion dollar booths always have three things in common: great product displays, a uniform of some kind, and extremely educated booth staff. If you do not have the budget that these companies have, and most companies don’t, then at least put your best foot forward.
“Best design strategy”
If you are already shelling out the ludicrous cost just to exhibit at the show, then at least shell out the extra money for professional booth design and other marketing materials. Believe me when I tell you, you will not gain a customer by having an amazing handout and a poorly done booth. People will not want to come to your booth to get your beautiful flyer if your booth looks like it was designed by your child’s third grade class art class. I have witnessed this first hand. Our first trade show, we thought that our product alone would drive the crowd. We were wrong. It seemed as though people either came to our booth out of pity or because our booth staff was constantly engaging anyone walking past us. I can never say enough about the importance of an engaging booth staff. They can make or break any booth. So when you are designing your booth, seek professional help, and to save money, make sure your booth design is generic enough that it can be used at multiple shows. The trade shows are expensive enough. No need to add any additional cost.
Location, location, location. One of the biggest factors in being found at a tradeshow is where your booth is located. In order to get a good spot, then you need to register early. Most shows open up registration a year, and that is how you get a good spot. In all odds you will not get the best spot, but at least you can have a unique booth. Cookie cutter booths are good for first time presenters because there are plenty of examples for these booths. If you want to have a unique booth, then go to a trade show and find what other booths in your realm and note the theme. For an example, we went to a trade show and were put in tech alley. Every company had computer screens, “modern” sleek designs, and uniform staff in polos. In order to stand out, we made our booth with raw building materials and no cosmetic attachments. At times, people stopped at our booth just to say, “Alright, I am curious. You booth got me. What do you guys do?” That statement alone made the countless hours spent designing and creating our booth.
ROI: “How do I make the most out of my trip. How do I get the meetings I want”
Now that you have found the trade shows you want to attend and have designed your booth, it is time to make your money back. Nothing is worse than attending a show and coming out of it empty handed. This does not only refer to monetary goals but also business and personal goals. It is amazing what you can gain by setting up meetings with other exhibitors and picking their brains. Since we know the main goal is to get customers, let me tell you how I have get the best return on my investment. For the best ROI, you want to be setting up meetings before you get there. Most companies start their outreach at least 30 days in advance. Call up people you know will be there and ask if they have some time for you to come over and catch up. It is the nice and informal meetings that tend to reap the most benefits.
Go to all of the events that you can. Educational events are great places to market yourself to potential customer. Be engaging. Introduce yourself to whomever you can and exchange cards. I am not saying that you should be going up to every person and pester them for their contact info, but you should at least be going up to people and pick their brains. Only exchange cards if the situation calls for it. I can’t tell you how many times I have talked to someone random who has either turned into a customer or introduced me to a customer. Consider it practice for the eventual booth shift that you will undoubtedly be working. With some of the larger events, they trade shows will have an opening ceremony. You will want to attend this event. Opening ceremonies are generally near a stocked bar and finger foods. Very few people will turn down free food and cheap drinks. This will be one of your best chances to meet people if you did not have time to set up your meetings before hand. Make an appearance and take as much notes on with whom and what you talked about. The show is going to be a long and expensive couple days, might as well have some fine while you can.
“How much should I expect to spend?”
Short answer: More than you would expect, but that is why you need to make sure you are putting in the work to see the return on your investment. I have attended tradeshows and I have presented at tradeshows, and every time I have had to pay some money to be there. Some cities are more expensive than others, but in all of them you will have to pay for food, drink, and a place to sleep. If you are going to be marketing and attending the function, then you need to budget for that as well. But let’s get down to the question at hand: How much does it cost to present at a tradeshow? As in everything, the prices vary, but you are looking at anywhere between $3K-$10K for a 10x10 booth. That doesn’t even include the cost to build and break it down. Tradeshows are like cell phone bills, they tell you one price but you have all these hidden fees.
I will end on this, a trade show is like a family vacation. You end up spending way too much time worrying about the money and you can lose focus on what is really important. Can you really put a price on nice and relaxing family vacation? Well yes you can, but the unmeasurable are what make the trip worth it. To make your trip worth it: get a great spot, have a great booth, network and talk with everyone, and try to have fun. You are going to be working two twelve hour days at a minimum, and you need to keep your spirit up while you are doing it. Best of luck planning your first trade show, and remember, it is not how much you put into it but how much you get out of it.
