Getting started

Your first trade show marketing experience

Exposure Group, Benjamin Feltham

Going to a trade show to market your business for the first time can be both an exciting experience and an overwhelming one. On one hand, it's a fantastic opportunity to get some exposure for your organisation and possibly land some much-needed customers. On the other hand, large events can be hectic and finding specific ways to advance your company's goals can be tricky.

If it's your first time attending a show, you'll probably want to have a detailed plan mapped out in advance. This will make it easier to spring into action once the time comes. You can never be too prepared.

Going in with a detailed checklist

If you're getting ready to man your company's trade show exhibit for the first time, there's a lot to think about. That's why Entrepreneur Magazine recommends that business travellers keep a detailed checklist to make sure they don't miss any of their key objectives on a given trip.
For your first trade show, you really want two different lists. One is a regular travel to-do list listing all the stuff you need – clothes, phone and laptop chargers, transportation arrangements and so on. Beyond that, you also need a marketing list. What new connections do you want to make? What professional goals are you hoping to achieve?

Make your mark, build your brand

As Inc. Magazine noted, the beauty of attending marketing events is that you get a chance to establish yourself as an expert in your field. If you go to enough of them, eventually people will start to recognise you and think of you as an authority in your industry – perhaps even a true thought leader.

If you're able to be helpful to customers, it will help you make your mark.If you're able to be helpful to customers, it will help you make your mark.

To smooth this process along, you should enhance your marketing activation efforts by doing something to stand out. Perhaps the best way is to be helpful to the people you come into contact with. If you're able to share advice, insider knowledge or free stuff with your new connections, that will help you build both your company's brand and your own personal one.

Know the importance of effective booth design

There's one more key ingredient that should make its way into your business' marketing plans, and that's trade show booth design. Every time you attend an industry event, you should have an attractive display ready that will help you draw in customers and hold their attention for a while.

At Exposure Group, we have a team of world-class experts who are ready to work with you on that. We pledge to lend you guidance at every step of the project you're working on, starting from the initial inception and continuing to the final minutes of whatever trade show you're attending. Whatever your goals may be, contact us today and ask how we can help you achieve them.