Trade Show Marketing

Promotions That Get Results

Trade Show Marketing

• Trade show exhibits are one of the best vehicles to: – Increase market share– Develop brand recognition– Create product awareness – Build a new client base– Introduce new services/products

• Key to great exhibiting is great marketing

Have a promotion plan

• Three-pronged marketing approach– Pre-show, at-show and post-show

• Pre-Show– Promote that you will be at the show– Target audience you want to attract– Direct mail pieces to lure audience to your booth

• Entice to visit booth to register for prize drawing or receive a giveaway

Have a promotion plan

• At-Show– Give attendees a reason to visit your booth– Brand your company, market products, raise

visibility, and drive booth traffic with a promotional giveaway

• Post-Show– Following-up on leads is critical – For greatest ROI, send a small “thanks for your

time” gift a few days after show, followed by a phone call or email

Giveaways that deliver results

• Promotional items can… – Draw visitors – Facilitate recall after the show – Provide easy-to-access contact info

• Do more than attract visitors to your booth

• Use giveaways to get qualified leads– Use as reward for completing survey, listening to

a presentation, providing lead info

Giveaways that deliver results

• Means to an end– Giveaways should accomplish two goals

• Attract people who actually need your products or services, and can influence buying decisions

• Promote your solutions long after attendees return home

• Useful equals long-term promotion– If items aren’t useful, they’ll be tossed

• Novelty wears off, and items will be forgotten

– Encourage attendees to keep your promos by making them useful

Giveaways that deliver results

• Give selectively– Don’t give to every person who asks

• Good giveaways draw freebie-seekers

– Offer to qualified potential leads, collect contact info in exchange

• Danger of cheap giveaways– Cheap items can damage your efforts at creating

a quality image and brand identity– Invest in higher-quality items and give selectively

to qualified leads

Product ideas

• Select giveaway items that: – Differentiate you from the

competition – Compliment your product or

service offering – Reflect your position in the

market– Meet the needs of your target

audience

Product ideas

• Best items are ones potential clients will take home and use again and again– Logo imprinted USB flash drive– Reusable, branded water bottle– Alarm clock – Calculator– Business card holder– Recycled cotton tote bag– Desk calendars– Printed sticky notes or note pad

Summary

• Increase your business through trade show giveaways– Ideal marketing solution for attracting attention,

drawing crowds and promoting your solutions– Should create a channel through which booth

employees can engage visitors about problems they’re trying to solve

– Should keep your company’s name in front of qualified leads until they’re ready to do business