Spouses Linda McPherson and Jim Parker learned the hard way the importance of choosing the right trade show as they languished in a far corner of the A/E/C Systems show last May in Los Angeles, hoping to hawk the 40-pound "pneumatic button punch" that Parker invented after 25 years in the construction business.

Parker Manufacturing Co.'s sleek yellow tool, intended to crimp steel building seams tight, received barely a passing glance from show attendees. "We need to reach structural engineers who specify what gets done on the decking and flooring of steel construction jobs," Parker said as attendees scurried past his 10-by-10-foot booth to the nearby food court.

When they signed up to exhibit at this show, which draws mainly information technology professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries, the Phoenix couple based their decision on the show's promotional literature and never visited it themselves beforehand. At the A/E/C show, traffic was so slow in their booth, the duo gave up hours before closing time. And six weeks later, they hadn't made a single sale from the show.

This wasn't their first trade show snafu. At the Rocky Mountain Industrial & Machine Tool Show in Denver, McPherson recalls, "We walked in and saw these massive machines the size of fire trucks, for the machining industry. There we were with our little pneumatic button punch." Now, Parker says, "Before I do this again, I'll talk to some people in my trade who've gone to shows and seen more of the industry than I have." That's an $8,000 lesson he won't forget.

By Karen E. Klein

This article was originally published in the August 16, 1999 print edition of Business Week's Frontier. To subscribe, please see our subscription policy.

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