How To Make Your Trade Show Event Successful!
By Scott Hollingsworth

Successful participation in a trade show requires two elements: That the organizers generate traffic to the show and that you engage the attendees at your booth.

To help organizers, you should plan to publicize your company’s participation. You can do this utilizing a variety of methods:

Obtain a list of potential attendees from the show’s organizers and send personal invitations to stop by your booth. These invitations might include a special promotional offer or specific reason to seek out your company.

Invite your client base. Through letters, invitations, or tickets, notify your existing clients and prospect lists that you are exhibiting. Provide these promotional pieces to your sales force for personal delivery on their normal sales calls. Take this concept one step further and set personal appointments for prospects to meet you at a specific time during the show.

Advertise your participation. Any regular advertising should carry a reference to the exhibition as well as where to find you at the show. You can obtain a show graphic from the Chamber office and use this in your print media and other outgoing correspondence. You can also mention you’ll be exhibiting and your booth number in your radio and television advertising.

Send press releases. Construct a well-written release noting your participation and the products or services potential attendees will see at the show. Send your release, along with black and white product photos, to local publications as well as your industry publications.

To help engage attendees to stop at your booth, plan ahead. Consider these attention-grabbing ideas:

Decorate your booth attractively. Consider developing a single main theme that either complements the show’s promotion or emphasizes exactly what you are selling. Avoid clutter in your booth and display bold signage. Special attention to lighting will also increase awareness for your booth.

Offer fun activities. Smart companies are leveraging the power of interactivity to connect with customers in a more visceral way. Games, contests, interactive displays and product demos will help bring people into your booth and keep them there long enough to get the information you require. Without interaction, an exhibitor doesn't really capitalize on the great opportunity trade shows present to learn from prospects and customers instead of just selling to them.

Hire an attention grabber. You might consider a performer, like a magician or someone who does card tricks, a celebrity, a costumed character, or an industry expert. Just make sure your concept ties back into your message or theme.

Provide give-a-ways or ad specialty items. At a minimum, these items should include your company name and phone number. Unfortunately, many people will stop by your booth just to get your freebie, but if even one of those attendees turns into a buyer or client, the investment will be worthwhile.

Give away food and beverage. Hungry and thirsty attendees will want to stop at your booth to get a treat – again, just be sure what you serve can be tied back into your particular product or service. It’s perfect for a water distributor or caterer to offer samples but even a non-related business can successfully use food or drinks to draw a crowd. Before firming your plans, however, check with your exhibit organizers to determine what is and is not allowed.

Hand out free literature about your products and services. You may want to develop a brief piece specifically for the show and offer to send complete information kits to qualified prospects after the show concludes.

Offer enticements to buy right now. Present specials like two for one, instant discounts, gift with purchase, extended warranties, or other incentives available only during the show. Think added value.

During the show, keep the following in mind:

Ensure you have secured adequate staffing and plan a staffing schedule. Don’t allow your booth to be over or under manned. Make sure that all personnel have adequate rest periods away from the booth - exhibition manning is hard work!

Arrange for a ‘team meeting’ prior to the show. Outline the goals and responsibilities for each person working the booth. Make sure that the staff is well informed about the specific products and services you are promoting. You may also want to do some role-playing to help the staff learn the best ways to engage traffic to your booth.

Teach them to ask open-ended questions that will promote conversation rather than those that stimulate a yes or no response.

Arrange for one member of your staff to be responsible for housekeeping: clearing away the debris of food and drink, keeping exhibits clean, sorting literature and restocking it etc. Encourage the remainder of your staff to leave their personal items in their cars, or provide an out-of-sight storage area. Your booth should strike the visitor as welcoming and comfortable, but it should never look lived-in!

If resources permit, consider a uniform for your exhibit staff. Matching polo shirts or blazers will enhance the visual appeal of your booth, and offer a better image. Also make sure that everyone has a professionally made name badge and that they are worn at all times.

Utilize lead forms. It’s easy to forget exactly what you talked about with each prospect and scribbles on the back of a business card are often ineffective. A well-thought out form will allow your booth staff to quickly staple the prospect’s business card to the form and complete pertinent information to use for later follow-up.

After the show is over, the work is just beginning. Never forget that the exhibition is only the start of the selling process. Continue by making sure that all new contacts are followed up and be sure to send literature and quotations if they have been requested. Carefully note follow-up visits and telephone calls and their results so that you can more effectively gauge the success of the show. And finally, don’t forget to ask your new contacts for referrals – another potential source of business from your trade show experience.

Scott Hollingsworth Magician/Speaker
Need a magician/speaker to wow, inspire, and inform your next meeting or convention? Email Scott ( ) with your needs!