How to Make it in Show Business

 

 

 

A brief guide to trade shows for the exhibitor… and the attendee

Although we like to think of our business tools as “cutting edge,” the reality is that trade shows are the direct descendants of the trade fairs of the Middle Ages in which guild members displayed their latest work. In the age of video, online streaming, YouTube and the Internet, the trade show continues to play an important part and to consume a large portion of the marketing budget. Given the high costs in time and money for any trade show exhib-itor or attendee, it is essential to ensure that the experience is both successful and profitable. To do so, it is necessary to understand the real value of the show.

In the age of the Internet, the trade show represents an opportunity to witness product demonstrations first hand, and to provide a ready base of compar-ison with similar products. Part of this experience involves the opportunity to specifically question exhibitors about product features, options and price. Equally important, it provides the chance to dis-cover new technology and to evaluate products and services that will improve performance in the plant. If you know exactly what you are seeking, you can locate it on the Internet, but at a show, you can (sometimes literally) stumble over a solution you never knew existed. For exhibitors, it’s also a primary tool for checking out the competition.

In preparing for a trade show, there are several

	Frank Burke is president of Burke & Towner, Ltd, a marketing communications and consulting company specializing in industrial-/technical products and services. Burke holds an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania and writes extensively on metal-working and manufacturing. He can be reached at frank.b@burkeand-towner.com

important facts to consider. In recent years, as budgets have become tighter, many trade shows have reported decreased attendance. This is not necessarily bad, as the quality of the attendees has risen. In the current market, those attending trade shows carry more authority in terms of the purchase decision. Again, for budgetary reasons, the time spent by attendees at shows has been shortened. This means that most attendees know exactly what booths they intend to visit in advance of the show and are less likely to “walk the floor” – especially in some of the larger venues. Another factor to understand is regionalism. Even the large “international” shows tend to draw the bulk of their attendance from a 400-mile radius. In the case of smaller shows, that radius is even further reduced.

Here are some suggestions for improving your effectiveness at trade shows.