Trade show contests should play a huge role in trade show marketing; after all, it will drive visitors directly to your trade show exhibit. An effective trade show contest produces brand recognition and adds to the visibility of your company at a trade show. It is vital to plan your trade show contest well to ensure it brings about success from your trade show marketing efforts.
Consider a Theme for Your Trade Show Contest
The first step in your trade show marketing is to decide on a theme for your trade show contest. Select a theme that fits in with your company's products and services. For instance, if your company makes power tools, a water park theme is not as enticing to targeted do-it-yourselfers as a home renovation and construction theme. You should include your theme in all of your trade show marketing and in your booth decor, so select your trade show contest theme wisely.
Select Your Prizes
As with your trade show contest theme, the prizes you give away should be a good representation of your products and services. For example, a great prize for the power tool manufacturer may be a selection of power tools or a home improvement store gift certificate.
Money is often the trade show contest prize that will bring attendees running to your booth. Cash cube money machines that swirl money around for people to catch is always a fun draw for any business. Massages, spa gift certificates, and vacations can usually be made to fit nicely into trade show marketing themes.
Make Sure Your Contest Does Not Break Any Rules
You may have an incredible contest idea, but if it violates the rules of the trade show, your incredible idea will not fly. It is essential that you understand the rules of the trade show and double check with the staff before advertising your trade show contest in your trade show marketing. If you fail to do this, you could end up with a worthless contest and a show full of angry attendees who came especially for you.
Hire Enough Staff Members
You should have one person in your staff that does nothing but manage the running of the trade show contest. You do not want people visiting your booth with the purpose of participating in your contest, just to turn away because everyone is busy and no one is responsible for the contest. By having one person dedicated to managing the contest, you have the chance for that person to talk about your products and services with a person who may have only come for the contest. Do not just put out slips of paper and a drop box. You do not want to lose the valuable conversations with potential customers because you were understaffed.
Market Your Trade Show Contest
Make the effort to market your trade show contest before the show so that people know about it and can arrange to come by your booth. Add information about your trade show contest on your company website and send trade show marketing materials to customers containing the same information. Sending out personal invitations to participate in your trade show contest also usually produces nice results.
Continue marketing your trade show contest at the trade show and even at locations near the trade show. Place flyers about your trade show contest at the airport, hotels, outside the venue, and anywhere else you think possible attendees may be lurking. Make sure you clearly provide directions and list your booth number in your trade show marketing materials so attendees can easily find you.
Trade show contests are a fun and efficient tool in trade show marketing. A well-planned trade show contest will always draw new contacts and potential customers.
Your presence at a trade show can have an impact on multiple-tier audiences. First and most logically are the attendees who are walking the aisles. While important, what about attendees who wanted to sign up for the event, but due to unforeseen reasons could not make it? And what of the segment who, due to location, budget constraints, et cetera, decided not to attend?
Wide audiences are waiting to hear from you about the product and or services you are offering. Use the trade show function as a focal point to share the news from your company.
In research I conducted many years ago, an important fact emerges - the number one reason for attendance to a given show is due results from a personal invitation to see to see an exhibitor.
Communicating with the Show Attendees
Last week I had a meeting with an old and favored client who now has a new company and is going to a big show to represent it. In our conversation I was pointing out that he needs to have several messages targeting several audiences who attend. Each group has its own unique vantage point which a smart exhibitor should address.
Devote extra attention to identifying the specific needs of each target group within the whole. To maximize your company impact on all attendees you could:
- Create a hospitality suite type arrangement of your space, or have an off the show floor demonstration room for attending customers. - Focus extra care on your current prospects - this group should be invited to your booth and if possible at certain times so that they can meet you and have special attention from you. - Address the general trade show population for whom the show organizer has produced to the event. Offer a concise message of who you are and what you offer needs to be communicated to them.
The Non-Attendees
Typically, the target groups mentioned above are acknowledged and exhibitors have prepared for them. But what about one more and equally significant audience segment - all of the people who could NOT attend? When I mentioned this group to my client a light bulb went off. He saw the opportunity to use the show activity to send a message to his entire mailing list about what his company was trying to accomplish at the show. And he is now creating materials addressing just that point.
As an avid fan of direct mail he is creating a series of direct mail pieces that will go out to his entire client list. The first piece is a post card, followed up by a letter then another letter with a white paper offer. Each will build on one another and they have the appropriate call to action.
So I would ask you to consider all of these audiences and check to see how you are using this show to get maximum coverage and experience greater awareness from all of your audiences - which can lead to more sales.
Both Christine Okelly & are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Christine Okelly has sinced written about articles on various topics from Disease & illness, Finances and Accident Lawyers. Christine OKelly is an author for consultant Jonathan Edelman. Jonathan is the founder of Ideas 4 Now, a trade show marketing company off. Christine Okelly's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.
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