General Business and Finance Blog

Trade shows according to Investorwords refer to events wherein the products and services of a business are exhibited and demonstrated. Based on this definition, it is undeniable that trade shows really play a major role in advancing the marketing efforts of a certain business. Trade shows serve as the ideal spot where different buyers, sellers, suppliers and retailers meet to do business. Many visitors attend a trade show that’s why it is considered to be a very ideal means of marketing a business. Aside from high visibility, your business is also given the chance to get a hold of effective branding. Surely, you don’t want to miss the chance to take your business to the next level. With trade shows many doors of opportunity are within your reach.But the question is how will you manage a trade show? How will you direct the attention of your prospects to your booth? Managing a trade show will never bring you trouble when you know the proper way to do it. You need to take into account several things just to make sure that you’re on the right track.Here are some basic steps that you must follow in managing a trade show:1. Create a strategy. The main purpose why you take part in a trade show is to build relations with your customers. Study which trade shows would bring out the best in your business. When you’ve evaluated which shows is the best; then it’s time to plan for the trade show.2. Do some pre-show promotions. Have some direct mail marketing. Use some kind of a teaser to secure the interest of your potential customers. Make contact with your prospects even before the show. This way you’re a one step closer to accomplishing your trade show objectives.3. Grab the attention of your targets. Don’t wait for the trade show visitors to find you. You should make a way for your booth to get noticed. It’s quite confusing however on how you will be able to do this. Even experts argue on which strategy is better. Some says that to get noticed you have to use bold and flashy trade show displays. While others say that it’s more effective when you use simple designs in your trade show displays. The bottom-line is to persuade your prospects to opt for your products and services. 4. Establish good relations. In trade shows, you make contact with your prospects in person. You don’t just present your products with your customers. You must learn the proper questions to ask. By asking the right questions to your customers, you’re able to get to know the customer better; thus it’s easy to build rapport between them.5. Make a follow-up after the show. Follow-up is very important in the absolute fulfillment of your trade show objectives. Leads are useless when they’re not activated. For this reason, it’s best if you would make a follow up five days after the trade show.Trade shows are ideally for the benefit of small businesses. It is very suitable especially when you want to make it in the industry without wasting your time, money and effort. If you want a fruitful business, then you must follow these steps. These steps will lead you one step closer to achieving a successful trade show promotion.

After putting the New Years Eve noisemakers away in storage, it’s time to unleash the trade show giveaways. Following the holiday season is the busiest bundle of big business trade shows of the year. Chances are you’ve already reserved the best booth space and have chosen the most qualified employees to represent you. The coming weeks will be filled with important planning from what apparel your representatives will wear to what prospective clients you’re most interested in speaking with. Of course, one of the most important aspects to any trade show is the awesome swag you’ll be giving out.

The trade show giveaways that you select can help to boost traffic to your booth and block out the competition. But with so many items to choose from it can be hard to narrow down the selection. For those that can’t put their finger on the perfect giveaway, there’s an alternative option for you. Consider all of the giveaways you’ve used in your company’s past and choose the ones that were most profitable. Once joined with trade show favorites and other unique items, you’ll be ready to make your very own trade show giveaway wheel.

The brilliance of a trade show wheel will be seen as your booth quickly becomes the place to be. As attendees approach, it’s important to engage them. Have a representative out and about mingling with new visitors and controlling the crowd. Meanwhile, another representative can man the wheel and one more can network with serious inquiries. Depending on the number of company representative you have, more attendees can be spoken to at once. The important thing is to keep that wheel spinning.

Instead of running by your booth and grabbing a giveaway, attendees will focus a good amount of time exploring your company’s services and products. Not to mention, they’ll also go home with a wonderful gift. Depending on the construction of your trade show giveaway wheel, you can have anywhere from two to ten potential products. Using four items on your wheel is a sure fire way to attract attention without going overboard. For the sake of trade show tradition, include promotional tote bags and trade show snacks. These items will satisfy the needs of trade event connoisseurs but you’ll also want to throw in an exciting new item to generate a buzz for your business. You can use promotional electronics to create the hype and use your favorite all time promotional item to fill in the fourth slot.

As potential clients wait in line you can glance at their name tag and check your list to see if they’re an important prospect. Once they approach the wheel you can introduce yourself and welcome them into a friendly conversation. Because of your personable and professional approach to networking, they’ll be likely to stick around and converse with your other representatives. Even if attendees leave after receiving their prize, they’ll have an imprinted trade show giveaway with your logo on it. The fact that the giveaway went from their hands to yours to theirs also helps to rectify your services.

Using a giveaway wheel at your next appearance is a fun way to draw attention to the awesome services and products you supply. They’re perfect for businesses with surplus trade show items from the last few events and can even include further promotional slots like a special discount panel for more incentive. No matter what items you choose, rest assured that you’ll achieve awesome branding success. There are many possibilities to explore and yes, that’s right. You can give that trade show giveaway wheel a spin of your own, too.

There are many articles out there about how to set up your trade show booth. You need to have the right height for the table, the perfect lighting, and cool graphical banners with vivid colors. You will want a booth that is light-weight and easy to set up, and a few examples of your product or service to demonstrate to your potential clients. It all must look perfect.However, as a member of a sales team at the trade show, how do you keep up your stamina for what is normally an 8-12 hour day? Exhibitors must have mental and physical stamina to survive a busy trade show booth. Here are a few tips for surviving the trade show as an exhibitor.Shoes – Trade shows require sales teams to be one their feet and working most of the day, which is painful for both the feet and the lower back. Take steps to prepare for it. Women should wear professional looking shoes that have no heels. Standing on your tip-toes for 12 hours a day will not sell any more of your product. Men should wear comfortable, polishable shoes. Avoid sneakers, but don’t feel you have to wear dress shoes. As long as they look dressy and can polish up, you should be fine. Both men and women should wear shoe inserts, adding extra comfort and support to any pair of shoes.Clothing – Dress professionally, but comfortably. Ask the trade show managers in advance for what temperature they will keep the room and dress appropriately. Don’t wear something that looks fashionable but is itchy or too tight. Also, find clothes that are stain and wrinkle resistant. After 12 hours at a trade show, you want your clothes looking as good as they did when you started that morning. It’s also a good idea to bring an extra set of clothes just in case. Don’t get half-way through the trade show to discover your clothes are uncomfortable or sweaty and you can’t change.Energy – Bring energy drinks or other quick energy boosts with you. Also, keep eating and eat the right foods. Your body will not function well if you do not have the proper nutrition throughout the day. The same applies to water. You will feel tired and drained if you do not get the proper amount of water while you work, so keep a small cooler filled with water bottles behind your booth. You will need at least 8-12 cups of water while you’re working, more so if you are under warm lights. Take multiple small breaks if you can, switching out with another member of your sales team. During those breaks, take walks or do some stretches out of the view of your customers so your blood flow increases and your body stays refreshed.Knowledge and Manner – Know what you’re selling and like it. The best trade show display in the world can be ruined by an exhibitor who isn’t excited about the product. If you are having a bad day, hide it the best you can. Make goals for yourself and keep focused on them so you don’t get distracted. And make sure you can answer every question, no matter how obscure. Have someone from your sales team or even your family quiz you on product related questions, and make sure you answer in a polite and positive manner.Interaction – Interacting with potential customers can be fun but tiring. Make sure you are prepared to answer the same questions over and over again without wanting to strangle anyone. One way to do this is to tag-team your booth. Switch on and off with another member of the sales team to make sure that you are getting enough down time without compromising customer interaction and satisfaction. Be friendly and knowledgeable when answering question about your product or services. Remember, the idea is to build relationships and acquire a new customer base, not just sell stuff. Don’t over-react. Some people in the world are difficult, but keep your voice calm and answer question the best you can. If it turns into a ranting session, be polite and professional, but do not argue. Arguing with an irate customer will only make you lose focus and credibility. If you have an irate client who hates your product or service or who will not keep their voice down, remain calm and call security. The fault will be theirs and others will be impressed that you did not lose control.To survive a trade show as an exhibitor, you need to be prepared both mentally and physically. So follow these tips and make sure you have a great time at the next trade show.

If your business is regularly represented at trade shows, you need a quality trade show display that will give the right representation of your business. Trade show displays come in a variety of sizes with many different features, so choosing one is not as easy as you might think. Before you buy or order one, be sure to consider these things.
Size of the Display
Make sure the display is going to be the right size, both when packed and when in use. Trade show exhibits need to fit in the size of booth that you regularly use. If you regularly reserve double wide areas, for instance, make sure that the exhibit will cover the space well. On the other hand, if you regularly reserve the smallest area, make sure the display will not overwhelm it.
Also, you need to make sure that it is the right size when folded. Is it portable enough to easily move? If you regularly travel by yourself, will you be able to carry it? Will it be something you can check on the airplane, or will you have to pay extra fees for oversized baggage? Will it fit in the trunk of a small rental car? These considerations will help you narrow down your search.
Versatility
Another consideration to make is whether or not the display is versatile. Can you easily change the photos and text if you need to, or are they mounted permanently? Sometimes the display case has another function, such as serving as a podium or stand. If you are going to spend the money necessary to buy a display, you might as well get as much functionality out of the system as possible.
Set Up
Learn all you can about the setup of the display. Some trade show exhibits are quite difficult to set up, and even require special tools that you may not have on hand. If you are going to need some tools, make sure you bring them with you. Also, find out how many people are needed to set up the display. If you need several hands, but regularly travel by yourself, you probably need to consider a different display that is easier to put in place. Finally, find out how much time it will take to set up the display, and make sure that you will be able to give yourself that much time on a regular basis as you are traveling to exhibits.
Portability
Keep in mind that you will be regularly moving with your display case. Find one that is easy to transport. Wheels on the travel case are a great feature. Also, check for handles that will make transport easier. Finally, make sure the weight is not more than you can handle.
Purchasing Options
A final consideration is whether or not you really need to buy a trade show display. Believe it or not, trade show display rental is a very valid option. By partnering with a display booth rental company, you can get a quality display for a fraction of the price.
How does rental work? The rental company provides the display structure and some custom graphics and logos. Everything you need is included, including lights, chairs, when applicable, and display boards. Some set ups even come with television screens or computer monitors that can be used for videos or presentations.
One benefit of renting over purchasing, besides the ability to save money, is the fact that you do not have to replace components that stop working. If a light breaks, not because of your actions, the rental company will replace it. You will eliminate much of the stress that comes with owning your own display and being responsible for maintaining it. Unless you need to own your own display, renting is an economical and practical option.

Think of the last time you were on the midway at a state fair. Every booth was brightly colored, full of interesting things to see, do, and win. Hawkers yelled: “Step right up!”, “Three tries for a dollar!”, “Win a stuffed bunny for the lovely lady!” Lights flashed, kids ran around, and everyone seemed to be talking at once.

A trade show is like the midway at the state fair.

There may not be quite so many stuffed bunnies at a business trade show, but the level of noise and distraction is just about the same. There are lots of other businesses competing for your customers’ attention, all with product demonstrations, service information, and free giveaways. On top of that, there may be speakers, new technologies to play with, raffles, food booths, and networking opportunities.

How do you make sure that your company doesn’t get lost or overlooked in all the noise and commotion?

And how can you make sure that your (not-small) investment of time and money will pay off for your company? That you won’t end up sitting alone in your booth for hours, wishing that someone would stop in and talk to you?

The answer is in the pre-show preparation.

If you’re setting up a display at a trade show, you have to do more than just pay for a booth space, put on a nice outfit that morning, and walk in the door for your company to get real results. You have to think about how you’ll cut through all the “noise” to get in touch with your target audience.

What do you have to do to prepare?

1. Create a strategy. Saying “I want to go to this trade show and get customers” is fine, but that’s every vendor’s goal. You need to create a real, measurable goal for the show before you even sign up.

Ask yourself things like: Why am I here? Am I promoting a particular product or new service? Am I trying to grow into a particular target market? How many people do I want to connect with? What types of people do I want to talk to?

Then, check the show you’re thinking of against these goals. You’ll want to make sure that enough people will be there, that they’re in your target audience, and that you have a reasonable expectation of getting a good return on your investment.

2. Determine the one (or two) things you really need to tell people about. The people you meet at the trade show will be distracted. They’ll be tired (or soon-to-be tired). They may be far from home. Their feet will probably hurt, and their arms will be full of promotional trinkets, brochures, and paper they’re planning to recycle just as soon as they can find a bin.

These are definitely not ideal conditions under which to meet new prospects. Don’t freak them out further by trying to tell them everything you can do for them and every detail of your offer.

Decide before the show what might be most appealing to the show’s attendees?you should be able to get demographic information about them from the show’s organizers when you sign up. Then plan your strategy and marketing materials for the show around promoting that one aspect of your offerings.

3. Set the stage for follow-up. You probably won’t make a big-ticket sale at a trade show. You’ll be lucky to make a small-ticket sale unless you’re selling products, but even then, it can be hard to get prospects’ attention long enough for them to pull out their credit cards.

Instead of aiming for an immediate sale, set up a system to get your visitors’ contact information and follow up with them later. This may be as easy as a fishbowl drawing for a prize with a disclaimer that all entrants will be subscribed to your email newsletter. Or you could offer short free consultations to those who sign up. You could also give away an article or report to be emailed to visitors after the show.

Any of these systems is inexpensive, gives you a way to get visitors’ emails and/or phone numbers, and provides you with an excuse to follow up later to talk about your product or service?when your prospect is less distracted and overwhelmed.

4. Consider a promotional item. You may need to give out a promotional item to get trade-show zombie-people into your booth. If you do, then make sure it stands out?that it’s not just another pen or mini candy bar.

Standing out doesn’t mean that an item needs to be expensive. Some of the best and most sought-after items I’ve seen at trade shows have included hand-held paper fans (it can get hot in convention halls), massage lotion to soothe tired feet later that evening, and good-quality bags to hold all the “stuff” people tend to accumulate at these events.

Just make sure that whatever you give away has some value to your booth visitor and makes sense for your business. That way, it will be less likely to be thrown out after the show and more likely to make you memorable.

5. Wrap it all up with your booth design. There will be visual chaos at the show. The lighting will probably be less-than-ideal. So you’ll want to design graphics and signs for your booth that are easy to see, easy to read, not too busy, and that reinforce your brand.

Your first step is to ask the organizers if you need to bring a table and booth structure or if one is provided. If you need to bring one, be sure to source supplies and make delivery arrangements well in advance. If one is supplied, ask about attaching signs, banners, and graphics to the structure. Ask if materials to hang them will be provided and if there are restrictions on attaching stuff to the booth. You don’t want to show up with a roll of duct tape and discover that you’ll be charged a big damage fee if you use it.

Then, plan to print large-format graphics for the booth. You’ll want to include your logo and simple text about your offering. Keep this very simple?most people won’t slow down while walking by, so you won’t have long to catch their attention! You can also consider using photos, but you’ll need very high resolution pictures to get good printing results on large graphics, and that can be expensive. Be sure that your booth graphics match your Visual Vocabulary as well.

Also, consider using freestanding or tabletop easels and printing posters. Get the posters mounted on foam core board and display them around your booth. These are especially effective near the front of the booth for visitors who can’t read text that’s far away.

Decide the marketing materials you’ll bring with you. Again, base this on your goals and the one or two things you need your visitors to know about at this show. Don’t take every piece of collateral you’ve ever created and spread it out on the table, because that will only make visitors uncomfortable.

Don’t forget about decorating the top of your table. Ask the organizers if tablecloths will be provided, and if so, what color they’ll be. If they’re not provided or the color doesn’t compliment your brand, you’ll want to get a tablecloth for your booth. Consider putting a nice vase of fresh flowers on the table top, or a bouquet of balloons to add inexpensive color.

Think about how you’ll display your marketing materials and promotional items. Should you lay them flat? Stand them up in acrylic holders? Fan them out or stack them up? You may want to try several arrangements until you find the one that’s most visually pleasing.

Also, think about how you’re gathering follow-up information?do you need to highlight a fish bowl for business cards or display a stack of response cards? Choosing the right place and way to display these items can really affect your response rate.

Finally, consider how the booth will look throughout the course of the event. As people take marketing materials, pillage your candy bowl, and pick up promotional items, your booth may start looking messy. Straighten it up from time to time to keep it looking professional.

These 5 preparatory steps will help you cut through the craziness and clutter at your next trade show. And, then instead of wishing for visitors, you’ll find that your booth is packed like the “win a bunny” booth on the midway at the fair!

A trade show exhibit is a practical tool for expanding product recognition, brand awareness, and reaching new customers. In order for a business to capitalize on the investment and stand out from the masses of other trade show exhibits, it necessary to provide exactly what trade show attendees desire.
There are several things common in trade shows that will assist a business in deciding the main factors that drive people to and from a trade show exhibit. While coming up with a marketing plan for a trade show exhibit, businesses should jump into the shoes of the attendees instead of executing an exhibit that works only for the business. Trade shows are loud, huge, and even exhausting. It is not always easy for a trade show exhibit to get attention.
Keep Your Information Short and Snappy
The enormous scale of trade show exhibits often leads to data overload for trade show attendees. When only given a millisecond to make a point, producing visually attractive information that is short, snappy, and gets to the point can mean getting read versus getting tossed.
If an attendee reads your information, you are more likely to have a positive follow up reaction and may even turn that prospect into a customer.
Give Gifts and Prizes
Who doesn’t love getting a prize? Giveaways are a wonderful way to drive attendees to your trade show exhibit. An enticing giveaway, which will lead attendees to want to learn more about your company, is usually something simple and considerate. For example, a sturdy canvas bag (with your business logo) is a helpful and considerate way for you to assist attendees in carrying around all of the information they collect during the trade show. A small, battery operated fan is a thoughtful gift for tired and hot attendees. A cute toy is a helpful gift for parents lugging around cranky children.
Make sure you brand your giveaway items with your business logo and contact information, especially your website. By branding your giveaways, you strengthen your brand, and you receive free advertising every time attendees use your giveaways.
Prizes always draw a good crowd. Prizes will generate a buzz of excitement and suspense around your trade show exhibit. The opportunity to win a great prize will drive attendees to you and will bring them back at the time of the prize drawing.
Prizes ultimately provide multiple contact opportunities with attendees, including before, during, and after the trade show. During these opportunities, businesses should include product or service selling points. For instance, an e-mail about the trade show exhibit prize before the show can also include information about the products or services showcase during the trade show.
Offer Complimentary Food and Drinks
Trudging around a huge trade show, exhibit to exhibit, can make a person famished. Consider providing attendees with a small complimentary food or drink. Good examples include mini bottles of water or small bags of pretzels (including your logo, of course). Your welcome gift will produce good feelings and possibly even lead attendees to take a moment to stay at your trade show exhibit for a presentation.
Offer Seating
An often overlooked technique for attracting visitors to your trade show exhibit is to offer a place to sit down. It sounds too simple, but providing seating for tired attendees to rest a moment will attract people. Consider offering simple seating like small benches or office chairs, or go bigger and offer larger comfortable chairs or even extravagant sofas.
A seating area gives your booth sales staff a place to sit down and talk business. Having a spot to get away from the crowd for a business discussion with a prospect brings about a relaxed sale.

When small, newly emerging companies start looking at buying booth space at trade shows, they inevitably consider the option of buying or renting displays. As with any endeavor, there are pros and cons for both and what a business decides to do will largely depend on their needs.
The first thing a new company has to consider is its size and what it can reasonable afford in this regard.
For example, if you are a two man operation that has just begun showing a moderate profit; spending a ton of money on a huge trade show display would be foolhardy. In such a case, rental may be the best and wisest option.
To put it in perspective, here are a few things you should look at when trying to figure out the feasibility of buying versus renting a trade show display.
1. How often will I use this display — if you plan to be a frequent participant at a particular trade show then buying the exhibit would be a smart move. However, if it is a one time deal, then buying the display won’t make sense, as the cost of purchasing the showcase far exceeds the cost of renting it for a few days.
2. Advertising and marketing budget – many businesses have an annual allotment of funds that is set aside for marketing. Keeping this in mind, one should evaluate how buying the display would be beneficial in the long term. Certain types of businesses fare much better in a trade show atmosphere than others making the purchase worthwhile. Assess how the purchase of a trade show display would help your company in the end.
3. Other trade show considerations – funds are limited within a smaller company, which is why money will have to be distributed so that it is applied into more than one area. If most of it goes towards the purchase of the display booth, you’ll have very little left for what will go inside of it.
4. Upkeep and storage — buying a booth display means having it keep it somewhere. You can opt to store in your garage but there is always the chance the thing can get mangled between shows. When you rent, you don’t have to worry over such things, in fact, many trade show officials take care of putting the display up and taking it down at no extra cost.
5. Expansion and changes can be easily made — when you buy tradeshow displays very little can be done to upgrade it without tremendous cost. On the flipside, renting affords a business the opportunity to make changes if necessary. These changes can encompass anything, from making your showcase even larger to adding new and appealing attractions to the booth itself. Either way, you really don’t want to be restricted when it comes to making your display the best it can possibly be.
Really, the skies the limit when one opts to rent as opposed to buy a trade show display. When it comes to marketing, a new business should have to the ability to be progressive and explore new and interesting concepts.
Now, there are some who argue that a bought display allows them to commit to one recognizable idea that people will begin to remember. Although a valid argument, one could point out that even major, well known product icons had to be overhauled as time went on. As society changes, so does its tastes in the things that it likes aesthetically and idealistically.
A company that doesn’t keep this in mind is quickly left behind.
In the end, renting a tradeshow booth is the smartest choice for any fledgling company. Renting not only gives such a company the ability to start small and expand, it helps them meet the ever changing needs of the buying public so that they maintain a foothold in their niche market for years to come.

Creating a successful business trade show involves many moving parts in order for a flawless event to be created and managed. Events companies in Dubai are there to help facilitate these processes in one of the most popular destinations currently in the world. Trade shows offer the ability for the participants to gain new business and to build even stronger relationships with their current customers or clients. But, if you have ever worked behind the scenes in a trade show, you can fully appreciate the amount of work that is required to make the event go smoothly for all parties involved.

For a trade show, events management companies work to sell booth space, to organize the floor lay out, to organize sponsors, to organize the actual events for each day of the show, to manage food for the participants as well as concessions for the guests, any training that will occur for participants during the show and many other details. An events management company is also responsible for publicizing the show that it is well attended. Promotions can include trade publications, local magazines or newspapers, signage, a media room and on site interviewing, all which will facilitate a more successful outcome for the businesses who have paid to be a part of the event.

Trade shows are popular all over the world, but especially in Dubai currently as the world’s media continues to place attention upon the growing tourist and business destination. If you are considering participating in a show such as this, make sure that you choose a well organized show that will maximize the financial contribution required to be a participant. You will need to ask a lot of questions from the organizing company and put together a plan for your specific company that will allow you to gain the maximum amount of exposure, and ultimately the maximum amount of revenue from the event.

If you are considering organizing and hosting a trade show for a particular industry, it is highly advised that you hire an events management company that is familiar with the process of hosting events in Dubai. You will need to start planning well over a year in advance to allow for the booking of facilities, the arrangement of the participants, and all of the other details that will be involved. This is a process that will require an entire team of professionals to coordinate.

The costs associated for hiring an events company in Dubai will be well worth the outcome that you will produce. If you have not personally hosted an event such as this in the past, having a team of professionals on your side will make the entire process go much more smoothly. Not all events companies in Dubai will have prior experience with trade shows. It is important that you interview several companies and inquire as to their specific experience in this area prior to making your personal selection.