What makes a trade show really a trade show? Is it the fact that hundreds of people gather in one area to share similar ideas about a common interest? Is it because they want to see the newest and most innovative items in their field? At investorwords.com they describe a tradeshow as, "an event at which goods and services in a specific industry are exhibited and demonstrated". This is true and quite evident in the questions that I was asking prior, but as a tradeshow exhibitor you want to give your consumers the best experience at your booth. The reasoning for this is twofold. Firstly, you want to bring in perspective clients and secondly, you want to show old clientele why you are still on top of your game. Here at Motivators, we understand that tradeshows can be very difficult and stressful to plan. So we have put together a little guide to make your tradeshow experience the best it can be!

   The first key element to recognize as a tradeshow exhibitor is that timing is everything. Start planning well in advance. Make a list or flow chart to see all aspects of what you want to accomplish at the upcoming tradeshow. For example, if you were going to be an exhibitor at a pharmaceutical expo the first thing to find out the size of your booth so you can start planning the layout. Decide what important information you want to take to the show, whether you want to bring specific samples, or equipment with you. Think of the best way to get attention from your target audience. Ask yourself questions like "should my company name be on the front of the booth or above people’s heads?" "Where will be the best place for my pamphlets?" "Do I need a catchy slogan?" Once all of these questions have been answered you can move on to the next step and that is focusing on your target audience. In the example above, machinery at a pharmaceutical expo, your target audience should generally be pharmaceutical manufacturers, or people that generally would want to produce medical drugs.

   So now that you know what you’re bringing, and how you’ll be set up, how do you attract people to your booth? Well there are two basic options. The first is to have a great speaker. The second is to have an awesome promotional trade show giveaway. Let’s take a look at both routes, and start with the speaker. Looking for a great speaker is very tough, and could be very costly. But why would you pay someone whose knowledge might not be in your specific industry? Not to mention, who knows your goods and services better than you? You are running a business in a certain field because you have x amount of years practice under your belt, as well as the qualifications to back it up. Now let’s look at the second option then that we have and that is to have a great tradeshow giveaway. Granted this might be a difficult task in itself, but if you do research and find a qualified distributor of promotional goods, chances are they will meet your expectations. You can even avoid all the hassles of having to figure out what to purchase, by calling a trained promotional products consultant at Motivators. They will be able to point you in the right direction to find that perfect tradeshow item depending on your event/industry.

   Finally, figure out the details. During your off season pre-tradeshow take time out figure out a few things: where should the tradeshow items go, how many should be handed out on the first day, should there be a contest to win the trade show giveaway, or a raffle of some sorts. Next rehearse your key points that you want to make, and try to memorize speeches that you might make during the course of time that you are attending. You don’t want to have to look down at your paper for important topics for two reasons. One, you break eye contact. And two, it may make you look uneducated and ill prepared. Speaking of eye contact, be sure to do this with people. This makes them feel that you are truly interested not only in what they’re saying, but that you’re respecting them as well. Once this is all said and done, you know how everything is going to be laid out, your target audience is narrowed down, trade show giveaways have been purchased in advance, and you have practiced, practiced, practiced, then take a break and rest up. Because it’s going to be a long few days at the convention/expo.

By: Motivators