After 20 years of exhibiting at trade shows I’ve learned a few things about what works and what doesn’t.  This post lists my top 10 tips for a successful trade show.  My next post will talk about the 10 biggest mistakes you don’t want to make.  So what should you do?

1.  Pick the best tradeshow(s).   The starting point is the show itself.  If your target audience isn’t attending, then no amount of great show marketing will give you the results you’re looking for.  So do your homework and make sure you’re at the right show.  If you’re looking to get into a new market segment, then a show is a great way to learn more about the market and announce your entry.

 2.  Get a good booth location.  If you can’t get a decent location then you may want to re-consider whether it’s worth the time/expense to atend.  That said, if you do enough pre-show and on-site marketing, you can still drive traffic to your trade show exhibit.  So, if you end up in the far corner near the loading dock, be sure to re-double your show marketing efforts.

3. Have a great looking trade show display.  Today’s trade show exhibits are much much better than what was available 10 years ago.  There are a variety of great looking, portable, and easy to setup trade show displays on the market today.  A mural graphic pop-up display sets up in about 15 minutes and gives you a huge (8 foot tall by 10 or 20 foot wide) graphic display are for your messages and branding.  The mural panels ship in the same case as the frame, and hang directly onto the frame itself (i.e. no velcro) so you get great alignment and easy setup.  A fabric display provides a unique look and is very lightweight.  In this case you’re hanging a fabric directly onto the frame.  Fabric graphics can also be folded for very cheap shipping (just bring a steamer with you to get rid of any wrinkles) and can often be dropped into the washing machine if they get dirty.!

 4.  Have sufficient staff.  I occasionally see booths with no staff in them.  What a huge waste (or worse).  Even if it’s a small local show you may want to think twice about sending a single local sales rep who has other priorities beyond staffing the booth.  He or she may be happy to go out to lunch with her favorite customer, but, in the meantime, you’re looking like a small company that can’t manage their trade show efforts and thus probably will be messing up their orders as well.

Also be sure to prepare and distribute a show schedule well ahead of time so that everyone can arrange their transportation and schedules prior to the show.  Have handouts at the show as well so everyone knows when they need to be at the booth.

5.  Train your staff carefully.  A couple of basic rules are: no food or drinks in the booth, talk to customers — not each other.  Also be sure to train people carefully - especially about new products, new services, and anything that’s being launched or announced at the show.  Make sure everyone can deliver the 20 second “elevator pitch” and create a shortlist of frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) that everyone can answer

6. Follow-up on those leads!  Follow-up is critical.  Don’t assume that prospects will get back to you.  Most people are overwhelmed at a show and forgot to take notes about much of what they saw.  A follow-up call, email, and/or letter (all three would be a plus), is welcomed since they initiated the conversation at the show.  A lack of follow-up shows a lack of interest on the exhibitor’s part.

7. Use pre-show mailers to drive traffic to your booth.  Many exhibitors “just show up” at their trade show and count on walk-by traffic.  While this is OK if you’re Microsoft and have the marquee location, it’s not OK for “the rest of us”.   Send pre-show mailers to existing customers and new prospects.  Most shows will provide free direct mail pieces to exhibitors — take advantage of this!  Get your sales team involved as well and have them personally email and call key customers to invite them to your booth.  One of the software companies I worked at, OnTime software, had an outstanding sales force and this was a key tactic that we used.  The result was an always packed booth (with corresponding “buzz” to drive new booth traffic), and very loyal, repeat, customers.

8. Take advantage of the myriad of PR opportunities at trade shows to launch a new product or service.  Trade shows are loaded with press people and are very supportive of press activities with free press rooms and published lists of press attendees.  By launching a new product or service at a trade show you can meet with all the key trade press in a single location.   Just be sure to avoid a launch at a major trade show like CES unless you’re also a major player who won’t get lost in the barrage of announcements that occurs at a very large show.

9.  Use on-site marketing to drive traffic.  There are lots of things you can do to drive booth traffic. The key tactics I recommend are:

• advertisements in the show guide
• sponsorship banners to get your brand noticed (this is especially good for brand building since it positions you as a “mover and shaker”)
• fun promotional handouts — although these can also bring lots of unwanted traffic as well (especially late on the last day).
• Create scripted demos with a “theater” and a posted schedule.  Good loudspeaker systems and music also help drive traffic to theater style demos.
• Consider outside advertising on hotel channels, buses, and local billboards
• Consider hiring a magician.  I know it sounds tacky, but they really do draw a crowd, and they also stick in prospects memories — especially if you can somehow tie the show into your product offering.

10. Show up : )  If you aren’t there, you’re missing out.  It’s guaranteed that one or more of your competitors is at the show and talking to your potential new customers (or existing customers).  So pick the top shows, buy a great booth, do pre-show and onsite marketing, create a buzz, get those leads, and follow up !