3 Ways Non Profits Can Use Trade Shows

3 Ways Non Profits Can Use Trade Shows

Non-Profit, Trade Show

Trade shows offer a great opportunity to gain exposure and emails for both business and non profits. Here are the best ways for non profits to leverage trade shows.

Have a Booth

This is the most obvious thing to do at trade shows. You can have a booth to promote your organization, sell merchandise, or collect donations. I have also seen organizations sell art work done by those they serve. Whatever you are doing, make sure you are collecting name and emails so you can convert the people who you talk to into volunteers and donors later on. Do a giveaway to collect leads. Your giveaway can be a gift baskets with your branded swag, bottles of wine, or anything that you think the trade show audience would like. 

Partner with a Business who has a Booth

Does your non profit have a business that ir normally partners with? Ask them if they are attending the show and have a plan on how you can partner with them. Do you split the cost of the booth? Do you bring in an audience that the business would not normally bring in but wants to have? Does the business want to sponsor your booth and you will give them credit for the sponsorship along with tickets to the event? Can the business set up a donations box in their booth and promise a match? 

The thoughts on this are endless and can be lucrative for both parties. A business can showcase their commitment to the community while you gain exposure and donations. 

When you do approach a business about partnering with them, make sure that you show them what is in it for them. 

Partner with the Trade Show

I have attended many trade shows that have a non profit associated with them or they rotate the non profits. Trade Show Management will donate a certain percentage of the ticket costs to the non profit and provide space for them to accept donations and spread the word. Again, this arrangement can work for both parties. When you reach out to Trade Show management you need to showcase what they will be receiving from the partnership and how the partnership will benefit them. 

No matter how you decide to leverage trade shows, always make sure you have clearly defined goals that link back to your yearly goals. Knowing these goals can also help your partners decide how they can help you and what is your best move. 

New Year, New Topics, New Goals

New Year, New Topics, New Goals

by | Jan 7, 2020 | , , ,

2020 is here and I am motivated to get all sorts of things done. I am sharing my 2020 plan so that you all can help me stay on track. So here are my plans for this year. Release my first online course March 1, 2020. I have been working on this course for over a year...

Picking the Right Time for Your Event

Picking the Right Time for Your Event

Business, Events, Holiday, Non-Profit, Trade Show

The complaint that I hear from the sales people that I work with most often is that the events are never at the right time. I will tell you now, there is no perfect time for an event. Early in the year people worry about taxes and saving money. Spring brings on Graduations and other end of school year items along with a wanderlust for people to travel. Summer is a time for vacations and family. Fall is filled with football, back to school, and shortened days. Year end brings the Holidays – the worst time to hold a non-holiday event.

With all these obstacles, how do you choose when to host your event? Here are the questions that I ask to determine the optimal date and time.

Who is your audience?

Are you looking to reach business owners or stay at home moms with elementary age children? Narrow down who your perfect attendee is and then learn when they have the time. A business owner often likes lunch events or afternoon events ending at 6 pm. This allows them to still be a part of the family time. A mom, you may need to host an event around 9 pm or during school hours.

What else is happening at that time?

When you have narrowed down a date and time, look at what else is happening in that community. If you are looking to attract football fans, you don’t want to host an event during Monday Night Football – unless you are showing the game. Is there a big concert going on? A big television event? A political event? Know what your target audience would attend other than your event.

How far out do you need to plan the event?

Remember that people will need a few weeks to put an event on their calendar. I prefer to give attendees at least 3 weeks before the RSVP deadline and do at least 4 weeks of marketing. If you are planning a large fundraising gala, add in time to gather sponsors etc. Understand what your timeline is and what is the level of commitment from your target attendee? Are they traveling out of town? Do they need to get baby/pet sitters? Do you have a dress code that will require time to adhere to? The larger the level of commitment, the more notice you need to give attendees.

Lay this information out on a calendar and then pick the date and time that overlaps with the least amount of other events. Remember, no time is perfect but there is an optimal time.

You can also do some market research and host events at different times throughout the day and year to see what brings in the most interest. The biggest thing is to know your perfect attendee profile. This will allow you to answer when is the best time for your event.

One more tip – I would not rule out breakfast events – if they come with a good breakfast (not runny eggs and/or small, stale pastries.) Breakfast can actually be a less expensive meal to cater than lunch or dinner and allowing people to start early in the morning and then head on with their day can bring in a great crowd.

Managing Trade Show Leads in 4 Steps

Managing Trade Show Leads in 4 Steps

Business, Trade Show

Leads collected at trade shows are some of the best you can get. Managing those leads can be complicated but it doesn’t have to be. Knowing the plan before you go to the show allows you to close those deals and keep your business growing.

Collect Your Leads as Efficiently as Possible

If the show has a lead retrieval system, take a good hard look at the cost. Being able to scan a badge and get a name, company, phone number, and email from someone is worth it. The $500 – $900 you will spend to get leads will balance out the time you will spend inputting business cards or even the lost opportunities because you didn’t get someones contact information. Many businesses are not printing business cards anymore, how will you collect someones information if that is the case?

It can be a larger expense but the time it will save when inputting your leads will make it worth it. I have spend 8-24 hours sorting and typing in information from business cards.

If you have to go the business card route due to the show not having lead retrieval here some tips to streamline.

Gather your team and split the work up. You need to have all the information in a useable format within 72 hours after a trade show. The more people you have on this project the better.

Now, before I hand out the lead cards, I will separate them depending on the information that I received. Group 1 is full information, name, title, business, phone, and email. The physical address is a bonus for me. Group 2 is name, phone, and email. Group 3 is name and email. Group 4 is for those that only gave me a name and a phone number. These groups go onto a different sheet of my Excel file. If I know someone is interested in what I am selling, I will place a star on their lead card. This serves as my reminder to follow up with them first. These leads are marked in a color.

You will create a system for grouping your leads and what is most important for your business.

Learn tips on how to bring traffic to your booth.

Input Leads into Your CRM

However you track your leads, input these new ones into it. If you do not have a CRM system, look into HubSpot. They have a very robust system that is free. This allows you to track when and where you received leads, when they turn into customers, and the value of those customers. This information allows you see what your cost of acquisition is and how much you can spend and still make money.

Send a Thank You Email

Every email that you have collected may not be a warm lead now, but can turn into one later. Sending out an email to them within 72 hours of the trade show ends helps to keep your company top of mind. You then have a collection of emails to send newsletters and promotions. Do not over do the number of emails you send out and always comply with the laws of your area for unsubscribes.

Follow Up

Those leads that you marked as urgent should be contacted within 72 hours. I would suggest the phone for this follow up. Email can be used but anyone who has been to a trade show knows that they will return home to an inbox overflowing with “Thank You” and “Follow Up” emails. If the lead urgent, pick up the phone. You can follow up with an email after your phone call but

Trade shows are only as effective as your follow up. Ensure your company has a great ROI on its trade shows so you can grow.

4 Steps to Choosing the Best Trade Shows for Your Small Business – Mini Course

4 Steps to Choosing the Best Trade Shows for Your Small Business – Mini Course

Business, Non-Profit, Trade Show

I am very excited to announce the launch of 4 Steps to Choosing the Best Trade Shows for Your Small Business.

This free mini course walks you through the four steps in selecting the best shows for your specific audience and budget, while producing the best return on your investment. 

Sign Up Here

This course will help you get clear on your goals for your event participation, teach you what type of research is most helpful in meeting those goals and provide resources on finding the shows that will add value to your business.

The Hidden Costs of Trade Shows

The Hidden Costs of Trade Shows

Business, Trade Show

When setting up my trade show budgets I attempt to input estimates for every place that money will be spent but there are always hidden costs. After budgeting for hundreds of trade shows here are the things that people often forget to add into their budget.

Food for You and Booth Staff

You will want to have a good breakfast and lunch for a one day show. You need the energy that comes with having a good meal – it helps. Don’t forget about drinks and snacks as well. I estimate $50 a person per day for just breakfast and lunch or $100 – 150 a day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Many shows now have water bottle refill stations. Buying branded reusable water bottles can save money on water and promote your company. Most convention centers are charging $4 for a bottle of water. That can easily add up and all these little things can really add to the hidden costs. Learn other ways to keep your Booth Staff Happy.

Travel Costs

Gas, mileage rates, and parking are the biggest culprits of this. Even as an exhibitor or booth staff, you are often required to pay for parking near the show. I offer to pay mileage for anyone who is staffing a booth. You need to understand how people are arriving at the show and what their costs will be.

Think also about hotels and airfare for shows that are out of town. The extra fees and taxes on hotels can add up along with baggage fees. The last thought on out of town travel fees it transportation to and from the show. Staying within walking distance of the show can save you a ton of money. If that is not possible, using the plans for Uber or Lyft can bring some discounts.  Estimating $800 – $1,000 for travel costs per person is a good basis.

Invoice Errors

Check your invoices for accuracy. Trade shows are big and errors do happen. It is much easier to correct them at the show than after. Labor is often the biggest item to look at. Make sure that if your ordered people for certain times but they were late and ended up on over time – that you don’t pay that. It is not your fault that they were not on time.

Shipping

When you travel to shows and plan to ship items either to your hotel room or the trade show floor, sit down and crunch the numbers on what is the best way to go. The first item you need to know about is what the rules are for bringing items onto the trade show floor. (See three rules that can derails your booth set up.) If you can bring items onto the show floor and don’t have to ship them all in, then an overweight or oversized bag fee may be cheaper than shipping and drayage (the cost to move your items from storage to the booth and back to storage).

If that is not an option, then make sure that every item you are shipping is worth its weight.

I suggest digital literature whenever possible because that is one of the most expensive items to ship and it is the one most likely to end up staying at the hotel. Also, consider the size of your giveaways and always make sure that they can make it through airport security if you are doing an out of town event.

Bonus: Other Booths

I enjoy trade shows and craft fairs because there is so much to see. I almost always come home with something from another vendor. Having that in your budget is helpful. You can also use this purchase as a way to start a conversation with another vendor that you are interested in doing business with.

One way to encompass all the hidden costs or items you may have forgotten to budget for is to add 20% to your total budget. I put all of my costs into a spreadsheet and then have a line item that adds 20% to the initial total. That final total is my budget. If I do not spend the 20%, great! That money is shifted to the next trade show or project.

Perfecting your Event Press Release

Perfecting your Event Press Release

Business, Events, Trade Show

Press releases (also know as, press statement, news release or media release) are a great tool to increase awareness of your event and your brand. Writing a release can seem daunting. I remember writing my first few and agonizing over the wording and formatting.

Your release has the two goals of grabbing attention and giving information in a clear and concise way. This is not a time to over exagerate or use flowery language. You want people to know about and attend your event and to trust you for future events.  

Here are the simple steps that I follow for writing an event press release.

Parts of a Press Release

  • Headline
    • This is one sentence that you use to grab your readers attention. This will also be the subject line of the emails that you send out.
  • Dateline
  • Lead Paragraph
    • What is the event and why does the press care. You need to give them a reason to attend.
  • Body
    • This is one or two paragraphs that go into greater detail. Who will be attending, why you are hosting the event etc.
  • Company Information
    • This is a generic about us paragraph that your company will use on press releases.
  • Contact Person
    • Provide who the press should reach out to for more information.
  • Ending
    • It is standard practice that you end the press release with “ ### “. The three pound signs let your reader know that the release is finished.

Perfecting the Release

The format of the press release is very formulaic. Use the formula. This allows the press to see what you are about very quickly. So how to you stand out?

Here are some tips.

  • Give them a good story (but keep it true).
  • Use the third person, active voice.
  • Keep it to one page 300- 500 words.
  • Don’t make them hunt down vital facts.

The last point is my biggest tip. Some people will tell you to not give everything away – I say the opposite. Give the press everything. Let them know about the amazing event that you are hosting. One caveat to this; if you have a surprise guest, do not put that in the press release. If it is in the release the press can let the public know the details.

Submitting Your Master Piece 

Most newspapers and TV stations have an email address or a portal for submissions. You do not want to add your press release as an attachment (in fact don’t add any attachments). The release is the body of your email.

If you are going to be submitting more than once a year, create a list of the TV, Newspaper, and Radio stations in your area and where you need to submit you information. This will keep your submission release down significantly.

I submit my press release twice. Two weeks ahead of the event and then the day before. This gives the press time to put your event on their calendar and then reminds them.

A last note, be ready for the press to not show up. Most of the events a small business will host will fall below the murder and meyham that makes up most of the news. Plan for them to be there but don’t hold up your agenda if they don’t show.