IMPLEMENTING A TRADE

SHOW PROGRAM
ELEMENTS OF TRADE SHOW STRATEGY
1. MARKETING OBJECTIVES
2. SHOW OBJECTIVES
3. SHOW SELECTION
4. THEME
5. BOOTH DESIGN
6. STAFFING
7. PRE-SHOW PROMOTION
8. POST-SHOW FOLLOW-UP
9. EVALUATION SYSTEM
 SETTING SHOW GOALS
 What is our marketing message?

 How are we communicating that message in other

media?

 Where are visitors to our booth in their buying

process?
 SETTING SHOW GOALS
 What do they want to achieve at the show?

 What actions do we want potential buyers to

take as a result of visiting our booth?

 What image of our company and products do

we want buyers to have after visiting with us?
THREE STAGE PROCESS MODEL OF
TRADE SHOW PERFORMANCE
Exhibition Attendees
Target Attendees

= EFF1Stage 1: Target Attendees

Attraction Visiting Booth
Efficiency
= EFF2Stage 2: Target Visitors Contacted
Contact
Efficiency

= EFF3Stage 3: Target Contacts

Conversion Converted to Leads
Efficiency
SUCCESS FACTORS
Attraction Efficiency:
- Proportion of target audience that visits the booth.
- Larger booths attract higher percentage.

- Pre-show & at-show promo leads to higher percentage

hospitality suites more effective across industry types
effectiveness of various methods varies by industry
size of booth staff important
 Success Factors
Conversion Efficiency:
-Visitors turned in to qualified leads.
-function of staff training
-pre-show promo
-quality of giveaways
FACTORS SEPARATING SUCCESSFUL
FROM UNSUCCESSFUL EXHIBITORS
Successful exhibitors set quantifiable, written 
.objectives
Successful exhibitors depend more on trade 
.shows
Successful exhibitors more likely to integrate 
shows with trade advertising, direct mail and
.PR efforts
No difference in integration of field sales force 
.into show
 FACTORS USED IN CHOOSING SHOWS

1. Attendance/Lead Performance
2. Marketing Synergy
3. Participation Costs
4. Staffing Capability
5. Show Environment
 ?WHY USE A THEME
UNIVERSAL
COMMUNICATION
DIFFERENT
FUN
GIVE A COMPANY “HEART”
PROVIDE A FOLLOW-UP
HOOK
FIT ALL BUDGETS
CRITICAL ELEMENTS OF BOOTH DESIGN
• LOGISTICS ISSUES
-FLEXIBILITY
-WEIGHT
-EASE OF INSTALLATION AND DISMANTLE
-OWN OR RENT?

• FUNCTIONALITY ISSUES
-FIT WITH OBJECTIVES
-ATTENTION-GETTING ABILITY
-TRAFFIC FLOW
-PRIVATE PLACES
CALCULATING OPTIMAL BOOTH SIZE
Minimum Booth Space = Attendance X Product Interest % X AIF X 50
Show Hours X Salesperson Rate

Attendance Total attendance less exhibitor personnel,

students, and spouses

Product Interest Projected % of attendees interested in seeing your

product categories

AIF (Audience Interest Factor) % of audience that tend to visit many exhibits.

Show hours Total number of hours the show is open

Salesperson Rate # of visitors a salesperson can talk to in an hour

 GRAPHICS ISSUES
Eye level usually blocked
Industrial show – feature company name
Consumer show – feature product name
MUST grab attention
POST-SHOW FOLLOW-UP
EVALUATION OF SUCCESS
 STORIES
 NUMBER OF LEADS
 TRAFFIC
 RETURN ON INVESTMENT
 AUDIENCE MEMORABILITY
 NUMBER OF PRESS PRESENT
 POST-SHOW PRESS PLACEMENTS
AMOUNT OF TIME A VISITOR WILL
WAIT FOR A REP IN A BOOTH
minute 1
41%

minutes 5 minutes 3 seconds 30 Will not wait

14% 28% 11% 6%
WHAT SHOULD A BOOTH STAFFER
?DO
1. Greet Quickly
2. Determine Interest
3. Pass Along to Appropriate Party or Qualify as
Prospect
4. Demonstrate Product if Appropriate
5. Close for appropriate follow-up