© Event Captain 2007
Since you are in the business of selling products or services, you may have caught the attention of people who sell space at trade shows or exhibits halls. These can range from small, chamber of commerce sponsored events, to national conferences held in convention centers. These events may promise a wonderful opportunity for exposure to your targeted audience, but not all shows deliver as much as their marketing would have you believe. Here are 7 must-ask questions to consider before you decide to participate:
Unless the event has some history, it will be difficult for the people selling space to give you a good idea on the number of attendees. And they definitely wouldn’t be able to give you any idea of the number of qualified buyers that will come through the event.
Whether the event is new or tested, ask some questions before you commit. Find out how they are marketing the event and whether the exhibit area is free or only available to paid conference attendees. Remember that there will be many more attendees if the exhibit area is free, but they might not be qualified buyers. These people are more likely to be unqualified prospects looking to see what is new, what their competition is doing, or people attempting to sell things to exhibitors.
If the event appeals to you but you are unsure of attendance, know that you’re taking a risk that qualified prospects won’t be there, and know that it might just be a learning experience for you. If you aren’t sure whether you should be an exhibitor or not, consider going to the event as an attendee first. You can network among other attendees to see if there is interest in what you offer, and decide whether or not you want to participate in the future.
Before you commit, find out exactly what you’re paying for. Often, an exhibit space may just be a six foot table, a “booth” made of pipe and drape, with a draped table and a couple of chairs. It might be a space that can accommodate, or it might even require, a freestanding booth that you buy or rent. Find out exactly what you get, and if electricity and telecommunications are included if you need them in your exhibit. Ask how many staff member are allowed in your booth and if you get free passes to the event. Find out if any marketing, sponsorship, or advertising is included.
While you’re thinking about your budget, don’t forget to factor in the cost of your travel and your time. Ask yourself, “Will it be worth it to take the time away from my office to do this?”
In most cases, sponsors or hosts of the event, past exhibitors and people buying the largest booth spaces get to select their location first. If you’re a new exhibitor, ask what the layout of the space will look like. Remember that areas with the most traffic will be at the front, near the entrances.
If you are stuck in the back or far corners of the room, you can still make the show work for you, if you have the budget. Have entertainment in your booth or offer a fabulous promotional item that everyone will want. Make sure it’s something that is very visible when carried or worn so other attendees can see it and ask where they got it. Also make sure you have people work for this item – have them watch your presentation or complete a questionnaire or survey and get their contact information – don’t just give things away free.
Some shows don’t allow you to actually sell things in your exhibit area. If this is the case, you will only be allowed to gather contact information so you can follow-up later. This type of event may not be for you if you rely heavily on people buying your products on impulse. If, however, you establish relationships before selling and expect a longer sales cycle, you could do well in this environment.
Consider the staff you’ll need to keep someone at your booth at all times during exhibit hours. If you are a one-person business, consider whether or not it would be worth your time to be in a booth, versus working and bringing in money or marketing elsewhere. If the hours are such that you will need to hire people to help you, figure out if it’s worth it to not only have staff there, but also to adequately train them.
If the event doesn’t have scheduled free time, or if there isn’t time dedicated for attendees to visit exhibits, you’ll be fighting with speakers to get the attention of the audience, and the speakers usually win. If you decide to become an exhibitor, you’ll want to make sure attendees have plenty of time to visit the exhibit area to learn about you.
It doesn’t do any good to get qualified prospects if you don’t have the time to follow up after the show. Have a timeline and strategy in place for contacting prospects and potential business partners for follow up before you involve yourself in an event. If you don’t, any time and money you spend will be wasted.
Trade shows and exhibits can be wonderful opportunities for meeting new clients and business partners, just be sure you consider the opportunity closely so you get the results you want.
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