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Trade Show Preparation 101 for Manufacturers

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How planning produces results and return on investment

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Trade shows and industry conferences provide manufacturers with a platform to show prospects, customers, and industry media their entire line of products and services n a short amount of time. It is important as manufacturers to utilize this opportunity and use it to their advantage. Preparation, like most worthwhile endeavors, is key to increasing profitability and productivity during a trade show. At Felber PR & Marketing, we have years of trade show execution and experience. We’ve compiled the top 5 do’s for ultimate trade show success.

Choose the Right People to Work the Trade Show
Managing your company’s booth is a full-time, non-stop job. It is essential that your booth is never left unattended so bring at least 2 people to a trade show. Make sure whoever you assign to represent your brand at the trade show is outgoing and friendly. A smile can make a world of a difference and get people to come to your booth and ask questions.
Post Consistent Social Media Before and During the Trade Show
Take advantage of social media to boost your company awareness. Post “teaser” videos and photos before the trade show to let people know that you are attending. This will not only create awareness but also help get people interested in your products. During the show, use the event’s hashtag, as well as popular trending hashtags ,to gain more exposure. Need a primer on Hashtags? Click here. Also, this may seem self-explanatory but don’t forget to put your booth number in your posts! People need to be able to locate your booth.

Maintaining a Presence Both Online and Offline
It seems that every year, more and more trade shows in specific industry niches are back-to-back or during the same week. Because of this, some of your target audience may not be able to attend the trade show you’re in which you are exhibiting. It is crucial to create a social media presence that makes those who cannot attend the trade show feel like they are physically there because some of your target audience may be unable to come due to scheduling conflicts. Content from the show, such as pictures, videos, product demo videos, and slideshows should be made visible on social media or your company’s blog. If possible, take pictures with those who visit your booth, especially if they are media that cover your niche audience. Then post the pictures using the event’s hashtag, the person in the picture’s Twitter handle and an industry hashtag or two if you have room, to gain the utmost exposure possible.

Create a Visually Appealing Booth
The more visually appealing your booth is, the more attention and traffic you’ll get. It’s as simple as that. Your products should always be the focal point of your booth, so put them at the front at make sure they stand out. Utilize lighting and keep in mind the appropriate colors to showcase your products in the best way possible. If your company has received media coverage, show it off at your booth. This will allow for prospects and other media to see what you’ve accomplished and get a better understanding of your position in the industry. You can even offer reprints of prominent articles and case studies as show handouts. Consider technical or “white papers” as handouts as well to qualified prospects.

Post Event Follow Ups are Crucial
Trade show follow up is just as important as the actual execution of the trade show. Keep track of all business cards you’ve gotten and connect with these individuals on LinkedIn and Twitter. Just like any pre-show promotion to drive traffic, having a memory invoking reminder of their visit will separate your company for all those who never bother to follow up at all.
Consider repairing templates ahead of time for thank you messages to those you spoke with you. This will save you a lot of time in the long run. Use the template and add a personal touch to each message about what you spoke about to the individual you are writing. This will help for you to spark additional conversations with your target audience.
Trades shows can be very overwhelming but with proper short-term and long-term planning, you can see major results.

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These steps are easy to incorporate and allow you to manage prospects easier and sell you products with confidence because you are prepared.

If you would like to find out more about creating a trade show social media plan and optimizing your time a trade show, contact Rob Felber at Robfelber@felberpr.com or (330) 963-3664

Before You Can Prepare For an Interview You Must Know The Story

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In the previous post we discussed what most manufacturers often miss at trade conference; they miss the opportunity to impact their brand and expand company name recognition with their target audience. Now, you know that coordinated research and efforts to engage with the media covering a show is beneficial. So, now what?

You may think you have the most interesting story in the world, but if it does not resonate (fit) with what an editor “believes” his readers are thirsting for, you will come up empty when you start contacting the media (before the show of course). Your research of the publications’ website and its editorial calendar was a great place to start. The editorial calendar provided the large building blocks. Researching past stories and a targeted reporter’s style is critical into providing insight.

When you research an editor, first see if your story or something similar has ever been covered. Nothing stings more than pitching a story that was done last quarter. You now have revealed that you have no interest in actually reading the publication and what/who they have written about in the past. If the story idea you has been covered previously, is the story due for an update? What is the reporter’s style? Are they positive towards your field or sector? Have they been negative or antagonistic? This is a cold-war style battle and you must know your competition; in this case, competition is not only other companies, but the reporters own attention span and limited time.

So, what can you talk about? Do you have a new product or service? Did your company experience recent growth? Have you identified a trend in the industry? Perhaps you or someone on your staff has a unique expertise? These are all great places to start.

If you get their attention, ask them how they want to proceed. One end of the spectrum is that you get to provide your written content, photos and captions. The other end of the scale is that they decide to interview you. While the first scenario allows you to carefully craft your message (they can still edit it), the latter requires even more preparation. There is no harm in asking them their thoughts on the story and its direction. They may even generously provide a few starter questions for you to review prior to the actual interview. If you have a complicated topic, make sure you have good art (graphs, photos, videos, etc.) to help you tell their story. Sometimes, just having “good art” can help you win over a competing story. Note, your contact may even be up against other reporters to their story published due to limited space.

In our next post we will expand on the various opportunities just beyond the tradeshow booth.

What Most Manufacturers Miss at Trade Shows

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The show traffic was heavy. You made many appointments and even a few sales. Months of pre-show planning, training, traffic building promotions and creative booth design seems to have created success. So, what could you possibly have missed? You sponsored the cocktail party, hosted client dinners; you even held a demonstration on the show floor.
What you’re missing is exposure. In most sales calls and even inside your tradeshow booth, you can expect to speak to, at the most, 2-3 people at a time. So, how could you bring more exposure to your company? The answer is media.

Media – the one to 50,000 principle.

At most national and international shows, there can be as many as 20 or more independent trade media publications covering the conference. Not only are they looking for new advertisers, but they are also looking for news. Content is king and if they do not have it, they do not have a publication. When they speak, many, many more listen.
Over the next several posts, we will discuss how to establish, maintain and cultivate relationships with those that buy ink and megabytes, buy the barrel.

The first tip we have is find out if the show you are attending credentials media. If they do, the show organizers will most often maintain an up-to-date media list. Like confirmed attendees, these are media representatives that have requested passes and are attending the conference. The good lists may even indicate what types of stories they are looking to cover while at the show.

Research th

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e publications represented, and see if they cover topics that include your products and services. You can review their editorial calendars for detailed information on the subjects they plan to write about all year. If you see a connection, start with a simple get together. The myth is that you always have to offer a story. You don’t. Simply telling them you want to learn about their publication shows you are professional and courteous. Offer to meet at your booth, for coffee or even breakfast. Hey, they have to eat too. Ask a lot of questions on how their publication is different, their editorial direction and what they want to see at the show.

This is the first step to more exposure. Getting to know the media, understanding how they do their job and becoming a trusted resource.
In the next post, we will discuss preparing for interviews.