Trade Show Strategy – Get a Lead or a Customer

I came across the following video on YouTube that is pretty good at explaining the end goal for going to a trade show.  That end goal is to get a qualified lead or a customer and how a company accomplishes this goal can be varied.  After watching the video I do want to comment on how to go about capturing the prospects information at the show.  The simplest way to gather this data is to solicit business cards however, this really doesn’t help you identify who is or isn’t a lead.  An entry form that qualifies the prospect is a better solution and should be required for entry into the drawing.  Furthermore a sales consultant should review this form to ensure its accuracy before submission.  Enjoy the video.

A Smash Hit! Trade Show Displays specializes in portable trade show displays, roll up banners, pop up display systems, tradeshow signage, tension fabric structures and custom trade show exhibits.  Let us make your next event A Smash Hit!

Trade Shows are Doomed…Just an “Ole Wives’ Tale”…

During the Internet boom, trade shows were touted as “old school, has beened, wash ups” that would never survive in the “New Economy”.  I do find it odd that some tradeshows didn’t make it and that’s because of the DotCom bust.  I even worked for one of these companies, eMarketWorld, who produced industry specific tradeshows that focused its content on how technology and the Internet was changing traditional industries.  One of the shows that this company created is still going strong, Ad:Tech – an interactive advertising and technology conference.  Should you be worried if the trade show you exhibit at is struggling?  Of course, however, if the trade show is struggling then your entire industry is struggling.  Trade shows come and go because industries and markets come and go.  A great article about this can be found here, “Here’s one trade show that’s growing.”  Trade shows will be here for as long as humans exist in the current dimension.  Can humans exist in a second dimension, sure…. It’s quite possible that masses of people can walk through a virtual trade show floor that is ultra realistic, just look at what Second Life has already created when it comes to a virtual marketplace.  Will this ultimately replace going to a physical space, I don’t think so, if you are a buyer of furniture, you still want to feel and sit in a chair before you commit to buying thousands of them.  Only time and technology will tell where trade shows are going…

Trade Show Displays Product Highlight
Truss trade show displays offer a high-tech look with LOTS of flexibility and expandability.  Think of a truss display as a huge life size erector set with only your imagination limiting to the types of looks that can be created.  Don’t worry though, we have created quite a few packages centered around the most common sizes of booth spaces.  Follow the links below to view our different truss systems.
10 x 10 Truss Displays
10 x 20 Truss Displays
20 x 20 Truss Displays
Truss Display Accessories

The “Trade Show” for the Trade Show Industry

Like most industries, we too have industry events.  The two major shows during the year are Exhibitor and TS2.  Exhibitor 2007 is right around the corner, March 25-29 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.  Our industry can’t even escape the Vortex of Las Vegas, however, in reality it makes sense for this show to be located there as many of theattendees are show production companies and others who do business in Las Vegas for other shows.  Exhibitor 2007, “… is designed for trade show, exhibit and event managers and coordinators, marketing communications managers, directors of marketing and sales managers who want to optimize their face-to-face marketing programs.”  For more information on Exhibitor 2007 or TS2 follow the following two links.

Exhibitor 2007
TS2

Trade Show Booth Product Highlight
Panel Displays are also known as Folding Trade Show Displays as the panels fold up like an accordion.  These displays offer a wide range of customization options as you can easily choose up to three fabric colors as well as counter-top colors.  There are a total of 54 fabric colors and textures and literally thousands of countertop colors so the possibilities are literally endless.  Panel displays also work well if you need counter space.

Managing Your Trade Show Activities

Planning and managing trade shows can be quite complex especially when you look at the amount of information needed for just one show.  Multiply that data by the number of shows you attend each year and you quickly realize why having an effective software program can make like simpler.  Below are two such programs that can help you manage your trade show activities.

Exhibit Force – ExhibitForce is the most comprehensive exhibit and event management web-based application on the market today. It offers online real-time inventory of assets, budgeting tools, ROI calculators, links to tradeshow resources, event calendars and all necessary features to assist your tradeshow/marketing program. Being web-based, it places all event management on one platform thus bridging the gap of communication and creating a virtual file folder, available 24/7 from around the world.

TRAQ-IT- Tradeshow management software by TRAQ-IT, makers of TRAQ-IT Online and TRAQ-IT Desktop software. TRAQ-IT provides exhibitors with the state-of-the-art solution for planning, organizing, managing and reporting their event and tradeshow activities.

The Trade Show Tracker- Complete trade show exhibit and event planning software that uses and is written in Microsoft Excel.
Trade Show Booth Product Highlight
With today being Valentines day I though I would highlight all the various color options for pop up displays.  Why, because all I’m seeing today is RED!  You see lots of Black, Gray and Blue exhibits, however we do offer 54 colors for pop up displays, including two shades of red so don’t be afraid to use color.  Click here to see all the various trade show fabric colors.