Lesley Spencer Pyle |
Lesley Spencer Pyle is the founder and president of the HBWM.com, Inc.
Network which includes Home-Based Working Moms (http://www.HBWM.com)
and HireMyMom.com (http://www.HireMyMom.com). Pyle has been featured in
numerous publications including Forbes, Entrepreneur, Wall Street
Journal, USA Today, Parenting, Dr. Laura's Perspectives, Family PC and
many others. She has 4 children ages 18 months to 14 years and has been
working from home since the first baby was born! Copyright 2008 by
Entrepreneur.com Inc. All rights reserved. |
Lesley Spencer Pyle
has written 3 articles for SB Informer. |
View all articles by Lesley Spencer Pyle... |
Secrets to a Successful Trade Show Booth. How to Create a Top Notch BoothLesley Spencer Pyle
March 24, 2009
Making the decision to exhibit at a trade show can be a difficult one.
The investment can be huge and you may not get an expected return on
your investment. Doing your work before, during and after the show will
help your investment pay off.
To show or not to show
Research
the shows you want to attend. Find out how many people attended
previous shows. Select shows where the buyers of your product and
service attend. Inquire with the event organizers to see if they will
be making any changes to this year's format. Speak with previous
attendees and exhibitors to find out their experiences.
It is
recommended to attend the show as an attendee before becoming an
exhibitor. This gives you an opportunity to see the crowd they are
drawing. Note what was appealing about particular booths and what did
not draw your attention. Therefore, if you do exhibit, you know what
set-up will work for you.
The build up to the big show
If
you decide to be an exhibitor, work closely with the tradeshow
organizers for advice on developing an effective booth in that
particular venue. They want you to be successful as much as you want to
succeed. Ask questions about what your booth rental includes. Also,
what do they provide (tables, backdrops, etc)? Verify what restrictions
the organizer has on the type and height of signage. Also, many trade
show organizers offer early sign-up discounts, so be prepared to act
early.
When thinking about the booth set-up, think clean and
lean. Graphics should be simple and easily read from a distance.
Include your tag line in your banner and advertising materials. Your
logo, colors, and tag line should be consistent on all of your
marketing materials and trade show displays.
Submit press
releases and notify your customers that you will be exhibiting in their
area. Also, provide an enticement for them to come in and visit your
booth.
Now the show begins
Arrive in plenty of time to set-up the booth. Allow time for unexpected issues.
Bring
in the troops. It is important to have adequate help in your booth.
Your booth should never be left unattended. So plan for enough staff to
be accessible to visitors and to give everyone breaks so they remain
fresh. However, your helpers need to be well versed in your product or
service. But if your cousin Edith wants to help, but she is shy and not
personable, she may not be a good choice. Recruit someone that is going
to be a good reflection of you and your company. Prior to the show, it
may be beneficial to roll play with anticipated questions.
By
creating a contest or drawing, you will attract people and create
excitement around your booth. A requirement for the contest could be
completing a submission form or submit a business card. This allows you
to gather their contact information to be used for future marketing
efforts.
The party's over; it's time to go home
You may
feel a sigh of relief because your hard work is finally done. But wait
- there's more. It may have required a lot of effort to get the show
organized, set-up, staffed and run. However, your work has just begun.
Follow-up on any leads you have collected and do it immediately after
the show. During the show, if time, write key words on the back of
visitor's business cards to remember who they are and what they do.
This will help you write personal follow-up notes after the show.
Trade
Shows are a lot of work, but your hard work can really pay off to get
your product or service in front of your target market. To see the
success it does require that you do your homework about the venue,
create a professional booth and continue to follow-up on leads.
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