One of the marketing tools used in presenting and selling products and services is the trade show. Historically, they have a commercial character. However, today, fairs are institutions that are thoroughly planned and take place in a predetermined time at certain fairgrounds. So, what do we need to know about trade shows and what influence do they have on small businesses – we’ll try to reveal this to you.
Contents
The Goal Of The Trade Show Is To Win The Market
Source: jcount
You can participate in such an event as a visitor or exhibitor, and your goals will be different then. When it comes to visitors, their goal is mostly informative: Market overview, price comparison with competitors, information on new products, technologies, services, attending seminars and other related activities. When it comes to exhibitors – their goals are also multiple:
- Communication – personal contacts, maintaining old acquaintances and cooperation with the media.
- Prices and conditions – offers, price list, etc.
- Sales – sales network testing, dealership visit, direct sales, new market research, new product launch, competitiveness test
Attending A Trade Show Event In 2024? Get Prepared!
Source: wikipedia
If you are a small business looking to further develop and improve your work in 2024 – attending these events is a must. But a mere presence is not enough. You have to make a very good plan and strategy for your presentation to the audience. You have to prepare thoroughly for such a thing.
How To Choose The Right Event?
Source: entrepreneur
Choosing the most appropriate trade show is one of the hard decisions for your team. Remember, the organization and appearance is a team job – so from the decision of the choice of such an event, all elected team members must be involved. Your team members can also be external or hired outside of your team. When choosing a trade show, the basic questions you ask yourself are:
- Trade Show Topic – Does it match your product or service?
- Venue – Is it held at home or abroad?
- Organizing period – do such events they match your production cycles, etc.
In addition to these basic questions, pay attention to the following requirements:
- The reputation of a particular trade show.
- Number of exhibitors and visitors from previous years and whether the data is updated regularly.
- Who are the sponsors and patrons of the trade show?
- What is the promotional campaign for the event like?
Estimate The Size Of The Exhibit Booth
Source: business2community
If you have chosen the event, you must choose the appropriate layout of your booth. The size and layout of the booth depends first and foremost on the type of product you are exhibiting. Also, you must think of the quantity and the way your product is exhibited. Inadequate space and placement cannot give the desired effect – which is attention to your product. The attractiveness of the booth depends not only on the available budget and the size of the booth but primarily on the good preparation – that is well-designed layout. In this regard, it is best to consult experts if you do not already have previous experience.
Every detail of organizing your promotion at the trade show must be carefully thought out, and if you want to know how to achieve it, click here. Even if you have exhibited at such events before, this kind of help is invaluable because the professionals in this business will know exactly what you need to achieve your goals and achieve the desired effect.
Planning Promotional Activities
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Promotional activities start naturally before the moment of the exhibition itself. You will announce your presentation through media: Electronic and written, any advertisements, through interviews, press conferences, etc. You will invite your customers, past, and potential, by sending the invitation with a ticket attached. During the trade show, you will be presenting your product in different ways that you have identified before the particular event began. The way and “aggression” in presenting your product also depends on whether the product is new (conquers the market), whether the existing product has been refined or improved – or if it is already a well-known product on the market.
Funding Planning
Source: scmp
This is certainly one of the most important segments and very often decisive. Specifically, exhibiting at fairs is expensive and requires considerable involvement of material resources as well as employees or engagement external associates. In addition to the “visible”, there are numerous so-called “invisible” expenses that significantly affect the amount of funds spent.
Make An Appearance
Source: marketingdonut
The trade show is attended by a large number of exhibitors, some of whom have a similar or the same product as you. Your performance should stand out or be attractive to your visitors. Besides this condition, your appearance should be recognizable to “old” business partners but always refreshed or innovated in comparison with the previous period. Whether the show will be informative or there will be product demonstrations, food, and drink tastings, whether it will have a sales section – you have to think about everything in time. The performance must be attractive, recognizable, unusual or different from other exhibitors, intrusive and effective but within the boundaries of good taste and business customs.
What Online Content Is Needed To Support A Successful Trade Show?
Source: skyline
Online content should follow the company’s offline presentation at the trade show. This way you gain much more value. As important is the online image of the company exhibiting at the event – so is the online presence of the fair itself. The organization should make sure that the trade show event has a good website, social media coverage, and applications. If you are talking about a small business, you should use social networks as the cheapest way of online promotion to accompany the offline presentation.
Conclusion
Participating in such an event is a demanding job and involves several pre-shows. Your trade show layout design represents the crown of many months of work. You as an entrepreneur and an exhibitor, know how much work, time, energy, enthusiasm, and money is needed to make your trade show event a success. If you didn’t manage to make a “big deal” at your first trade show exhibition – don’t give up! Persistence is the greatest virtue of exhibitors.
