Trade shows are a tried and tested method for businesses that want to reach new customers and network with potential partners. However, they require a lot of investment, and you need to ensure that you see a tangible return on that investment if the event is to be worthwhile.
In the days after an event, you should hopefully receive a lot of emails, phone calls, and new leads from potential customers. However, it doesn’t always work out that way. If you have exhibited at events in the past, but you have given up on the idea because you didn’t see much engagement, you are probably going wrong somewhere.
When you do them right, trade events are an excellent tool, so don’t give up on them just yet. This article will give you some excellent tips to help you boost engagement and increase the return on your investment when exhibiting at trade shows.
Before we get into the tips on improving performance, it’s worth revisiting the benefits of trade events.
Lead generation is the most obvious benefit and often the main reason that businesses choose to attend events. You get more face time with potential customers, and if they are at the event, they are likely to be part of your target audience. Meeting with people in person helps you cut through the noise that you would normally be competing with online. You have a better opportunity to convince people that your business is worth their time. Hopefully, you will leave the event with a lot of new leads.
Trade shows are a brilliant branding opportunity too. Exhibiting at an event demonstrates that your business is a central player in your industry. All your big competitors will be at these events, and if you are not there, that sends a strong message. A well-designed event stand shows off your brand and increases your legitimacy as a business.
Finally, you get the chance to see where you stand in your industry. You can check out what the competition is doing and get a sense of how people respond to you. In-depth knowledge of your competitors and their customer base is so valuable when developing new products and creating marketing campaigns.
Ultimately, these benefits translate to increased revenue for your business. But you will only reap the benefits if you plan and execute your trade show properly.
If you find that engagement is low when you attend trade events, there are some key changes you should make.
Choose the Right Events
Are you attending the right events? If most of the attendees are outside of your target audience, you’re wasting your time. It’s better to attend fewer events but focus on investing in ones that will give you a good return. So, spend some time researching different events in your area and beyond to find the best ones.
Industry events are the obvious place to start. What events are your competitors attending? Are you trying to reach the same people? General industry events will most likely have a lot of qualified leads. However, you should also look at events in related industries too.
For example, if you run an IT consultancy, why not look at events for startups? These new businesses will require your services, so it’s a good place to find leads. If you own a health supplements business, you could look for trade events for fitness equipment companies. The consumers at the event are likely to be interested in health foods if they already have an interest in fitness. Finding these adjacent industries helps you open yourself up to a lot of new customers. When you get creative, you can find events that your competitors wouldn’t think of attending.
When researching an event, look at previous years and see who attended. This indicates what the audience is likely to be.
Research Targets for Networking
You need to plan before attending the event so you can make the best use of the limited time you have there. If you plan to network with other businesses and connect with influential people, you need to research them beforehand.
Draw up a list of all the people that you want to speak with and determine what you want from the interaction. Are you just looking for an initial introduction or do you have a specific aim in mind? Maybe you want to broker a deal with a new supplier or create a marketing collaboration with another business. Having a clear goal in mind leads to more effective meetings, and you don’t waste time networking with people that can’t add value to your business. Doing a bit of research can also give you some talking points to help you build good relationships.
Advertise Your Presence at the Event
In the months and weeks leading up to the event, advertise your presence. You can use social media channels and email marketing to connect with existing customers and get them to attend. This will ensure that your stand always has a bit of a crowd on the day, and that draws more people in.
Advertising yourself will also encourage people at the beginning of the sales funnel to attend the event in the hope of learning more. Face-to-face interaction with these qualified leads is the best way to move them along the sales funnel.
Start advertising early and set a countdown to the event. Post regular updates as you prepare for the event, and tease information about what people can expect. This generates buzz, so when people arrive at the event, they’ll head straight to your stand.
Create a Trade Show Stand That Draws People In
There is a lot of competition at trade events, so you need to create a stand that draws people in. Sign up for the event early, so you get a better choice of location for your stand. Avoid choosing a spot right near the entrance because people will usually walk around for a while before stopping. On the other hand, you don't want somewhere right at the back where you won’t be found. Pick somewhere on the end of an aisle, about halfway around the venue.
When designing the stand, make it colorful and eye-catching with large banners and music to draw people’s attention. Remember, getting people to stop and look at your stand is half the battle. Giving away some free branded merchandise is a good way to get people over too. Pick something useful like branded water bottles by Anthem Branding or a branded flash drive, rather than a pen or a flimsy bag. Word spreads quickly at these events, and if you’re offering the best free giveaways, people will flock to your stand.
Running competitions is a fun way to get people interested too. You can offer your products as a prize, which allows you to do some demonstrations and get a bit of free word-of-mouth marketing from the winner. Entering people into a prize draw and then choosing the winner at the end of the day means that people must come back again later, and your stand will be the last one they see before they head home.
Whenever you are networking at an event, always give you contact details and get details from them too. Try to collect as many email addresses as possible from interested prospects too. Hopefully, people will follow up with you but don’t wait around for them to get in touch. You need to master the art of follow-up if you are going to build meaningful relationships and generate more revenue from this event.
Sending out an email to any new leads is a simple way to move them along the sales funnel. When collecting email addresses, it’s a good idea to ask what area of the business or which products they are interested in. You can then craft a few different emails and tailor them to individuals. It’s a good idea to give people a limited time offer to use too. This creates time pressure and gives a sense that they are getting special treatment for attending the event.
When following up on networking opportunities, do it quickly. The most influential people will get a lot of calls and emails in the days after an event. Leave it too long and they’ll forget all about you. Send a clear email inviting them to meet up soon and give an indication of what you want to discuss and what you can offer them.
Trade events are such an incredible opportunity for businesses, but many people underestimate them because they have wasted money in the past. However, if you follow these simple tips, you can master your next trade event and drastically improve engagement, making your investment worthwhile. The key is to plan as early as possible, to give yourself the best chance of success.
