Twelve Tips to Maximize your FABTECH Trade Show Investment

Twelve Tips to Maximize your FABTECH Trade Show Investment

By Chuck Schroeder owner, Insight Marketing, LLC

 If what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, did you get the best return on your FABTECH trade show investment? Here are twelve tips that will help ensure your marketing dollars work harder before the show, as well as continue to work for you long after the show ends.

 1. Use social media to engage your fans at the show, as well as bring the show to those fans that can’t attend. Use Facebook and Twitter for instant/near-term communication (such as booth activity) and YouTube and Flickr for both immediate and longer-lasting value. If Facebook fits in with your marketing plans, encourage fans to “friend” you right at your booth by setting up computer/iPad kiosks. Provide an immediate small reward, as well as a chance for a larger prize drawing later on.

 2. Capture customer and prospect enthusiasm with “straight from the show floor” interviews. You can post several of them to YouTube during the show, as well as capture content (product demonstrations, customer testimonials) for development at a later date. On a “cost per view” basis—and in terms of credibility—YouTube customer videos may easily provide the best return on your marketing dollar. The best part is you’ll keep getting views long after the show ends.

 3. Social media videos make multi-lingual communication relatively easy, plus they are highly credible because real people are interacting (viewers are less likely feel like they’re being “marketed to”). For a show in Vegas, be sure to have representatives fluent in Spanish, plus whatever other markets you’re targeting.

4. Develop a “destination” Web page dedicated to show-related news. Provide updates before, during and after the show. Link to the page from your home page, and make the URL easy to remember — something such as “ACME.com/ShowName.”

5. Obtain coverage in pre-show issues of trade magazines and associated Web sites by distributing a short news release announcing your Booth #, solutions you plan to showcase and special activities. Depending on the industry, you may need to distribute this release four or five months prior to the show date. Mention your “destination” Web page in the news release.

6. Develop an integrated marketing approach with advertising that gives customers a compelling reason to visit your exhibit and participate in your social media activity. What’s compelling? Something that’s important and/or entertaining to the customer! Show specials, contests, games and hands-on demonstrations are always popular.

7. Pre-show direct mail (print) is a traditional tactic, but also more costly because of postage. If you’re working with smaller budgets, consider e-mail and on-line advertising opportunities, and keep them focused on show-related activity. Talk with ad reps at magazine(s) associated with the show for ideas—after all, their readers are your potential customers.

8. Communicate to your existing customer and prospect database both before and after the show. E-Newsletters are a really inexpensive and effective tool for this activity. Give customers a great reason to make your booth a destination. In the next issue after the show, provide a show wrap-up report supported with pictures and video. As with Facebook “friending” activities, offer immediate/easy newsletter sign-up and reward those who provide their name and contact information.

9. Don’t expect editors to seek out or use your news release just because you placed a press kit in the media room. To gain product coverage in “show review” issues—and uncover feature story opportunities for later in the year—coordinate meetings with trade show editors. In most situations, simple face-to-face meetings produce equal or better results than fancy press conferences. For maximum results, work with PR professionals that understand media relations and know editors’ personal preferences.

10. Understand what constitutes news and how to write it well. Stick to facts. Let the gushing praise come from your customers (such as in the show floor videos). 

11. Carefully consider your trade show press kit—the contents of most kits head straight to the circular file because they’re old or irrelevant news. Focus on your newest products and make markets, applications and customer benefits obvious to help editors unfamiliar with your company.

12. Consider engaging an appointment-setting specialist that will cut through the clutter of tire-kickers who have no real purchasing authority or influence. By arranging meetings with owners and “C-Suite” personnel who are in the acquisition mode, your sales team will make best use of their scarce time at FABTECH as well as when following up on leads generated at the show. 

Chuck Schroeder is the owner of Insight Marketing, a company that provides PR for industry, tools and technology. Contact him at chucks@imipr.com or 262-240-9790 (office) or 414-467-3287 (mobile).