Your Trade Show Pro

Wish I could claim that, but I believe that  it was Peter Drucker originally. There is the ring of truth to it.

You could have the greatest product in the world – but if nobody knows about it, you are out of business – a simple unpleasant fact!

Marketing is the engine that drives the life of company revenue – Marketing drives brand recognition, messaging and, dare I say it, sales.

There are dozens of disciplines in Marketing – print, direct mail, media, email, and most recently, e-marketing.  All are successful to a greater degree and work well in their own areas.

BUT, no other area of marketing combines all the disciplines like Trade Show marketing.

Trade Show Marketing includes every area of marketing and represents the greatest single source of business opportunity known.

Attendees at Trade Shows are either influencers or have direct purchase authority and are there for the sole purpose of getting information that will sway their buying decision.

Cut backs –

When economic trends take a down turn, one of the first areas to feel the axe is marketing because it is usually the most visible area. 

The issue with that unthinking strategy is simple.  Marketing is the engine that drives sales and, therefore, revenue!

Now, I do not advocate foolish spending, but I certainly do not support corporate suicide either.

Smart Strategy –

Smart companies are actually increasing their marketing budgets, knowing well that tough times don’t last.

Once economies stabilize again, they will be the market dominators and everyone will wonder how the heck they did it.

Here are three strategies that they are embracing that will help you maximize your Trade Show budget regardless of the economy –

1              Revise Your Show List – some shows simply do not produce revenue.  You know the type – you go because you have always gone, even though revenue is marginal.  Concentrate on the events that generate revenue.  The shows may be a little smaller, but the returns will probably be far better than the “Gotta Go” shows.

2              Get serious – Cover all your marketing bases with the shows you do attend – do your pre-event marketing, follow up with it, develop a tight strategy for your site time, train your people and follow up on all fulfillment post-show.

3              Test Everything – Never test the depth of water with both feet – once you develop a strategy, test it, refine, test again and refine some more.  The best marketing strategies are carefully developed and executed.  Rarely, does a winner come rolling out perfect the first time.  The BEST strategies are a product of a trial and error process that is a careful construct.  They just look easy because of all the forethought and planning.

Above all, remember that even the best have a mentor, so don’t be afraid to ask for feedback or support.

Holding costs is a matter of discipline and strategy – develop both and you will still have a great Trade Show Marketing program within budget and with solid ROI!

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