Whether you’re looking to branch out to new customers, display unique products, or be seen by thousands of relevant industry professionals, nothing tops an appearance at a trade show. But attending the right trade show is an essential part of planning your trade show timeline. With thousands of industry-specific events taking place around the world each year, how do you choose the perfect exposition for your company? To help your brand make the best impact possible at a trade show, there are many factors to consider before you start getting those promotional items ready to give away to convention attendees.
Why are we here?
Before selecting a trade show, it’s important to reflect on exactly why you want to attend a convention and what you hope to gain from the experience. While these may seem like trivial questions, truthfully answering them will help your business avoid wasted time and money spent at the wrong show. Develop a list of goals you would like to achieve at an exposition and come up with a plan of attack that will allow you to accomplish those aspirations.
Who is our target audience?
A key component to finding the ideal trade show for your brand is to identify the audience that you are hoping to reach. Figure out who is most likely to require the services of your company, and then select the convention that will allow members of your target market to see your business in action.
Are we willing to travel?
Since trade shows are large-scale events that can reach upwards of 100,000 attendees, it is likely that your ideal event will be located in a big city, miles away from your company’s headquarters. If your business is based a thousand miles from the top trade show in your industry, is it worth the effort and finances to make the trek?
How much time will we need to prepare?
Trade shows often require months of planning, which may make it difficult if your ideal convention is only a couple weeks away. Build a timeline with dates that correspond to trade show deadlines to ensure everything is under control by the time of your convention. The biggest mistake you can make is to go into a show unprepared, so don’t rush it and wait until next year’s expo so your brand can make the biggest splash possible.
Have we done enough research?
Each trade show is different, so make sure to perform proper research prior to signing up for a convention appearance. Find out if a show has a solid reputation within the industry and on social media channels to get a good feel for an expo. Additionally, it’s important to make sure that the show you hope to attend is within your budget and that your team has enough time to develop an effective timeline to ensure success.
Trade shows can offer your company a unique opportunity to display products and services to a targeted audience. With these helpful tips, your company should be able to find the perfect trade show that will help bring in new business and foster long-term, professional relationships.
Once you’ve found the perfect trade show, it’s time to find the perfect exhibit. Structure Exhibits provides custom trade show displays for budgets of all sizes. Whether you’re here in Las Vegas or across the country, give us a call at 888.633.4162 for a free, no-pressure consultation.
