Trade Show Items

When you are planning for your next trade show exhibit you should look back to when you were only browsing the many different booths, exhibits, and displays. Remember what type of exhibits got your attention. Your presentation should also draw the crowd.

Before you just rush out and purchase displays for your trade show exhibition you must take into consideration many different aspects of how you desire your presentation to look and feel. You know you want it to speak to the potential customers that are passing by and hopefully bring them over so you can speak with them. Your exhibit must get their attention so will they walk over, and then you can get their undivided attention.

- To get started, enlist the early interest and participation of your Marketing Director. He/she should be a dedicated promotional partner in getting your exhibit program launched. If you do not have a communications department in your company, consider hiring your trade show exhibit company or an outside trade show marketing consultant. If you do not have the budget for a consultant, take the time to educate yourself and your sales team on the basic essentials of trade show selling.

If you are new at this, start by checking out trade show exhibit companies online. Research the trade show display company’s depth of experience, creative talents and track record. Closely examine these criteria to justify making them your trade show exhibit partner. Narrow your search down to two or three qualified firms and then contact them by phone.

Here are five key questions to ask your prospective trade show display house:

Tom Hanks, Justin Timberlake, and Hall of Fame NFL quarterback Steve Young were among the many celebrities participating in the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in early January 2006. The show floor was 28 football field’s worth of space with 2,500 trade show exhibitors vying for attention in 1.6 billion square feet of convention exhibits.

Select a market with care: Study the market before you decide to enter an overseas trade show. You will find that most government agencies have publications and statistics that are helpful. Trade associations, chambers of commerce, foreign consulates also can assist you.

Figuring out what to budget for trade shows as part of your overall marketing is as much an art as it is a science. The artistic side relates to the communication of a message that hundreds or thousands of attendees will understand and act on. The scientific side focuses on ROI, how many prospects must you reach to realize a payoff for your effort.