Trade Show Exhibitors: 6 Marketing Tactics to Keep You on Track in This Uncertain Event Climate
Trade shows are the fastest-growing source of revenue for B2B businesses in the United States. A report published by professional services firm PwC predicts that the global trade show market will increase from $34.4 billion in 2019 to $40.1 billion in 2023. It’s no wonder then, that trade show exhibitors list participating in regional conferences, national trade shows, and global trade fairs as a top marketing strategy and live events receive the largest percentage of funds in marketing budgets.
What PwC could not have foreseen when they made their 2023 growth prediction in 2019 was the Covid-19 coronavirus and the impact it would have on every business from startups to large enterprises.
While 2020 was certainly challenging, it was straightforward – hold an online, Zoom-style event or no event at all.
The 2021 trade show landscape is murkier.
How much longer will the uncertainty over Covid-19 go on? While we hear that a vaccine is imminent, we expect that doctors, nurses, and other front-line workers, as well as our elderly population, will be first to receive it. We’re not sure when the rest of us should expect to receive it.
What about those people who simply refuse to be vaccinated and will carry on as if nothing ever happened? Do trade show organizers want to be responsible for an event in which one-third of the participants may not have been vaccinated?
When will the state-by-state restrictions on large gatherings end and when will governors lift travel and quarantine restrictions on residents of highly infectious states?
If you signed a contract committing your business to exhibit at a 2021 trade show, you may still be waiting to hear from the show organizer on what sort of event it will be. Will it be in person, online, or will they take a hybrid approach with in-person exhibitor booths and activities as well as an online component for attendees not willing to travel?
Your New Exhibitor Marketing Roadmap
As an exhibitor, you know that events, whether smaller regional conferences or large industry expos, take a lot of time and effort to prepare for, so you need to start early. On the other hand, you don’t want to waste money unnecessarily, building a large trade show booth structure or creating materials that may not be used.
While there is still uncertainty as to what direction many 2021 trade shows will take, there are marketing tactics that are standard and will need to be completed whether your show is in person, virtual, or a combination of both.
For example, every exhibitor produces a product flier, company brochure, or other pieces of collateral to distribute to attendees. You will need to write and design this brochure regardless of whether you ultimately print copies to distribute in person or make electronic PDF files available online.
Preparing the brochure file now and putting it aside until a final decision is made by show management as to what type of event it will be will eliminate the need to scramble to create the brochure from scratch when the decision is finally made.
Here are 6 marketing tactics which you can begin to implement immediately. If you analyze your own exhibitor checklist, I bet you’ll find more items than you think.
Determine how your company’s business objectives should be incorporated into your trade show sales messages, collateral, product positioning, etc.
Establish specific, quantifiable goals that you want to reach whether the show is online, in person or hybrid.
Write and design product and company brochures as well as any other necessary collateral. Hold off on printing them for now.
Write and create pre-show email marketing campaigns to inform prospects and customers that you will be exhibiting. Offer them a discount registration code if you have one.
Write and create post-show email marketing campaigns to thank participants for attending and provide them with additional information on your company and products.
Work with your sales team to determine what constitutes a qualified lead and come to an agreement on how the leads will be turned over to sales for immediate follow-up after the show. How and when will the leads be distributed to each salesperson? What will the follow-up process be and how will the sales team convert these leads from prospect to customer?
Have you already signed an agreement to commit your company to exhibit at a 2021 trade show? In this time of uncertainty, you may be questioning whether you did the right thing.
Step back and remember why you decided to exhibit at the show in the first place. Maybe the attendees are your perfect target audience and having them all in one place at one time will help increase your sales exponentially. Maybe you’re launching a new product and the show will help generate a lot of excitement for your business across your industry.
While the show management’s strategy may still be uncertain, your company’s reasons for choosing to exhibit in the first place were based on solid business objectives. They were the right objectives aligned to the right show when you made the decision originally, and they are still the right ones now.
Although we can't eliminate the stress and anxiety over an uncertain 2021 trade show landscape, there are many activities you can complete now which will help pave the way for a much smoother event season for you and your team.
Additional Resources
CEIR - The Center for Exhibition Industry Research provides industry-leading, objective research on the exhibitions and events industry. Hundreds of reports are available to help you better understand the world of face-to-face marketing.
IAEE - The International Association of Exhibitions and Events is the leading trade association for the global exhibitions and events industry.
Exhibitor Magazine - Best practices in trade shows and events.
Trade Show Executive Magazine - News, views, and tools for trade show and event executives.
PwC - Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2020-2024.