The question is being asked over & over these days if it’s worth investing in trade shows?

The answer is simple – Yes.

I don’t answer yes just because I am writing for Chicago Trade Show Displays and we sell exhibits.  I have been reading and investigating the trends on trade shows for the past several years.

Trade shows are your stage for:

Building Brand Awareness
Increasing your database of leads
Producing  visibility for products and services

So, the value in trade shows lies within your planning strategies:

Define your marketing objectives and Establish a trade show budget.  Keeping track of your trade show marketing is essential in success.  Online event management software can help keep all your details in one location and will give you comprehensive reporting to track all your trade show details.

The Why’s:

I have read many articles recently on the fact that trade show attendance is down, and many companies are pulling out of trade shows that have been long time exhibitors.

That may be true, but if you look at the facts, some of the largest, well know names are the one’s that have decided to stop exhibiting.  Companies that are presently in the spotlight and have a very strong product recognition and are firmly standing within their market segments. A little more understandable that they may be readjusting their marketing dollars into something else right now.  Trust me, they will be back on the trade show floor.

Companies are also sending more key players to trade shows, what does that mean? It means your product & services will be in front of the decision makers and the people that are looking for the solutions that your products and services have to offer.   Putting your company in front of them now is crucial, they will be more focused on what they need to solve their problems.

Grabbing onto opportunities and marketing through the recession can be vital to your business plan.  Tradetec Skyline believes firmly that marketing is vital to a businesses success and has recently released their Free Trade Show Rental Program to give exhibitors the opportunity to continue their trade show marketing.

Creating a clear and precise message with individual banner stands or multiple banner stands will allow you to reach audiences throughout your industry. When you are planning your marketing message for your Trade Show Display Graphics, think “Chicago Trade Show Displays” with a graphic that stands out and becomes familiar to your audience, your Brand Awareness begins to be seeded in the minds of your prospective clients.

The main objective to a trade show display is to get your company and products noticed, keeping the solutions you have to offer in front of your audience by creating a simple message that displays your company name can help you accomplish your objectives.

With a large variety of product offerings and trade show success stories it’s never been easier to find that right Trade Show Display, right here in Chicago.

There are many challenges of exhibit design and with a qualified Skyline Chicago Trade Show Display Dealer you will be able to create your brand awareness and marketing message with a lightweight, versatile and easy to use trade show display solution.

By taking full advantage of your trade show exhibit space you can reach corporate marketers, establish your position and brand to the B2B Market.  When you are looking to market your companies products and brand, there is ample opportunity at B2B Trade Shows, beginning a sales process with a large base of future customers.

New product launches at B2B Trade Shows can be successful and create impact for your companies future growth and help in your long term marketing goals.  Focus on the message you are looking to create, establish your objective’s early and entice your audience with pre-show mailers & sneak previews.

One of your main objectives in B2B Marketing is generating leads, keeping well documented information and defining your lead management plans with your sales team will help in the follow through of your sales effort.  With online trade show management software, your information can be maintained easily and reliably and is at your fingertips for reporting cost per lead, follow up, budgeting & inventory management twenty four hours a day.

B2B trade shows are a major source for word of mouth marketing, and many of the attendee’s have great influence on their peers, bringing back solutions and strategies.  With proper trade show management, strategy & event planning, your name could be one that solution.

Trends change over night, and keeping an eye on your trade show strategy can be beneficial. Determine which elements of your trade show marketing have worked best for you and focus on building around those elements of your trade show marketing.  If your trade show display has many visitors, but you feel your leads are not as significant as you had hoped, you may need to concentrate on your booth staffing and your presentation.

Being able to measure the results of your trade show management and marketing is essential in moving forward with a good strategy. It’s essential to have a plan in place for reporting and viewing good results as well as bad results, this way you can pin point the best direction to take for future trade shows. With an online trade show event management program you can have information & reports at your finger tips.

By reviewing your trade show management & marketing frequently you are able to make adjustments accordingly and alter your game plan. Looking ahead at your budget for the next year, you can use up to date data and this will give you a strong foundation for your upcoming trade show season.

Captivate your trade show audiences attention from many feet way, high quality graphics that display your message can capture attention from across the trade show floor.

Design a trade show display that will give your audience a vision of what your company you will be in the future.

Simple messages can portray a powerful message, most trade show attendees have in mind what they are looking for, catering to what’s up and coming will lead them into your trade show display.

Designing your trade show display with a table further inside your exhibit booth so prospects will have to come in and look around.  If you have your literature and your trade show giveaways to close to the front, they will grab and go, leaving no opportunity to engage in conversation or communicate your message.

Sending out a teaser mailing before the show, with a tag line message and small graphic that is part of your trade show display will give them a feeling of familiarity.

Written by Jim Kendall – Daily Herald

SubscriberMail, LLC, is a 21st Century business: The Lisle company, which a year ago cracked Inc. magazine’s list of fastest growing privately held businesses, manages e-mail marketing initiatives for such clients as the Bulls, Blackhawks, Xerox and the American Marketing Association.

In comparison, trade shows smack of old-time excesses – a boondoggle for directors and senior management.

Why, then, does SubscriberMail exhibit at trade shows? Getting there is costly. Booths are expensive. Founder and CEO Jordan Ayan is a savvy e-mail marketer.

“There’s a point in time when you need to meet face-to-face” with prospective clients, Ayan explains. “The challenge is that trade shows are a really big investment, but you’ve got to do something to get your name out there. Trade shows are a very important part of growing a business.”

Besides, says Ken Buckman, trade shows have changed. “Trade shows have become an actual business, not just a free vacation for management, and spouses and kids,” says Buckman, CEO of Tradetec Skyline Chicago, a Lombard booth and trade show services provider.

The trade show industry was one of those that ground to a halt in late 2001. Attendance, Buckman says, still is below the totals of the late 1990s. The difference today is that attendees are more likely to be decision makers.

Still, there’s the cost factor. Depending on the size of your booth and travel, figure you’ll spend $30,000 and up to exhibit at a trade show.

“It’s a tough decision because of the upfront costs,” Ayan acknowledges. “You have to look professional. No card tables. Well-produced literature. Your sales people must look sharp.”

Ayan knows the excesses. He has paid “$400 to vacuum a 10×10 rug every day (and) $32 to replace the fish bowl we forgot.” Regardless, SubscriberMail is on plan to exhibit at “four to five shows” over the next 12 months.

Assuming you’re at least intrigued by Ayan’s assertion that trade shows offer an important face-to-face opportunity, it’s helpful to know how he chooses shows:

• If Ayan doesn’t know a show well enough, “I call others in our industry,” he says. “‘We’re thinking about the XYZ show. What do you know? Is it a good place to meet people?’ At some shows, the real activity is off the show floor, and you might not want a booth.”

• Ayan looks for shows that “really draw the decision-makers,” something he assesses by looking at the types of sessions the show offers, and the names and qualifications of the speakers.

• He looks at sponsors, too. “A successful show will have a large number of sponsors,” Ayan says.

• SubscriberMail grabs non-exhibit opportunities as well. “I do a lot of speaking,” Ayan says. The fact that Ayan is on the program creates both visibility and credibility for SubscriberMail – and is less costly than exhibiting.

© 2008 121 Marketing Resources Inc.

Making your trade show exhibiting experience a success depends on  “SMART – Strategies”

• “S”ingle out your objectives for exhibiting, one focus should be on reaching your trade show audience on their level, remember they have economic concerns too.  Give them solutions, and they will be returning customers.
• “M”arekting – continue to grow your entire marketing package, do not solely rely on trade show leads.  Pre-Show phone calls to prospective clients reminding them of your trade show booth number.  Finding out well in advance what their focus for the next 12-24 months will be, you can give them product teasers that will be valuable solutions.  One on One contact at trade shows is all part of networking, being in front of buyers, why not continue to be in front of buyers during your normal work week?
• “A”verage – this is a trade show don’t, your trade show booth staff as well as your trade show exhibit should have the power and the image that goes above and beyond average.  Don’t settle for anything less, the larger exhibitors in your industry did not get where they are by being average.  Exhibit Design & Graphics that create a powerful statement, will show your audience that your company is knowlegable & a leader in your the industry, no matter the size of your exhibit booth.
• “R”esearch the variety of shows you will be exhibiting at, find exhibiting success stories to help you will your decisions on what trade shows to focus on.  Finding the best trade shows that will fit your marketing needs. Research light-weight exhibit solutions to help save costs and offer flexibility.
• “T”raining your booth staff -  properly and often.  Communication with your trade show booth staff is communication with your trade show audience.  Making sure they are well versed on your marketing objectives and goals.  Being able to convey your message about your products and services.  Having a cool trade show booth with all the bells and whistles can send your message loud and clear.  But, if the cake is not baked all the way, the frosting is not going to go down very well.

  Exhibiting at trade shows is an entire package of all the right elements.

Trade Show Planning should be a one of your priorities when you plan to exhibit. Choosing your local Chicago Exhibit House can make exhibiting in the windy city a little easier on your early marketing plans. Which can leave you with more time to handle some of the on-line details for greater exposure at the Graph Expo.

Marketing through the actual show site is a great venue to get your information in front of attendee’s early, getting your name in print on-line will give attendee’s a chance to map out the trade show floor and find your company, product & services more easily at show opening.

The listing page on The Graph Expo Website is still publishing on-line print as well as show book and directory listings, so there is still time to be included if you have not signed up for your exhibit space. The deadline will be August 20th, 2008 so go ahead and get your name in print for the Graph Expo.