Trade Shows: Worth It?
Are trade shows useful? Sure, sometimes. They exist, and many companies feel a need to attend.
“To get our name out there.”
“To see what the competition is doing.”
“To meet potential customers.”
“To find companies to ally with.”
These are the usual kinds of reasons for attending.
In fact, many—if not most—companies do a pretty sloppy job of getting much out of their attendance.
Make Trade Shows Work for You
Here are some suggestions for making the most of trade shows. These ideas include some that I learned from old-timers, some I managed to figure out on my own, and some I picked up from watching attendees miss opportunities.
Put Someone in Charge
First, and really importantly, plan what you’re going to do. Spend some time on it. Start planning early.
Have one person be in charge of your team: the show captain. Not necessarily the most senior person, but someone with vision, attention to detail, some creativity, and focus.
It’s easy to think of going to a trade show as walking the floor, talking to people, and going out to dinner with your colleagues. You’re missing a lot if that’s all you do.
What Your Show Captain Should Be Thinking About
There are a number of things your show captain should be considering. And when you look at this list, you’ll see that some require long lead times.
Get to know the conference organizers. They’re always looking for contacts, ideas, content, and revenue. Find out what they need. They understand quid pro quo.
Secure a speaking slot. Can one of your people be a speaker, panelist, or moderator? If so, that’s a credential most attendees won’t have.
Offer a pre-show workshop. See if your team can lead a free workshop the day or two before the show opens. Organizers charge for it, you deliver it. You’re making money for them (they like that). Keep it non-technical if you can. Have the workshop involve a topic that will pull in decision-makers: executives who make buying decisions.
Review the attendee list early. Select people worth talking to:
Potential customers
Competitors, to catch up on what they’re doing
Possible advisory board members
Reporters/editors of publications in your customers’ fields
Possible hires
Use booth screeners. Have team members who chat pleasantly with tire-kickers, but who are alert to quickly pass decision-makers to your senior staff.
Have clear guidelines for business card management.
Everyone should write legible, clear notes on the backs of cards right away.
Classify each by priority.
Prepare email templates ahead of time.
Send follow-ups during the show, or within a day after.
Make sure business cards are dealt with quickly. People who are your best friend at the show won’t remember you two weeks later.
There’s nothing more annoying than having someone say, a week after the show is over, “I found these in my jacket pocket. They’re really good leads.”
Not any more, they’re not.
You need to create follow-up email templates before you go to the show. Have these on your laptops. Personalize and send them during the show, and within a day after the show.
Trade Shows Are Relationships, Not Just Events
These are ideas I’ve seen work. You’ll come up with your own.
If you find that a particular show is valuable, invest in the relationship. Spend time with the organizers. Help them think of ideas. Offer to help. They won’t forget. And since most organizing companies run multiple shows to stay in business, when they get to know you they may suggest you as speakers to other organizers in the company.
Not every show or opportunity will work well for you. But you’ll learn and you’ll build useful relationships over time. You’ll build relationships. You’ll decide if trade shows are useful for your company. And if they are, you’ll get much more out of them by organizing your approach.
The Takeaway
Trade shows can be useful, but only if you treat them like real business development efforts, not like mini-vacations. Plan early, choose the right team, and work with intention.
The results will follow.