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Selecting the Right Trade Show for Your Company
With a large number of trade shows to choose from, both here in the U.S. and abroad, and an ever- increasing number of new trade shows exploding onto the trade show scene each year, the job of an exhibitor selecting the right trade show(s) to attend can be an overwhelming challenge.
The veteran trade show exhibitor knows, however, that the best way to meet this challenge is to have a solid plan in place by first determining their company’s market, sales goals and promotional objectives.
Once a company fully understands the reasons why it needs to exhibit in a trade show, then, and only then, can it begin to identify the proper trade show that will meet their marketing objectives.
According to Skip Cox, president of Exhibit Surveys Inc., a trade show industry research firm based in Red Bank, New Jersey, the trade show selection process should begin with serious background research. Here are a couple of his tips on how you can research the right trade show for your company:
1. Research the trends in your industry—new technologies, competitors’ preferences, customers’ bias, etc. Then search for trade shows that reflect these trends.
Read trade publications in your field as they are a very good source of the latest
news in your industry. Opportunities abound for companies that are able to capitalize on these developments. Contact the editorial staff of trade publications to learn more about the latest breakthroughs in your business arena. Go to the Internet and research companies that are making news by introducing exciting new products or services in your field.
Contact your trade associations to explore what companies they believe are leading the way. Then, seek out trade shows that are in tune with these trends for your trade show exhibit or your trade show display rental as trend-setting trade shows will be the ideal showcase for your trade show display.
2. Interview your co-workers and people in your field as to what trade shows match up with your client’s needs.
By zeroing in on your client’s profile, you can determine what trade shows mirror your needs. Get input from your top marketing and upper management staff to determine what your market is. In addition, get feedback from your product and marketing managers and also your field sales reps. The sales reps are able to get face- to- face with clients and have a real understanding of their needs.
In fact, according to an Exhibitor Magazine survey of trade show exhibit managers who sought help in selecting trade shows to attend, the most influential input on selecting trade shows came from the sales staff (35%). They were followed by: marketing staff (32%), show management statistics (24%), upper management (20%), following where the competition goes (20%), customer suggestions (18%), other (12%), and the product development staff (8%). The respondents checked off all of the resources that applied.
By doing your research on what is hot in your industry, matching up trade shows that mirror these trends, and answering your client needs, you will be able to select the right trade shows for your company. Then you will be well on the way to a successful trade show exhibit experience. This is true wherever you have your custom trade show exhibit, custom modular exhibit or trade show exhibit rental, whether the exhibit is at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Moscone Center in San Francisco, the Santa Clara Convention Center or the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.
About the Author: Dick Wheeler is President of Professional Exhibits & Graphics, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California with showroom in Sacramento. Firm is full-service premiere trade show exhibit, graphics and management services company. http://www.proexhibits.com
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