Trade Show Marketing - Getting Prepared for the Big Event

With the increase in number of tradeshows being held across the world, it has become imperative to check the trade shows' credentials before you commit participation. Here are some quick tips on checks to ensure that you are not heading for a dud trade show:

1. Check previous history and years of experience including backing by any large industrial groups: This is the most obvious way to research on the event planners. Trade shows backed by large organizations would have greater availability of resources and marketing skills.

2. Demographics of previous trade shows: Did the last show done by the trade show provider have a decent show of visitors? Is the trade show provider boasting about the numbers on its marketing material or hiding it in some obscure corner for the number crunchers? Did the trade show provider have a professional organization draw up the demographics of the visitors? Do the demographics fit your requirement? Answers to these queries should help you decide if you should use this trade show as a sales and marketing vehicle for your company.

3. If there is a conference, who are the speakers? You should have at least heard of a few of the speakers or their organizations if they are speaking in the conference. A quick check should also be done to see if the speakers also have a booth at the tradeshow. Tradeshow booth providers usually give out speaker slots as an added incentive to exhibitors and you might like to avoid such events as they are not very genuine.

4. What is the timing of the trade show? Is it just time filler for the conference? If this is true, I would suggest that you avoid this trade event like the plague. The event planners are just putting in the booths as time filler and the trade show is not likely to be heavily promoted either. So just don't waste your marketing budget on such as event. You will all notice that such time filler exhibitions usually have very few booths in the first place and are located outside the exit area of the conference hall to catch the attendees as they dash off towards food and nature's call.

5. What is the total number of booths and what is the occupancy rate a few weeks before the show? The thumb rule is that a trade show can have about 5 to 10 percent of empty stands about 2 weeks before the event which eventually gets filled in my last minute confirmations or by sponsors. If the numbers are higher that this, you should check the official reason given by the exhibitors to ensure that you don't end up participating in a show which has too many empty stands.

6. Is the tradeshow provider offering a 'desperate' discount and doing unusual number of follow ups? If you get an offer for a trade show booth which is just too good to believe then it is probably too good to believe. 'Desperate' discounts are offered by event planners as a last ditch attempt to sell all booths as you should only participate is such tradeshows if you have unique reason to do so.

7. Testimonials and repeat number of participants year after year is another good way to check on the trade show. If you see a large number of repeat participants over a number of years, it is a good way to determine the quality of the event.

Quality of location and association with service providers also help in getting to know the seriousness with which the trade show providers approach their work. I hope this article is also read by trade show providers to realize what exhibitors look out for!

Patty Stripes is an editor for The Trade Show Booth, check out her latest articles about using a trade show exhibit booth, used trade show display and advantages of a compelling trade show booth design