Double
dips, credit crunches, the ‘slump’ and the dreaded ‘R’ word – there is no doubt
that companies have suffered over the last few years, however many may believe
that due to the unsettled climate of the economy trade shows are a thing of the
past – WRONG! Trade shows and exhibitions are from becoming extinct and in my
opinion are still the best ways to gain recognition within your industry.
Exhibitions
are a powerful marketing tool. Nearly
100,000 businesses market themselves at exhibitions every year in the UK and
research shows that, particularly at larger events, over 60 per cent of
visitors are from middle management or above, of which 90 per cent of these
people are in a position to buy with a third of visitors looking for new suppliers.
With sales and marketing budgets under the magnifying glass
and return on investment under intense scrutiny, it has never been more
important to spend money wisely and what could be a better advertisement for
your company than by exhibiting? If done correctly exhibiting can be an extremely effective
advertisement for your company. The key
is to choose the best exhibition for your company where you know your target
audience will be. Your exhibition stand
allows people to see, handle, and experience your product or service first hand
and any further information they need can be clarified with you, or your team
in face-to-face communication giving you the benefit of a hands-on response
with potential customers and therefore sales leads….how many other forms of
marketing allows this?
Some
people may still argue against this, as these days almost every company worth
their salt has a website where customers can gain all the knowledge they need
on your products and services - if you are able to purchase something online
from the comfort of your own office why spend the time and money attending an exhibitions or trade show to find what you are looking for,
especially in these tough times? To some extent this may be true but looking at
a website doesn’t compare to attending an event or exhibition where you can see
for yourself what is new while creating face-to-face contacts that cannot be
done over the phone or by email. Exhibiting
is crucial to attracting new business in your market but also to create new
contacts that may come in useful in the future. If funding is a problem, just concentrate your
efforts on attending one or two specific shows a year, rather than a large
amount throughout the year, as this will keep your costs down while still
keeping your presence known in your industry.
‘We
get it!’ I hear you cry! So your stand is booked, but how do you make sure that
yours stands out from the masses and, more importantly, from that of your
competitors? There are so many options
you can choose for your exhibition stand from simple pop-ups or banners to a
custom-built double-decker stand across two aisles. Work with a reputable
exhibition design and build company, listen to their support and advice, sit
down with them and discuss your budget, if they have the right knowledge and
experience they will know how to advise you on building brand awareness and
getting the most out of your attendance. An eye catching stand is possible whatever
your budget!
So,
you’ve spent time and money on your stand – your team has spent a considerable
amount of time in the last few months on the pre-planning and the build up
while your sales team has cleared the decks for the few days and is out in force,
primed and ready to greet existing customers while looking for prospective
business. So how do you maximize your presence and make the most of your
investment? Firstly you have to decide what’s important to you over the course
of the exhibition, are you:
-
Looking
to obtain new sales leads
-
Establishing
your name in the industry
-
Launching
a new product or service
-
Looking
for new distributor partners
Once
your objectives are agreed brief the team who will be present on your stand –
and at the same time ensure that they have the correct attire to create a smart
first impression while on the stand! Also the degree of preparation will be the
difference between getting the most from the exhibition and being a lost
opportunity. Consider the following activities:
-
Mail
complimentary visitor tickets to your customers and invite them to the show
-
Nominate
20 of your most important customers to be VIP’s
-
Remember
to include advertising within your pre-planning and don’t forget your stand
number!
-
Issue
a press release on what you will be exhibiting and importantly what’s new, then
distribute to the press ahead of their show previews (a good couple of months
before the show is the rule of thumb - not the week before!)
-
Plan
a press launch on your stand targeting press that write for the publications
you know your customers read
Crucial
to maximizing your presence at a show is the exhibition organiser’s
website. The Show’s comprehensive
website enables both visitors and exhibitors alike to pre-plan their visit,
identify the stands and show attractions they want to view on the day. So it is critical that you keep your web
listing up to date, upload press releases and assign yourself to the relevant
product categories. Place the show’s
logo on the front page of your company website with a link to the show’s
website. It has been documented by Reed
Exhibitions that exhibitors who made maximum use of the web facilities received
around twice the number of hits to those who did not. Equally important Reed research shows that 90%
of visitors to their exhibitions will register online, further underlining the
importance of utilizing this valuable tool.
When
on the stand remember to greet your visitors – there is nothing worse than
approaching a stand full of people talking on their mobiles or amongst
themselves, eating, or with their back to you! Keep one diary filled with visitor
appointments but make sure that you always have enough cover for the stand to
greet people walking by…and keep smiling!
Written
by Alan Yates, MD & Chairman of Endoline Machinery and President of the
PPMA
