The International Trade Administration imagines the trade show to be “shop windows.” Many companies attend these events and display their best products or services. Potential customers come to these events to find suppliers and partners and compare them with one another. Though some consumers attend trade shows, most people there are buyers, distributors, company reps, industry analysts, or trade journalists.
Most industries have trade shows whether they focus on production or service. You can find multiple events for healthcare, manufacturing, security, aviation, technology, and restaurants. Some of these happenings focus on local or regional companies, while others invite international suppliers looking for import or export opportunities.
Trade shows allow you to showcase your company, meet potential partners, and build relationships within your industry. Because these events are often crowded and busy, it pays to plan carefully, define your goals, and take other steps to maximize the opportunity.
Here are 10 vital steps to maximize the benefits of trade show attendance.
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Choose the Events You Attend Carefully
The annual trade show calendar is full. In 2023, the average exhibitor attended 29.5 regional trade shows, 12.3 national ones, and 5.9 international events. Each of these events costs time, exhibitor fees, and travel expenses. Companies need to carefully consider how they manage their trade show budget and focus on events with the best chance of positive outcomes, such as sales, new partnerships, or new suppliers.
You can choose the best events by defining your goals and deciding which trade shows give you the best chance to achieve them. For instance, if you operate regionally, you might focus on regional and statewide shows rather than international ones.
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Predetermine Your Goals and Priorities
A 2022 article in the Journal of Business Research cited a study finding that 70% of trade show attendees did not have clear objectives for coming to the event. This is important because your priorities can vary. A company might want to find new clients and make sales, but they could also attend a trade show to meet with potential partners or interview suppliers and begin contract negotiations.
With clear aims for each show, you can easily plan, assign tasks, and schedule meetings. Also, when the event is over, you can gauge success based on whether or not you achieved the goals.
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Do Your Research About the Event
In 2022, the trade show market value was $10.17 billion. Event venues and planners create shows to get a share of this lucrative market. Not all events have the same reputation. You should seek trade shows with a longer history, organizers with ties to your industry, and a reputation that draws respected companies in your sector.
You can find lists of past attendees. Also, trade journalists often attend shows and publish articles about them. These writeups appear in trade publications, and you can use these to learn what to expect when you attend.
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Make Sure You Give Yourself Enough Time
You shouldn’t overlook the logistics of the trade show. Careful planning will ensure you aren’t rushed and don’t miss important opportunities or events during the show. Consider where you will stay, how you will get to the event venue, and how long it will take.
Once you have these facts, you can add a little extra time to ensure you have a buffer so you aren’t rushed. If you aren’t stressed about time, you can focus fully on sales, promotions, and relationship building.
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Ensure That You Get Enough Sleep
Different factors can disrupt your sleep patterns when you travel. These may include anxiety about the event and the inability to relax in unfamiliar settings. Dietary changes and alcohol or caffeine consumption can also throw off your sleep cycle. If you are traveling across the country or internationally, jet lag may also have an effect.
A lack of sleep can negatively impact your job performance. Performance and focus are necessary to close sales or make profitable relationships in a competitive environment like a well-respected trade show.
Observing a strict bedtime and avoiding alcohol and caffeine can work for regional or local trade shows. If you are changing time zones, Johns Hopkins suggests adjusting your sleep and wake cycles a few days beforehand, exercising in the morning, and using natural supplements like melatonin to promote good sleep.
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Schedule One-on-One Meetups
You can visit booths of other companies and interact with people who come to your own booth. However, you should also proactively set up meetings with potential customers, suppliers, or partners.
These meetings ensure you meet with sales leads or potential partners. Even if someone is interested in working with you, they may get sidetracked or be unable to find your booth in a large events venue.
A simple email with sales leads or company contacts can lead to such one-on-one meetings. You can even email a casual meeting request at the event. Also, keep in mind that some people utilize social media. You can use general hashtags and posts of the event or rely on direct messages to request face-to-face meetings.
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Write Down Questions To Ask
You need to find out specific information about potential clients, partners, or suppliers during the trade show. One way to ensure you get the right details is to write down questions to ask before you get to the trade show.
The act of writing down these queries will help you remember them. After you are done, you will have a reference to use throughout the trade show. You can refer to it from time to time to make sure you are getting the correct details. It can also give you something to say if the conversation falters.
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Socialize as Much as Possible
Socializing helps build relationships. If you can connect socially with people, you can build a level of trust and segue naturally into business topics without having to engage in sales tactics that make some people wary.
At trade shows, everyone is in your industry and a potential client or partner. Socializing as much as possible allows you to open the door to as many connections as possible.
You should always try to leave a positive impression during trade show encounters to increase the chance that the person will remember you and want to connect again. The Direct Selling Education Foundation points out several factors that can impact positive interactions. These include being sincere, making positive statements instead of negative ones, and listening closely and responding to the other person’s insights.
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Keep Contacts and Important Information Organized
Trade show contacts are only valuable if you can follow up and build upon the initial connection. You should have a system for organizing contacts and logging vital information for use later.
In addition to names, phone numbers, email addresses, social media handles, and other contact details, you should make notes about each conversation that you or your team can use to personalize subsequent communications. Notes could include the person’s interest, details about their company and its needs, and other insights you gleaned from the interaction.
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Ensure People Remember You
The Promotional Products Association International studied the impact of promotional gifts on trade show attendees. The organization found that 71.6% of attendees who received promotional products remembered the name of the company that gave them the item. 76.3% had a favorable opinion of the company offering these gifts.
In addition to these benefits of promotional items, trade show gifts can help your company stand out from the many competitors who are likely at the same event.
Here are some options for branded promotional products.
- Branded can and bottle coolers;
- Baseball hats with your company logo;
- Branded sunglasses;
- Lanyards with your company color and logo;
- Keychains;
- Tote bags.
With the right plan and carefully chosen promotional material, you can be sure to get the most out of trade shows.