Get Ready to Make a Lasting Trade Show Impression

Trade show season is right around the corner. It will be here before you know it.

Trade shows give you the rare opportunity to interact with motivated, interested prospects. So, whether you will be attending one or more, for the first time or the fiftieth, with the purpose of creating buzz for a new product, competitive research or for expanding your own professional network, it’s important to get it right in order to make an impression that lasts long after the trade show is over.

Plan Early

Getting it right requires early planning. There are a multitude of pieces and parts to make a trade show exhibit that must come together on time so that you don’t miss a single opportunity to shine. 

Make Sure Your Staff Looks Their Best

A branded dress code for your staff working the show creates a smart and cohesive look.  Typically trade shows are casual dress events, so you may want to have polo shirts or button-down dress shirt for your team embroidered with your logo.

Make Sure Your Booth is Up-to-date

Last year’s banners might look tired this year. Review what you have that will continue to serve you and make a list of items that need to be spruced up or replaced. If you made any changes to your corporate logo, colors or tag lines, you’ll want these changes reflected in your exhibit materials.

Create Pre- and Post- Show Collateral with Chances to Win Prizes

Pre- and post-show collateral must be designed and mailed on time. You’ll want to drive prospects to your booth to pick up a gift or enter a drawing with your pre-show collateral and reach out after the fact with an appropriate post-show mailing.

Make sure your teaser gives attendees who bring it with them extra chances to a win a prize at the booth. Be sure you’re prepared with your after show correspondence too. Maybe you can highlight an after show special. These traditional campaigns can be enhanced with social media too.  

Hand Out a Useful, Popular Giveaway

The giveaways at trade shows are often talked about most. A good gift can put you on the map and have attendees swarming your booth.

Bags are always popular. Everyone wants the best one to carry collected materials, so you want to make sure yours is desirable. A good-looking bag leaves the hands free – especially appreciated by the women who attend the trade shows. Other useful and popular giveaways are notebooks, pens, first aid kits that include band-aids, sanitizer wipes, and aspirin (for that trade show headache). Also, food items are great– especially treats with your logo on it that attendees can take with them.

Badge holders are good too, especially those that have space for business cards a pen and your I.D.

Work with An Impressive Promotional Marketing Firm

With a well-designed booth that draws attention, a few strategic promotional items, a great give-away and sales collateral, every trade show you attend can dramatically expand your company’s customer base. Gossett Marketing has been helping our clients make lasting impressions at trade shows year after year. For more trade show savvy tips, gifts and ideas give us a call. We’d love to help you make a great impression too.