Trade Show Items

Often the more “creative” you are to find companies to purchase the quicker you’ll find the “right” deal. “Working” trade shows offers an extraordinary opportunity to find and quickly qualify acquisition opportunities. To take maximum advantage of these “corporate shopping malls”, you need to use proven techniques to make this methodology worthwhile.

As a business buyer you want to use the most creative means possible to position yourself to get the first shot at a viable business that can be purchased, preferably a purchase opportunity where you have no other purchase competition. Herein lies the most noteworthy justification for working trades shows within industries you seek acquisitions.

I have said this before - so says Julia O’Connor of Trade Show Training, inc. - A trade show is a job interview for your company.

The exhibit is the resume. It’s the first glance, the initial impression. Just as a paper resume may be on heavy-weight Crane’s stationery or torn from a notebook, or an online resume is formatted or not, so too can the exhibit attract attention, be negative or just neutral.

If you own a service company perhaps you might look into selling to tradeshow exhibitors. There are so many services that tradeshow exhibitors need from cleaning and detailing of equipment, automobiles and trucks to consulting, tradeshow models and catering.

If you are taking your newest products to a trade show then you will need to come up with some ideas on how to build a trade show display in order to adequately market your products. You might seem at a loss and cannot think of anything, however building a trade show display is not so difficult if you sit down and think about it. Really, you just need something that will bring attention to your booth, but not take the attention away from your products. Also, you want the display to enhance your product as well. So, just ask yourself some questions.

A few months ago, we attended the recent Austech 2005 Expo. It was a large trade show that showcased over 500 manufacturers selling machines, equipment and systems.

The good news was that around 40% of the exhibitors had a trade show video running. It was inspiring that many exhibitors understood the power of video to quickly convey how their products work. Made us feel warm and fuzzy inside.

1) Have beginner’s mind. Attend and observe a travel tradeshow, seek out information and expert advice before you exhibit. Take workshops and read all you can on travel trade show marketing.

2) Pre-show mailings and phone invitations to customers and prospects will increase booth attendance. Multiple personalized letters and postcards promoting special offers redeemable only at your booth works great. Start one - three months before show.