Marketing Your Company At Tradeshows Profitably
At the present time, i beleive we have close to 1 tradeshow a month happening in the industry, Internext, AOE, Webmaster Access, the list goes on and, thats not including all of the smaller more informal gatherings and local meets across the country.
With this wide reach of tradeshows comes a wide range of problems, the most prominent being that 'booths' are becoming a thing of the past, with more webmasters who attend these shows opting to stay away from the tradeshow floor and network with their peers where it is not only quieter but, more condusive to getting business done.
So, with the seeming lack of interest in tradeshow booths by attendees these days, how can we make our tradeshow experience and, more importantly, our booths more profitable for us? Lets take a look at a few simple things we can do to ensure that if we do have a booth, it becomes profitable for our business.
1. Use Your Imagination.
Almost every booth i have seen by any of the 'major players' in the industry in the last 6 years has had one thing, a booth bunny (scantily clad model) in attendance. Whilst this is a great tool for attracting those webmasters who just want to look at half naked men or women, you probably wont get a lot of interest from the serious webmaster. Instead, why not opt to have something more unconventional at your booth? Even something as simple as a free bottle of water can draw huge crowds, especially with the highly priced food services at the shows! Think about what YOU were needing at the last tradeshow you went to but couldnt find or, get easily, would others have been after the same thing?
2. Stop thinking 'adult'.
Whether we like it or not, the dynamic of the industry has changed over the past 3 years, instead of people actually acting like adults at these tradeshows, many webmasters look at the tradeshow as a form of release, with this in mind, why not use it to your advantage? What could you add to your booth that would attract the attention of those webmasters looking to release some stress? Gaming, a bar, food, massages, these are all things that, you could have at your booth on a budget.
3. Bend the rules a little.
What if, you setup a section in your booth where anyone on the show floor could come to and have a smoke? There are very few ashtrays located around the tradeshow floor, what if you setup an area where your booth visitors could dump their garbage? Again, there are very few garbage cans around the tradeshow, its not normally done and, you could potentially increase the footflow to your booth by trying something 'different'.
4. Do what you know.
Another thing you could do, is to take something you currently do really well and add to it. If you have a range of resources in front of you, how can you use them to your advantage? If you have a program, why not offer everyone who signs up to your program at your booth, some kind of incentive, a button, a mug, anything you like. By getting people to signup to your program as they are at your booth, you are getting qualified sales leads and, once the webmaster has signed up, you can send them your 'sales pitch' after the show allowing you to concentrate your efforts on getting more pople joining your program at the show!
5. Think outside the box.
How many tradeshows have you attended in th last 12-24 months? How many time have you seen the same people, doing the same things as they did at the last show and, that their competitors did before them? Think of ways to inegrate something unique in your booth, something that nobody else is going to have, Hustler had an Orangutang at the last show, that is something unique. You dont have to go to that extent but, by having something unique that no one else is going to have, is going to set you apart from the hundred or so other exhibitors.
6. Plan your tradeshow experience.
What is your reason for exhibiting at the tradeshow? What are you wanting to achieve? How are you planning on doing it? By having a clear, consise plan of action once you actually make it past booth setup, you are going to have a much easier time that the exhibitor who just goes with the flow. Make sure you schedule who is going to be manning the booth on which day, who they need to ask for cover when they want to grab some lunch, have a smoke, take a bathroom break. Planning goes a long way in having a successfull tradeshow experience.
7. Learn from others.
Never forget that a tradeshow is a learning experience, not only for its attendees but, also for its exhibitors. Look at past shows and make a note of what other companies or, your company, did wrong, look at what went right, see who is doing what and adapt their ideas for your own gain. Never stop learning in addition to marketing.
8. Beleive.
Exhibiting at a tradeshow is a huge business outlay, if you dont beleive the costs are warranted then, the chances are, this will show itself not only in your booth but, your personality at the show. Beleive that whatever you are planning on doing is going to be a huge success, even if at the end of the show you dont acheive everything you set out to, you can say you tried and, more importantly, you learnt a lot.
In closing, tradeshows are much more than getting together with a group of webmasters, getting them drunk, fed, high and just having fun, you want your tradeshow experience to be a profitable one, you want to draw a new client base and, make money. By following even one of the eight items above you are going to be that much closer to having a positive exhibitor experience. Make sure you plan, make sure you have goals and, more importantly, make sure you make money from the show.
Article written by Lee.
http://www.gaywebmasterbash.com
