Success Strategies for Effective
Tradeshow Promotion

To maximize your success, however, it is imperative to make promotional efforts above and beyond merely showing up at the next event. Begin these pre-show efforts six to eight months before your next event. Here are the seven tradeshow promotion steps you need to take:

2. Plan on-site promotional activities.
This will include any efforts you make to promote your presence at or around the show. Options include airport advertising, billboards, hotel TV advertising, transit advertising, show daily advertising, hotel room promotions, show directory advertising, and sponsorship/

3. Reach out to the media.
Editorial coverage is worth its weight in gold. To entice media outlets to cover your company’s tradeshow promotion efforts, you have to provide a newsworthy angle. Give the reporters something to write or talk about. Make this ‘hook’ the focus of your press kits.

Press kits should be mailed before the show, be available at the show and after the show to ensure maximum coverage. Two main ways to reach out to the press are through press releases and press conferences. Remember to only use press conferences for tradeshow promotion when you have new information to share with your target market. You will make the media very unhappy if you share old stuff.

Everything that happens at your exhibit must reflect your marketing goals and objectives. Competitions should be consistent with the corporate image you want to portray. For example, a game show style trivia contest may be far more appropriate than a karaoke stage.

Tradeshow promotion prizes should tie in to your products and services in an effort to attract more qualified leads. Items to consider include type of competition, prizes to be offered, compliance with local rules and regulations, compliance with show regulations, staffing for the competition, duration of the competition, and the role competition plays in promotional efforts.

5. Decide on Giveaway Items
Giveaway items or ‘freebies’ should be more than a trendy trinket with your corporate logo on it. Ideally, these items are something that enhance your corporate image, will be used regularly by your target audience, and keep your company logo in regular view. Avoid tradeshow promotion items that will be passed along to children, such as cuddly toys, or are so insignificant that they are likely to be tossed. Four things to remember about giveaway items:

1. Giveway items should reinforce your marketing message
2. Make your giveaway business oriented
3. Don’t be trendy! It is better to be unique and cutting edge.
4. Toys and gimmicky gizmos are always, always, always passed along to children. Unless your primary buyers are still in preschool, avoid them.

7. Mind the Details.
More often than not, it is the little things that can stymie the most well-intentioned promotional efforts. Attendees will easily get frustrated and walk away if what they perceive as a minor need cannot be met – and they won’t be walking away with a good impression. For that reason, make sure the following matters are attended to:

Article by trade show consultant Susan A. Friedmann, CSP. For a free copy of "10 Common Mistakes Exhibitors Make," contact her at: article4@thetradeshowcoach.com or visit www.the tradeshowcoach.com

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