Tradetec Skyline

Participation in trades shows has seen a positive growth since 2002, continuation of exhibiting at trade shows has brought many questions to marketing managers, not only in the Chicago Trade Show Market, but Nationally and Internationally as well.

Making your trade show exhibiting experience a success depends on  “SMART - Strategies”

• “S”ingle out your objectives for exhibiting, one focus should be on reaching your trade show audience on their level, remember they have economic concerns too.  Give them solutions, and they will be returning customers.
• “M”arekting - continue to grow your entire marketing package, do not solely rely on trade show leads.  Pre-Show phone calls to prospective clients reminding them of your trade show booth number.  Finding out well in advance what their focus for the next 12-24 months will be, you can give them product teasers that will be valuable solutions.  One on One contact at trade shows is all part of networking, being in front of buyers, why not continue to be in front of buyers during your normal work week?
• “A”verage - this is a trade show don’t, your trade show booth staff as well as your trade show exhibit should have the power and the image that goes above and beyond average.  Don’t settle for anything less, the larger exhibitors in your industry did not get where they are by being average.  Exhibit Design & Graphics that create a powerful statement, will show your audience that your company is knowlegable & a leader in your the industry, no matter the size of your exhibit booth.
• “R”esearch the variety of shows you will be exhibiting at, find exhibiting success stories to help you will your decisions on what trade shows to focus on.  Finding the best trade shows that will fit your marketing needs. Research light-weight exhibit solutions to help save costs and offer flexibility.
• “T”raining your booth staff -  properly and often.  Communication with your trade show booth staff is communication with your trade show audience.  Making sure they are well versed on your marketing objectives and goals.  Being able to convey your message about your products and services.  Having a cool trade show booth with all the bells and whistles can send your message loud and clear.  But, if the cake is not baked all the way, the frosting is not going to go down very well.

  Exhibiting at trade shows is an entire package of all the right elements.

4 Comments »

Small, Medium & Large Trade Show Exhibits are the marketing tools used to gain exposure at Trade Shows and Conventions.  Lead generation and networking are key reasons why companies choose to exhibit at trade shows and conventions. So why is it that companies fall short when it comes to follow up of Trade Show Leads?

Lack of Follow Up……

Don’t let your marketing plan fall short when it comes to follow up of trade show leads.  Appealing to trade show audiences and interacting with the trade show attendees is how the doors open for your lead generation.  Competition on the trade show floor has increased and trade show attendees have become more focused when they hit the exhibit hall.

Getting to know your prospects and the concerns they have within the market place will help in your follow up process.  Creating a set of basic questions to put in front of your prospects can help you gain the knowledge of their needs, allowing for a better follow up system after the trade show ends.

Plan for follow up and create a time line before the show even begins, prepare a few hand written thank you notes at the end of the day with a personalized message to your prospects, covering a few pointers on how your product and services can best benefit them.  Many attendee’s will be overwhelmed by the amount of email in their inbox up on the return from the trade show, your personalized note can grab their attention and keep your companies message in front of them, it’s a tangible item, your message and your brand - right there in front of them.

The longer you allow your leads to sit in the follow up cracks, the more likely your competition is to sweep them out.

2 Comments »

Seven Ways To Slash Pre-Show Mailer Costs
EXHIBITOR Staff - Kim Nyland

Pre-show mailers can be a good way to draw attention to your exhibit. But they can also be a budget buster to produce. Here are seven ways to keep mailer production costs down.

1. Mind the size limits. Keep the entire, unfolded mailer within an 11-by-17-inch format. That’s the largest of the standard film sizes that can be processed by most film houses. It is also the largest size of film that can be printed on a small press. If you go larger, you will pay more for both creating the film and printing the mailer.
2. Go two-color. Two-color mailers usually feature one color, such as red, along with black for the text. It’s 25 percent cheaper than four-color because it uses two pieces of film (instead of four) and requires only a two-color press. Of course, you’ll probably lose some impact by going two-color instead of four-color. But you can jazz things up a bit by shading the colors and using duotones. Ask your graphic designer for ideas.
3. Go four-color on the cheap. Some people try to save money by using two-color printing on the mailer’s interior and four-color printing on the exterior. But if you’re going to use any four-color graphics, you might be able to make the entire piece four-color without blowing the budget. Here’s how. When you have the film made, place both the front and back pieces on the same piece of film. Then place marks where the printer can cut the mailer. You save money by using one piece of film and one printing press. (If you had both two-color and four-color graphics on your mailer, you would need to use two different presses to print the piece.
4. Use existing artwork. When an outside graphic designer creates a new image for you, it may cost around $50 an hour and take 10 hours or more to create. If you provide the designer with existing artwork of, say, the company logo, it can be scanned in. Better yet, give them a digitized file with the artwork. It will save both time and money.
5. Purchase “photo disks.” Photo disks contain about 400 “stock” images that can be used for your mailers. You purchase all usage rights for the images; the cost runs about $250 for each disk. An alternative is to go to a stock photo house and purchase a picture - but that will run you about $500 for one image.
6. Create one mailer for multiple shows. One company created a run of about 50,000 mailers for use at several upcoming shows. During the initial printing, a space was left open on the mailer where specific show information (show name/dates, booth number, booth map, etc.) could later be added for each event. The show information was printed in separate, one-color printing runs where only black was used for the text, making it a less-expensive venture.
7. Choose only one paper stock. If you’re creating a multipage mailer or brochure, use the same paper stock for both the cover and interior pages. In most cases, using even one heavy paper stock will be cheaper than a combination of light and heavy stocks.

No Comments »

 
Light your exhibit with the new Graphic Tube Lighting, by Skyline featuring the Slotted Tube and Tube Ultra.

Illuminated Shades with your branding and message offer a soft and subtle eye catching element to any trade show exhibit booth.  With a variety of shapes and size, up to 48′ tall, you can incorporate the Graphic Tube Lighting into Kiosks, Island Exhibits and Inline Exhibits.

With an attractive custom look, you will draw attention to your products and your trade show exhibit booth, customize the shades with quality graphics or with standard colors.

No Comments »

As reported by Stephanie Corbin - 7/7/08 - Trade Show Week

Keeping Them Coming Back Is the Name of the Attendee Game

Show managers are trying new tricks to keep attendees coming to their shows.

As part of the Society of Independent Show Organizers’ Travel Costs Survey, show managers listed different steps they are taking to combat the high cost of travel, including increased marketing to international attendees, discounts to exhibitors to continue their participation, emphasizing the value of regional shows and some travel incentives for early registration.

With the price of a tank of gas rising year over year for most of the past decade, Jo Ann Macek said she recognized two years ago that her show, the Specialty Advertising Assn. of California Show, which will be held Aug. 6-7 at the Long Beach (Calif.) Convention Center, needed to offer an incentive to out-of-state attendees who might be scared off by California’s notoriously high gas prices.

“It was all preemptive,” she added. “We were just being proactive.”

It was such a good idea, she even added a few twists.

Those attendees whose zip codes indicate they live somewhere besides Southern California receive an e-mail telling them a $50 gas gift card is waiting for them when they get to the show, Macek said. All attendees have to do is take a printout of the e-mail to the event and show their driver’s license.

“We don’t do anything more than that,” she added.

However, she also was worried that those who live closer, in the Los Angeles or San Diego areas, might decide to attend the show just one day instead of two to conserve gas. Those attendees are asked to fill out a card on the first day with their name, company and e-mail address.

“You bring that card back on day two, and you get your $50 gift card,” Macek said. The local attendees also receive free parking the second day.

While Macek admitted, “A $50 gas card is not the tank of gas it was last year,” she said she’s hopeful that it will keep the show’s attendance numbers steady.

So far, according to the pre-registration rate for this year’s show, it’s working.

“Our registration numbers so far are corresponding to the same period last year,” Macek said.

Macek isn’t the only show manager with the idea of giving away gift cards for gasoline.

The Columbus Jewelry Show, scheduled Aug. 23-24 at the Greater Columbus (Ohio) Convention Center, gives away a $25 gift card to every retail store attending the show, said Adriana Sfalcin, executive director of the Ohio Jewelers Assn., which owns the show.

She said the show draws retail attendees from as far away as Michigan, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky and upstate New York, which means a lot of them are traveling quite a few miles to get there.

No Comments »