You have an endless group of shows to pick from – but here is a point about trade show audiences that ends up being true more often than not: exceptional is the show that can deliver you several thousand people with absolutely all of them being potential customers. Before you pick the show or shows for the year – they should contain a major percentage of attendees that have interest in your product or are potential clients.
Take some time to visit potential shows and see if the hype that the association has given to their show is really there. Yesterday I visited a very small show (stick-on buyer badges). I arrived at 9:30 – show opening, to be told the exhibitors were not ready and it would be opened at 10am. I walked the entire show floor, met with two exhibitors for ten minutes each – and left the building at 10:40 shaking my head. I saw maybe 30 attendees on the show floor and at least 50 exhibitors. What gives? How were these exhibitors sold this shambles of a show. I was invited by one of the two exhibitors to view their line – I had never heard of this show. Actually it is a series of four shows across the United States. Buyer be aware – exhibitor be informed.
Measuring a trade show success is not just how many new sales leads were generated and how much new business was written. There are intangible benefits to appearing at a trade show that are very hard to quantify. Old clients that might return, current clients that just need a face-to-face. Displaying new products and getting the crowd response. Do not talk yourself out of future trade show appearances simply because you may not have hit your numbers. Look at the intangibles.
However, do not get sucked into new shows with low booth space rates without consideration of how the show has been formulated. Who are the show attendees and how do they fit into your personal mix of clients? Trade shows are not just the cost of the exhibit space and the display. Here’s a quick analyzation – unless you are at the wrong show your competitors will be there as well!
