There are three reasons to exhibit at a trade show. Sell your product or service, gain leads for your business and to gain brand awareness. All other reasons fall under this. I want to walk through these reasons in detail and show how to make them work for you.

Sell

Selling at trade shows works if you fall in one of the below categories

  • You have small items that people can impulse buy such as soaps, pillows, jewelry, clothes, etc.
  • You are at a show where your specific products or services are needed such as wedding shows or home and garden shows
  • You can give large discounts on big-ticket items or sell the “floor models”

elling at trade shows can be a hard prospect. Make sure the attendees match your target audience and that you have multiple ways to accept payment. Wifi or cellular does not always work.

Gain Leads

Leads are the main reason that service providers or large ticket item sellers go to a trade show. Leads can be gained in the form of business cards, badge scans, or written leads cards. One of the best ways to gather leads is to give something away in return. You can create a large basket to give away or have small items that people receive if they give you the proper information.

Brand Awareness

Getting your name out into the world is important for your business. Trade shows give you the opportunity to be in front of hundreds if not thousands of people in one day. Create an eye-catching booth and work on gathering leads and/or social media followers to extend your brand awareness past the show.

I would suggest picking two reasons to be at a show. Doing all three can become hectic in a 10 x 10 or 10 x 20 booth.

If you are going to sell your items, have a show special running. You can also gain brand awareness with a promotion where if they like your social media pages, they receive an extra amount off or a free product sample.

If you are going to gain leads, focus on your great giveaway (that still ties into your company’s voice and values). Do an added social media give away to encourage people to like and follow your pages.

A reason not to exhibit at a trade show is “Because my competitors are there.” Trade shows are too expensive for you to be there solely because someone else is. That will make for a miserable show. If you feel that you must attend, focus on one of the three reasons above and build your booth and show experience around that.