Tradeshows Galore

Tradeshow success.

Pulling a tradeshow is definitely an art. I have now brought House of PlumRed to almost a dozen tradeshows this year alone, and there are a few things that I have learned.

1. Picking a tradeshow to do is very HIT OR MISS. At times a tradeshow can be extremely successful are unfortunately a waste of resources. While sometimes it make seem like the event you are going to is the right event, its best to do as much research as you can.

WAYS YOU CAN RATE A TRADESHOW:

• Ask your sales rep/Google: Find out how long and how frequently this tradeshow occurs.
• Find out who attends the exhibits. Is this the target market you are looking to reach?
• How many attendees do they forsee coming? How many have attended in the past? Finding out the attendance on past shows will give you a good grasp on the amount of attendees that should be present.
• Ask around. You may be surprised to find other vendors very aware of the exhibits or shows that you intend to do.

OTHER TIPS:

• If you can help it, always start small. It is easy for the rep/event coordinator to promise you a great event and good exposure if you get a large booth and even offer discounts, but without having been at a particular event, it is best that you start small and upgrade for future events.
• DO NOT book yourself for future events of a specific tradeshow series if you know NOTHING about its success. You may find yourself fronting money that is uneccessary.

SUCCESS AT A TRADESHOW:

• Allow yourself ample time to prepare. Coming from someone who has tried to put my designs together with only 2 days to spare, give yourself some time to organize your products and think of the layout you want to have at this show.
• Get a copy of the layout of the venue if this is possible. Find out how your booth must be faced, etc...
• It's all about design. Consumers like pretty things...to be completely simple about it. This is not to say that you should spend tons of money on useless decoration, but use what you have to do the best that you can. Experiment with different layouts and displays and see which ones invite the biggest crowds. You may be surprised.
• You are not always there to sell your product. Remember, tradeshows are about exposure and receiving contacts. If you are selling a product, remember, you are also there to gain contacts and create a customer list who may be interested in purchasing later, so don't feel discouraged if they do not buy now.
  
• Lastly, although monetary gain is a great measure of success, do not fail to see the networking opportunities you can make from these shows.

With that being said, there is much more to learn, and a list of tips that can be shared...HOPR has been blessed to have some decent exposure and I look forward to doing more! Next Stop?...

DENVER, CO