Environprint Tradeshow

One of the greatest ways to get connected with customers and other people in your industry is at industry Tradeshows.  There are tradeshows for pretty much anything you can think of.   As they are a pretty big investment with the high costs of booth rentals and exhibitor fees, it is imperative you show up with your best.   Below are tips on how to be successful at any tradeshow while not breaking the bank.  

 

Over the year’s shows have become more specific in their showcases.  There is no longer just a standard food show, they now target shows based on specific categories.  If your product is a confection or snack, you may look at the Sweets and Snacks Expo (https://sweetsandsnacks.com/)   Or if your focus is on an all-Natural and Organic products you might looking more for a show like the Expo West (https://www.expowest.com/en/home.html

) Whichever kind of event you’re preparing for, below are some tricks and tips on how to leave a lasting impression on prospects that come to your booth, even when you are a small fish in a big pond.

 

  1. Create and Follow a Checklist

Once the event has been booked, its imperative that you start your planning.  Creating a checklist is one of the biggest keys to success.  Be sure important dates and deadlines are highlighted so nothing is missed.  Most companies begin preparing for shows at least 1 year in advance.  So, if you follow your check list you should be free of stress and successful in your preparation

Staying on your timeline schedule will help you stay calm and stress free throughout the planning process, and it will help you avoid costly last-minute rush-rates from suppliers as well.  You should know from the start all key items you will need.   Ordering and getting them in house asap will help as well from incurring additional overnight shipping charges.  Also take in consideration, getting sales materials early can also give you time for fixes if anything is created wrong and needs to be redone or fixed.

Tradeshow planning is too big of a task for one individual.  To be successful you should have a team dedicated to different tasks on the list.  Divide your list accordingly amongst the team and have regular meetings.  It’s imperative to give deadlines for each task so that you stay on track for your ultimate deadline for the show.

 

  1. Build Relationships with Vendors and seek Discounts

There are so many parts needed to prepare for your show.   You will need to work with a logistics company for getting your show pallet delivered.  You may be working with several different printers to get all your takeaway collateral printed.  The list can go on and on. If shows will be a regular thing for your company being upfront with these vendors can help with discussions of discounts if they know there will be recurring business from you.

Being up front on you tradeshow budget is a key to help vendors offer you the best available rates and work with you to make the sale.  It is in their interest to get your business, after all.

Let them know what you want to achieve within the available budget. They will have worked with many different companies and are likely to have suggestions about how you can get the most out of what they have to offer.

There are so many new competitive tools online for this type applications.  Here at EnvironPrint we strive to be your one stop shop for all your tradeshow collateral printing needs.  Whether you are using online services or calling in always ask or search out discount codes.  If you need help meeting your budget, it never hurts to pick up the phone or shoot over an email asking for support in order to be successful for your event.

 

  1. Be sure to have different collateral for different audiences

At shows there are people from all backgrounds walking to be inspired.  You never really know who will walk up to your booth looking for info, so it’s imperative to be prepared for anything. You know your business best.  Making sure you have collateral that communicates all capabilities is key!   There may be some aspects of your business that are really focused on one market and others that can meet multiple needs.

One way for success is to tailor your printed materials by creating a smaller volume of multiple designs specific to certain targets.   With digital printing, this is a no brainer.   You can run as may versions of brochures you would like at the whatever quantity you need without breaking the bank!   Customization is key.  At EnvironPrint we understand this which is why we know and understand our digital platform is the key to keep your cost down while helping you stay focused on the prize of growth!

Create designs for several different brochures or postcards for your various audiences. For example, you could have a “working with us” flyer for potential employees, a “latest products” one for customers, a “stock our stuff” one for vendors, and so on. That way, rather than contributing to flyer overload, you can give the right flyer to the right person, with more chance that they will read and appreciate it. Do not forget to print name tags for your team, too!

 

4 What will you need?

Takeaway literature is big part of making sure you stay in contact with the people who visit your booth.  If you’ve ever been to a show, you know all attendees walk around gathering as much info as possible! Most of the time the literature is thrown in a bag that will be gone through when they return home or to their office.   What does this mean for you?  It’s imperative your business card and company brochures are attached!  Another solution would be to ensure your sales team contact info is printed directly on the brochures.  Either way it’s just imperative that when the bag gets dumped the potential customer knows who to contact if there is a need for offering.

Attendee types vary from person to person!  Some want as much info as possible no matter how much space it will take up, and others want just a business card.   Either way it’s imperative that no matter what they leave your booth with, they need to know what your capabilities are and how to get ahold of you!

Be sure your business card communicates clearly what you are selling.  

Small Brochures and sell sheets are ideal for attendees who have flown into the convention as they will want to travel light.   But locals may be good with Catalogs and take away samples.  Either way you will want have offerings of both. 

Be sure no one leaves your booth without a way for you to connect with them for follow up.  While you may be exactly what they need, they may lose your info in the travel home.  This again is why it’s imperative for a Business card to reflect your Brand and what you do.

The size of the event should dictate the amount of literature you should be prepared to have on hand.  Smaller shows give more of an opportunity for each person to have a chance to visit every booth before getting tired or bored, so you should aim to have enough print for about a 75% of the total attendee number. At a larger event, a smaller proportion of the total visitor numbers will actually need your service or offering and are less likely to take brochures or  flyer, so you can lower the anticipated percentage, to around 50%.

 

5 Utilize technology and the smartphone Factor

A big portion of attendees may not want anything to physically take away from you but would prefer something digital that can store in their smart phones.  With all the luggage fees that airlines have applied, most business professionals try to travel as light as possible, so the digital factor is key for them in what they take away from your booth!

With this in mind, consider using posters and large, high-quality printed marketing materials to share information. As well as taking a flyer away with them, visitors can shoot pics of your literatures, social media handles and QR codes pinned up around your booth or stand using their smartphones and tablets

Having these tech savvy marketing pieces at the booth can also help keep from missed opportunities for those consumers who are in a hurry and cant stick around or chat. 

You may also score free marketing as visitors can easily share information about you with friends, colleagues, business connections and social media followers too, simply by posting their photos from your booth.

 Tradeshows have proven over time to be very profitable solutions for companies.  It’s just critical that when you are center stage, you shine!  Being well prepared, staying on track of deadlines and ensuring your takeaways and booth print needs reflect who you are will be the key factors to determining the overall success of the show you will see.

EnvironPrint can help you with pretty much all your marketing needs!  From Brochures, to folders, business cards, posters and more….let us help you be the showstopper at you next tradeshow!

 

 

Written By: Lauren Wilkinson