Shake up your exhibition marketing approach
It can be easy for your exhibition marketing to become more reactive than proactive. Let’s look at how shaking up your regular approach can improve decisions, and results for your exhibition marketing strategy.
1. Know why you are exhibiting
Be clear on why you’re exhibiting. Just saying “We’re at that show because we’ve always exhibited there” is heard too often. Without set goals, decisions are made without a clear purpose. Avoid this by setting objectives for each show – then measure if you met or exceeded them. Everything becomes either a help or a hindrance towards exhibiting success. Don’t be afraid to cut items that don’t pull their weight, and expand on items that increase results.
2. Pick shows with buyers
It may be easier to let other people decide the shows on your schedule without the data to judge how well they perform against other shows. Evaluate future shows based on how well they match your target audience, and results from previous exhibitions of that type. Don’t be afraid to try shows in a new market, or discard a show that doesn’t deliver buyers.
3. Ensure space for the opportunity
It’s not necessary to keep exhibiting in the same size booth, because that’s what has worked in the past. Some shows offer access to more buyers, so scale up your floor space accordingly. If you have a handle on other factors such as show selection, great staff, promotions, display design and lead management, where you are on the floor won’t matter as you will still have a great result.
4. Build your brand
If you’ve had your display for a while, look at it with fresh eyes. Try incorporating spaces within your exhibition space that support your exhibition staff. Some vital functions for both attendees and staff include:
?Product presentation areas
?Storage space for computers, staff belongings and promotional gear
?Public and semi-private spaces
?Large, well lit graphics that help you reach your marketing objectives.
5. Build a great team
Don’t just take whatever staff you can get. Staff have the greatest overall effect on the success of an exhibition. Find, train and keep the staff that perform well, and track results so that you know which staff to bring back for your next exhibition.
6. Get ahead of your competition
The biggest competition at an exhibition is time. Attendees are rushed and simply don’t have time to visit every display. Try inviting them to your exhibition space before the show starts by offering a relevant gift, an experience, benefit or demonstration. While your competition is waiting for visitors, you’re greeting warmed-up prospects.
By shaking up your exhibition marketing strategy, you can make the most of opportunities to enhance your brand, deepen client relationships, and push the sales cycle. We hope this helps you find a more rewarding path, for both for the company and your marketing results.