5 Reasons to Exhibit at a Trade Show
As you start to book hotel rooms, schedule flights, set per diems for team members, and pay the deposit on your booth space . . . your Accounting department has likely come to you asking the age old question, “Why are we doing this?” Trade shows are an expensive undertaking but are absolutely worthwhile. Next time Accounting swings by, show them this article about 5 Reasons to Exhibit at a Trade Show.
Top 5 Reasons to Exhibit at a Trade Show
Reason #1: Saving Money
This might seem counterintuitive, but that lump sum you’re shelling out for a trade show could actually end up saving you money in the long run. Think about your sales team and the customers they have scattered all around the country — now think about how much it costs to fly them out to individual sales meetings with all of those various clients, some of whom are in far-flung corners of the middle of nowhere. When you realize that each one of those trips requires a flight, rental car, hotel room, per diem allotments, shipping costs to send sales materials, and time spent out of the office, it all starts to add up quickly. When you exhibit at a trade show, it’s an opportunity to condense these costs as your sales team can schedule efficient meetings throughout the show rather than spread them around throughout the year.
Reason #2: Build Brand Recognition
This is a less tangible reason that’s hard to put a price tag on, but in many ways trade shows are an opportunity to see who’s who in your industry. If you’re exhibiting at your industry’s biggest shows, you’re going to be perceived as a major player to be reckoned with versus falling into the “out of sight, out of mind” category. Stay relevant within your space by putting your best foot forward at industry trade shows — the right booth at the right show is enough to garner attention in national media outlets and can translate into increased sales. Among the reasons to exhibit at a trade show, growing your sales certainly falls near the top. Need some help with creating a booth space that will stand out? The award-winning team at mackenzie EXHIBIT will be happy to lend a hand.
Moreover, it is also important that, along with setting up your booth, you also take care of other aspects of marketing that may impact your sales. For instance, once your brand gains popularity through the exhibit, your website can get more traffic. However, to make it easy for people to find you online, you may have to incorporate SEO techniques like using keywords that are highly searched by people for brands similar to yours. You can check out blogs on how to do keyword research for your industry and employ those on your website. Also, you may have to consider if your website is capable of handling increased footfall once you start generating more leads.
Reason #3: Network Like a Boss
This is a big one — there are few situations that are better for networking than attending a trade show. Where else can you find a high density of professionals from your industry, all of whom are in a working state of mind and ready to do business? Even if you start off the show with zero meetings on the books, simply having a booth will allow potential clients and business partners to filter through your space and become interested in your company. Keep a handful of business cards handy in a drawer of your booth and be ready to put on your A-game at a moment’s notice, because networking is one of the best reasons to exhibit at a trade show.
Reason #4: Debut New Products
The logic behind this one is a combination of Reason 1, Reason 2, and Reason 3. If you use your booth space to showcase newly released products, your sales team members can bring existing and potential clients in for a quick demo right then and there without having to take the product all around the country. You’ll also be strutting your stuff in front of the competition by proudly showcasing what your company has been working on, which in turn helps to build additional brand recognition. Since trade shows are such a perfect place for networking, it also makes sense that they are perfect for showing those new business connections the products that you’ve just released. Rather than spend a bunch of money on a new product launch at a separate time of the year when you’ll have to fly in media, pay for attendee’s hotels, create displays, and more, take advantage of the fact that trade shows already combine all of those elements into one convenient time and place.
Reason #5: Team Building
You might have to see this one to believe it, but trust us — the people who attend the trade show together will have a much stronger bond with each other than they did prior to exhibiting. The act of planning the show, traveling together, spending long days answering attendee questions, rooming together, sharing meals together, etc. will create a team building experience unlike any other. While Accounting might take some convincing as to why this is one of our top reasons to exhibit at a trade show, when they see how seamlessly the team works together post-show and how that translates into a more efficient and positive workspace, they’ll soon understand.
Now that you know our top reasons to exhibit at a trade show, let’s get down to the business of creating the best trade show booth design for your company. Our team here at mackenzie EXHIBIT has a uniquely streamlined yet creative process to help you get most of your exhibiting experience. Ready to get started or have some more detailed questions on the booth design process? Give us a call at 801-621-7500 or email us here.
