A profitable exposition experience depends on what you do before the show to assure that your clients and prospects come to you. Identify the audience you want to reach and then bring them to your exhibit. A focused and creative approach should be developed to attract attendees. Statistics prove attendees come to an exposition with a set agenda of exhibits to visit. Your pre-show promotional activity can get you on that list. Exposition attendees respond to invitations offering compelling reasons why they should visit a particular exhibit. The invitation can be in many forms — direct mail, telemarketing, electronic, advertising promotion — just as long as it provides meaningful information (a little creativity helps too!).
Here are some ideas on how to reach your target audience:
- advertise in trade journals
- issue press releases announcing new products and services, key people attending the show, and special show promotions
- hire a celebrity to be at your booth and promote, promote, promote
- mail “personal” invitations two weeks before the show and include VIP cards to access a drawing in your booth or an invitation to your hospitality suite
- mail cards redeemable for a gift in the exhibit booth
- make telephone calls to your key prospects just prior to the show
- invitations and follow-up promotion may also be done electronically via HTML email
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