Trade Show Tips And Pointers

George Matyjewicz, PhD), our Chief Marketing Officer and partner at GAP Enterprises, LLC has organized and conducted over 400 trade shows and seminars since 1983. He frequently consults with clients who are considering trade shows or seminars. Recently he was involved in a thread on Market-L discussion list and we decided to publish it here as a question and answer session.

For assistance with a seminar or trade show at your organization, click here to contact George

Introduction:

Here are some tips and pointers for exhibiting successfully at a trade show. Keep in mind, these are generalized comments. We usually come up with 50 or more tips for every client with whom we assist in planning and exhibiting at a trade show. You would be surprised at the little things people forget -- like pencils.

I don't care what kind of show it is, or where it is, you can generate traffic! All you have to do is plan.

Question: George, you are the Trade Show expert, what do you think the most common errors are that people make when setting up their exhibition space?

Answer: Not planning ahead. What is your goal with the trade show? Are you interested in meeting qualified prospects or merely gathering business cards (suspects)? You can buy a list of suspects much cheaper than at a trade show.

Not sure if you mean the physical space or the presence, but the answer applies to both. A lot of people think their presence at a trade show will automatically bring them business. Wrong!

1. Where is your booth located?
2. What's the traffic like at the show and your location? Are you near the bathrooms or food booth (good) or in a last corridor (bad).
3. Who is the target audience coming to the show? Decision makers?
4. Do you have a list of last year's attendees and have you sent them a letter telling them where you are and what you offer? By the way, if the show does not give out that list to you as an exhibitor, don't exhibit.
5. Do you have something new to kick off at this show?
6. Did you notify the press of your press conference at your booth to announce something new? They will come and look forward to being there.
7. Did your partners and sales staff contact their top prospects to be sure they are coming to your booth? Did you coordinate appointment times?
8. Do you have literature, business cards, prospect interest forms, etc. Do you need and have the giveaways?
9. Did you plan to have a review meeting with your staff every day after the show to review the prospects and determine how to handle them?
10. Did you prepare a series of letters to the press, prospects and the current attendees that will be sent out within 5 days of the show's ending?

Needless to say the list goes on. And it is a longer list when it comes to what is to be done at the show.

Question: How do we get people into our booth?

Answer: Understand how traffic flows at a trade show -- how do people walk a trade show. Then set up your booth up accordingly. They never come right up to your booth first. Rather they walk down the middle of an aisle, and look at booths to their left and right. Hence you better have something that will attract them from mid-aisle. For each industry there are different exhibits, but some general ideas that work are:

1. A list of prominent clients.
2. A simple statement of the benefits of using you.
3. Your differentiation strategy.

Also, you should plan ahead and schedule appointments before the show. Appointments at your booth are prospects. Folks walking by are suspects. When there are no prospects at the booth, or one of the sales folks are not busy they must go into the aisle and drag people in. Yes, to you attendees, it's my group that's a PITA. But, we paid to be there, and we need the business.

I don't believe in the magic shows, card tricks, etc to attract an audience. I started the speakers at a booth many years ago. We had an 8x8 booth in a 10x20 space. We put 16 chairs in part of the booth facing a podium and had a speaker talk about our product (an Executive Information Solution software package). The booth was jammed, and folks were standing in the aisle. We even got folks from surrounding booths to visit.

To do a show right you need to know the show and your target, and how to position yourself. For example in retail there are a number of major shows -- National Retail Federation and RISCon being two. The NRF is the biggest (60,000+) and has everything you can ever need. RISCon is the smallest by far (3,000). RISCon is in the Fall and NRF is in January.

If I was selling retail information systems and had my druthers and could only do one show a year it would be RISCon. The attendees are only MIS executives. They come to see what's new, line up some folks for further review through the end of the year, and come back with the CEO's in January to buy.

Many years ago when I joined a NYSE-traded company as North American Marketing Manager they did 30+ trade shows a year in two industries -- retail and apparel. I cut it back to three - the two above and Bobbin for apparel. The result: we got a lot more business at a lot less cost! With 30+ shows the sales force was collecting business cards. With three they were selling.

If you do a show well, you will have qualified prospects at your booth.

If anybody has a show coming up and you need help, contact me off-list. It may be the best investment you ever made ;-}. I will guarantee to improve your position and generate more qualified leads!

Question: What size or type of booth should we have?

Answer: You should obtain the most professional looking booth that you can afford. Booths should be modular that can be changed depending on the show. For example, you can do very well with an 8x8 booth even if you are in a 10x20 space, if you do it right (see above). And booths should be changed every three years -- they get stale.

Question: Are trade shows cost effective?

Answer: Trade shows are probably the highest cost per lead of any form of marketing! And the "number of leads generated" is often the criteria used to justify the shows. Hence folks go for quantity rather than quality. (It's like saying you got a kzillion visitors to your web site, when the real measurement should be how much business).

You will probably find the costs to be $100-200 per lead. So it is important to qualify your leads ahead of time. Otherwise you are chasing some very expensive garbage. You need to be able to establish a realistic closing period for leads.

But, there are other benefits to trade shows, like announcement of new products and the press coverage. You need to weigh all the costs to see if they are worthwhile.

And don't believe that age-old argument that when you stop doing a trade show you are dead. Sure, your competitors will blast you and take advantage of you lack of presence for a couple of months. Then your other promotion efforts override their slams, and you move on to more profitable business.

Question: How do we qualify suspects at a trade show?

Answer:  First identify your ideal target market, i.e., a privately-held company doing $10 million to $30 million in sales with a good management team, selling products (rather than services) to businesses in the Northeast U.S. Then develop a series of qualifying questions to ask at the booth that will cut to the chase.

With these qualifying questions, somebody standing in the aisle can be a great prospect, especially if the booth is slow, and sales folks are doing nothing. Some people are shy and don't like going up to a booth (very similar to lurkers on a discussion list). Or they may misinterpret the message you are presenting, and don't think you can do the job for them.

Question: Why do companies quit exhibiting at trade shows?

Answer: There are many reasons, like the change in attendance or the cost of exhibiting. Comdex is a good example. It used to be a show for computer companies to announce their new products and was geared towards business folks attending. Now it is a consumer electronics show. The National Retail Federation Show has been held in NYC in January for ever. They were in two hotels -- the Hilton and spillover at the Sheraton. You had to wait 10 years before you got out of the Sheraton and went to "the main show." Three years ago they had no exhibitors at the Sheraton. Then they moved to the Javitts Center, and are now considering moving out of NYC.

The cost of the NRF for a small 10x10 booth is approx $12,000. Whereas the Super Show in Atlanta, which is the same target, but much bigger can be done for $5,000. The Super Show is so big, that Nike has an entire floor!

So, a lot of people are dropping out.

Question: How can I find trade shows geared towards my business?

Answer: On the Net there are some excellent sources, which gives you demographics, layouts, costs, dates, etc. Recently a client wanted to exhibit at the Jewelry Show in NYC, which is very expensive. We found they could do three regional shows with a larger, more focused audience for less money.

The resources include:

Question: Should I take a suite instead of exhibiting at the show?

Answer: It depends on the show and what you are trying to accomplish. A suite by itself may be good, but you are missing the attendees of the show. You are only dealing with invited guests, and for that you don't need a show. If you know your target and this is an opportunity to get them all in one room, since they will be in for the show, consider a seminar before or after the show.

Question: Should I sponsor a hospitality party at a show?

Answer: It depends on what you are trying to accomplish and your budget. Hospitality suites are a great way to socialize with folks and get to know more about them in a relaxed atmosphere. If you can afford it, do it.

Question: What do you think makes a show good or not?

Answer:  There are a lot of criteria to use, with decision makers and the right target attending being the most major criteria.

In the apparel industry for example, there are a lot of shows, and many are for the buyers of merchandise to be sold in stores. If you are selling professional services, or computer systems you are at the wrong show.

Some professionals attend shows to get CPE credits and your talk or your exhibit may be merely a method for them to get credits.

Question: If I exhibit at trade shows and then stop, won't that reflect negatively on my company?

Answer: Don't believe that age-old argument that when you stop doing a trade show you are dead. Sure, your competitors will blast you and take advantage of your lack of presence for a couple of months. Then your other promotion efforts override their slams, and you move on to more profitable business.

If the competition is dumb enough to so much as mention you, you're ahead of the game. When you are alive and better than ever, it can sure sour them in others' eyes to suggest the opposite when it's not true.

Some industries are cutthroat. One that comes to mind is software for the paper industry. I have never seen such a cutthroat group, and they spend the better part of their life fighting each other. I did a major consulting engagement with one of them, and got them to focus on business, their strengths and their target and forget the competition. And it worked - they focused their time and energy on the prospects needs and how to solve those needs and generated a lot more business.

Question: What should I expect as prospects at a trade show?

Answer: Be sure you know who will be attending. A show attended by production executives where you are selling sales tools is a waste. On the other hand, if you were selling production software the targeted group is good. If you target companies doing $200 million in sales, and the show caters to SOHO's you have the wrong show.

The makeup of the group is readily available from show organizers. A suspect base of 10-15% is too low, and the show isn't worth the effort. At least not to me or my clients. Your suspect base should be 25-40% of the total attendees.

Question: How much business can I expect to close at a trade show?

Answer: Depends on the show. I have organized and conducted over 350 trade shows and seminars and only closed business twice at a show. Yet in the fashion industry, virtually all purchasing is done at shows. They have what is known as "market week" a couple of times a year, depending on the industry. Buyers come to place orders.

For purchasing of computer systems, I always recommend clients go to trade shows to see what is being offered, select a couple that look good, and set up appointments back at their office.

Question: What would be the best approach to consider exhibiting at a trade show?

Answer: Assuming an existing product or service line, in order of importance and budget it would be:

1. Trade show and private suite for invited guests and pre-show seminar for invited guests.
2. Trade show
3. Pre-show seminar and suite
4. Pre-show seminar
5. Suite

Question: A trade show wants to group all homogenous exhibitors together, i.e., all software companies, lawyers, consultants, etc. Should I exhibit?

Answer: This approach is wonderful for the attendee who can see all he/she wants to see in one section. How confidant are you? How well can you differentiate your business from the competition? If you are good at what you do, and can differentiate your company, you will win in this situation. For a novice exhibitor you will be destroyed.

Question: At our last show our booth location was horrible. What should I have done?

Answer: If the location was bad because of the lack of traffic, that's your fault for not looking at the floor plan ahead of time and determining if the location was feasible.

Question: Where does the marketing of the show fit in the guilt queue

Answer: You evaluate the merits of a trade show by looking at the stats, such as those available from the sources stated above. You look at who the show is geared towards, and who normally attends, i.e., business owners and key executives -- decision makers. Obviously it has to be in your market area.

Some exhibitors want to know who is exhibiting, but I don't. Some of the more successful shows were out of the main stream, neglected by the competition.

You can't evaluate the cost vs attendees, as it is unreliable, unfortunately.

Once you have evaluated a show, and determine whether it fits into your marketing plans, you do the show three times and evaluate the results. Why three times? Because the mentality of show goers is to see if you have staying power before buying from you.

Then you make an "efforts vs results" decision. What does the show cost vs the results and can you do better elsewhere? By the way, most large companies have folks on staff whose job is to select and evaluate shows.

A show can be good at the beginning, and die years later. Iworld this year was a classic example.

COMDEX has become the show to announce new products to the consumer. I have a client with a chain of sporting goods stores, where one of the executives attends COMDEX each year to see what's new that will help them with technology in their stores. The partners who are involved with merchandising attend the fashion trade shows to buy ($millions at a time at each show).

Summary:

Trade shows if planned well can be very lucrative for you.  Without proper planning and follow up, you are wasting your time and money.

Question: What else does GAP Enterprises, LLC do?

Answer: Click here to learn more.

Copyright 1998.  George Matyjewicz, GAP Enterprises, LLC  All rights reserved.