Our Blog Has Moved

We have moved our blog, and it can now be found here: Trade Show Marketing Blog.

We are still actively posting about trade show displays and other trade show information, so check us out again soon. We also are branching into other trade show marketing topics such as virtual trade shows, so be sure to view those posts as well.

We will probably occasionally post here just to keep this blog alive, but our main efforts will be devoted elsewhere.

If you have any questions about this blog, you can contact MODdisplays by dialing 1.877.663.3976.

Hidden Costs at Your Trade Show

Before making the decision to attend a trade show, be sure to examine all the costs of trade show services, not simply the cost of registering your trade show booth space. Many shows offer relatively inexpensive booth space, but charge thousands of dollars for simple things like an internet connection or labor.

Before you register for any show, you should think carefully about what services you will need from the exhibit hall and ensure that the show coordinator will provide those services at a reasonable price. Some commonly requested show services include labor, internet connection, rigging, pre-show storage, and I&D (which stands for “installation and dismantle”). You may be billed for electricity for your trade show exhibit space as well.

The cost of exhibiting at a trade show can quickly add up to be much more than you expected, so make sure you are aware of every hidden fee before you attend the show. You don’t want to get caught off guard and ruin your ROI.

Top 10 Ways to Kill Your ROI

10. Forget to bring any trade show literature or giveaways. If you’re trying to be forgotten right after the show is over, this is the best way to accomplish that.

9. Pick the wrong show to exhibit. If you’re a company with a tiny budget, don’t try to blend in to a massive show where companies have million dollar trade show budgets. You’ll look out of your league.

8. Hire and misuse trade show models. While models usually work well to attract attention to your booth, using them poorly will scare away your legitimate customers.

7. Don’t bother planning before the show begins.

6. Allow your booth staffers to have conversations on their cell phones during the show. Exhibiting at a trade show needs to be your biggest chore, and even current client phone calls shouldn’t take presidence.

5. Design busy graphics. Trade show displays are not museum exhibits, and it is important to understand that no one will read anything at a trade show unless it takes less than three seconds.

4. Don’t pay careful attention to show regulations before you exhibit. Your entire booth may not qualify to exhibit at the show, and it is not uncommon for exhibitors to find this out at the show (after paying for flights and hotel rooms).

3. Over staff or under staff your trade show booth. Two workers per 10 x 10 will be sufficient to properly staff your booth.

2. Don’t collect or record any leads, just grab business cards from people you are interested in talking to again.

1. Don’t follow up after the show is over.

Marketing for Trade Shows

One of the most important factors in trade show marketing is consistency. Even the most potent marketing message can be diluted by a lack of consistency. Your trade show display, literature, promotional giveaways (if you feel the need to give anything away), and your booth accessories should all carry a common theme that is easy to identify and relate to.

Consistency is harder to achieve than many exhibitors realize. It requires a commitment to spend more and put forth more effort, because consistent components are often hard to come by. At MODdisplays, we work to create packages that help you execute a consistent marketing plan. Our Exhibit One packages, for example, are more than just trade show displays. Many come with complete counter systems, reception desks, or other accessories that exactly match the look and feel of your trade show booth as a whole.

Trade Show Giveaways

When your potential clients leave the trade show, the only remnants of your company that they will carry with them is your literature and your trade show giveaways. Ensuring that your trade show promotional products are well thought out can drastically increase your ROI at your next trade show.

You want to give away products that directly relate to the products/services you sell. If you sell cars, perhaps you could give away a seat cover, air freshener, or perhaps a gift card to purchase gasoline for free. If you sell music players, you could hand out iTunes gift cards or classic albums. Your gift should be more generous than you are comfortable with, because this will help your image to stand out in the crowd.

Your trade show giveaways should also work well with the theme of your trade show display and the theme of your trade show literature. Your entire marketing package should be cohesive, leaving your potential clients with a good idea of who you are and what you represent.