How To Select The Best Business Trade Show Exhibits To Participate In - By: Chris Harmen

Trade show exhibits are a solid, proven marketing method for businesses in any industry to showcase services and products to large crowds of potential clients at one time. While the general return on investment of trade show displays demonstrates various profit benchmarks, it is still critical for a business to refrain from blindly matriculating for every expo their marketing director comes across. Instead, carefully calculating some important factors can help every company determine which exhibits will deliver the biggest bang for its buck and eliminate those that have the potential to waste both time and money for participants.

Go With What You Know When Selecting Trade Show Exhibits

The first place an organization should start when selecting which trade show exhibits make the most promotional sense is with the list of expos that have already been attended. Create a spreadsheet listing all of the promotional events that have been attended in the past 12 months (or longer if the data is available). Organize the information to include location, dates, duration, overall cost, and any beneficial returns such as leads, new contacts, and actual sales. Glean through the list each year to get an accurate gauge on where money spent on marketing fairs has delivered the greatest impact and be sure to sign up again the next time around.

Check Out Where The Competition Sets Up Trade Show Displays

An industry-specific exposition makes an ideal forum for businesses to scout out and go head to head with the competition. Most expos offer an online or hardcopy list of all of the organizations that have already paid their entry fees. If a current list of attendees is not readily available, be sure to inquire about participating organizations from prior years. Check out this list to systematically evaluate how many of your direct competitors have deemed the expo a worthy marketing event. If so, this may be a good indication that setting up your own booth at this venue makes perfect promotional sense. Sign up, set up, and proceed to announce to competitors that your business is here to shake things up and win over new customers.

Testing The Waters Before Committing To A Full Trade Show Exhibit

Perhaps your company has unearthed a potentially promising trade show exhibit opportunity but simply can't compile enough compelling data to make a final decision on whether to participate or sit it out. No problem! Some local and national expos offer businesses an opportunity to only purchase a little marketing real estate in the final exposition catalog of participating organizations. The smaller fee means that a company won't set up an event booth, but still will be showcased in the programs distributed throughout the event's duration.

Another way to test the waters of whether an event warrants your business is to purchase a few guest passes for your own staff members to attend the expos. Arm them all with business cards and recent marketing materials and they can work the room remotely throughout the day. Take inventory of the contacts and leads they harvest to determine if this event is worthy of a place on the calendars for next year.

About the Author

Chris Harmen is a writer for Skyline, a frontrunner of trade show displays in Houston. Skyline delivers innovative and informative trade show exhibits in Houston and throughout the country.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Chris-Harmen/89665

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