It's the question every company that hosts a trade show exhibit asks: When the commotion of the event fades and attendees return home, will they remember our company and product?
What happens on the event floor is vital to making the right impression, but what about pre and post event activities? Focusing solely on the short-lived exchanges at your booth ignores a plentitude of opportunities to connect to attendees and generate leads outside the din of the event hall. Pre event marketing and post event follow-up can make the personal interface at your trade show booths more potent and ultimately more profitable.
Begin The Trade Show Exhibit Early
Why wait until the event to try to connect to your target audience? Pre event promotions can boost leads by 33 percent. The goal of pre event promotions is to drive your target audience to your display.
Consider promoting the company's participation in existing marketing outlets, such as newsletters, advertisements and websites. Make personal invitations to your trade show booths, create contests and coupons for prizes that are redeemed at the booth, and consider using social networks, like Twitter or Facebook, to draw attention to your activities.
Be sure all promotional materials include the booth's location at the event as well as company and product information that's consistent with the exhibition materials.
Follow Through After the Show
It's hard to imagine, but more than three-quarters of sales leads collected during a show are never followed
up on. Create a system to capitalize on those personal exchanges. A trained exhibitor asking the right open-ended questions can gather valuable intelligence in just a couple minutes. Properly recorded on a lead card with contact information, and the sales team has a powerful tool for tailored follow up.
Timely follow up is important. Make the most of attendees' excitement in the days and weeks following the program's conclusion. Such rapid follow up may not result in an immediate sale, but it will make your company stand out from the rest. It also provides the opportunity to expand your understanding of the potential customers' needs.
Maintain Focus At The Show
Properly trained staff that is knowledgeable about the company and products is a must for a successful trade show exhibit. Don't forget that some of the most important marketing actually occurs face to face with the customer at the trade show booths. Train staff on how to engage customers, ask the right questions, collect lead information and most importantly set action items for prompt follow-up.
Hosting a display at an exhibition can cost considerable resources, but it provides a unique opportunity to connect with potential customers with multiple touch points. With fewer competitors hosting booths, the chance to engage event attendees is better than ever. By making the most of the pre and post event period, a business can distinguish itself, and make the face-to-face connection at the show the keystone of a new business relationship.
Author Resource:-
Chris Harmen writes for Skyline Exhibits New York, the leading provider of New York trade show booths. For businesses needing services and supplies including a trade show exhibit, New York Skyline Displays New York offers rentals, refurbishing, supplies, storage, and much more at affordable prices.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://cdnimages.articlefriendly.net/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
