By Howard Friedman

For executives at small and midsize companies, trade shows can be a highly effective marketing and sales tool to gather leads, build branding, interact with new and current customers, and launch products. Trade shows let you control your environment and the image of your company, and even the smallest company can make a big splash. With all the positive activities possible at trade shows, there are a few tips to make sure your time and money are well spent.

As a consultant to exhibitors and a former trade show organizer, I've observed successes and failures. I continually gather exhibitor feedback and want to share these insights because there is no better way to create a good first impression than via the face-to-face meeting place -- the trade show. But first, before I go any further, let me sum up the key to what should be every sensible entrepreneur's trade-show strategy in this simple formula: Management Involvement + Planning = Success

For positive results, senior management must take an active interest in the show. It's critical for you to define goals that are quantifiable, set up measurement tools, and challenge marketing and sales staff to align tactics with their marketing strategy.

Consider your goals. The top 10 reasons exhibitors invest their marketing funds in trade-show space are:

• Collect qualified leads from prospective customers.

• Launch new products or relaunch mature products.

• Meet with current customers and build relationships.

• Re-connect with former customers.

• Conduct research among your target audience.

• Showcase the expertise of exceptional staff (e.g. engineers) that may have little customer interaction.

• Re-energize your sales force with training activities around the event.


• Find joint venture organizations.

• Sell to other exhibitors.

• Sell products/take orders for future delivery.



THE RIGHT SHOWS.  If your company is like so many others, chances are you from show organizers on a regular basis, each with his or her own pitch aimed at persuading you to buy a booth. But before signing the contract, it's critical to assess the strategic fit between the buying power of those who will attend and the products and services your outfit will be showcasing.

Make sure your marketing team asks the right questions of show organizers so that you'll exhibit at only the appropriate venues. These should include:

• Describe the event -- and tell me what makes your show different from others?

• Which outfits and people are you inviting to attend and as visitors? Which magazines' lists to you use? What mailing lists do you source? How many marketing messages will you deliver? Do you use both direct mail and e-mail marketing to attract attendees?

• Request detailed demographics of last year visitors. Get job titles, company size, how many people will be attending who actually buy your product category. Has the show has been audited by an outside organization.

• Determine what marketing tools the show organizer includes as part of the basic exhibit package (e.g. Web listings and links to your Web site, free attendance tickets to your prospective clients, etc.)

• Inquire about the availability and cost of buying lists of attendees from prior years to which you can do your own preshow marketing.

By doing this analysis, you'll be sure the show meets your needs. If it doesn't, you will be better off redirecting these marketing funds into other avenues -- things like the Web, ads in trade magazines, Internet paid search, more sales people, private customer events.

You've decided to exhibit -- now what?

Now that the homework is done, you can plan your show activities. Because each organization is different and goals vary, let's stick to some general rules and principles:

Before the show begins, market to your prospective customers. Make sure they know you will be there, tease them with what they'll see, and attempt to schedule meetings. Your sales force is a key driver in this effort, but marketing staff can also to help source additional lists of potential buyers, ones your sales team may not know.

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