BASIC FAIR MARKETING RECOMMENDATIONS

Exchange information and news, discover trends and new market opportunities, studying the competition, but above all, negotiating with potential distributors, customers and suppliers, especially publicly present and sell products and services, are the objectives of a company tackling its participation in an exhibition event.

 

However, the first key decision, given the huge deal is fair: where to go ... This is a capital on which the success of our strategic effort look?. To do this, meditate properly what are the primary and secondary objectives of participation, and to assess the creditworthiness and business figures of the event, the initial work will address: antique, frequency, importance in the sector, number of visitors, quality of exhibitors, national or international dimension ... The presentation of our brand at a trade show involves a significant economic investment that should be properly streamlined in order to subsequently analyze the benefits, tangible and intangible to be obtained.

 

 

Pre-fair actions

Given the need to go to an event center, to be fixed or a responsible coordinator of the show to lead the sales team and oversee and coordinate the work to be effectual with direct company management report. The development of a preliminary draft provide the targets (more sales, enhance the corporate image, public relations, etc..), The intended audience (determining the profile of visitors to the event), material or expose elemments (estimate the ioportunidad making discounts and promotions during the dates of show) and communication needs to be performed before and during the event. All this will facilitate the provision of a preliminary budget estimate, for sure, will be exceeded.

 

It must be requested documentation time of the fair, being contracted space according to our needs and supply organization. In this sense, booth location is crucial, being preferred location in the intersections (with various faces) and related professional areas relatively close to our competition. In addition, recruitment of sufficient electrical power and other ancillary services (wi-fi, telephone, daily cleaning ...) according to the previously established requirements will be necessary.

 

The development of a design stand, over traditional homogeneous offered by the organization, should be a goal to behold. This will effectively move our brand identity spaces, creating environments that facilitate various business and attract visitors. Provision shall be made rambién hiring furniture, decorative elements, floral, catering, hostesses, etc.. Just as planned coordination mounting stand, the Transports of communication elements to the show, disassembly, transportation back, etc.. Of particular importance is the formation of the sales team of the company, involving them in the participation and adding the expected success to be obtained (for example, by a temporary incentive program for action grounds), adequately provides for the hotel stay, their diets, group meals, etc.

 

Finally, a communication program that allows us to have the various tools to hand at the show to be developed: business cards, technical documentation, digital tools (DVDs, audio-visual, interactive ...), company catalogs and product merchandising materials, promotional items, gifts prestigious ... along with possible trade actions that can be performed: conference , open product samples, meeting with press, etc.

 

Attracting visitors is also a pre-show action, because we enabled the development of specialized campaigns, writing and submitting articles and press dossiers for our sector, entry in the exhibitor catalog, hiring fences at the fairgrounds etc.. Also in digital media: RRSS, Blogs, media-press, etc..

 

 

Actions during the fair

Remember: the attitude of the staff is, surely, more effective than the stand itself. Thus shape them properly so that the visitor is dealing warm and professional, performing daily meetings with them for maximum ease of work, set goals, answer questions, etc.. The staff present at the stand will be the image of your business in the face-off, treat them as your most valuable asset.

 

Collecting business cards is an important step (do not forget the location of polls reception), although it is preferable to develop personal data sheets with additional information that can be obtained from the visitor. Cards and tokens must be flushed on a daily basis to the database of the company, sending a thank you email as a reminder of the visit.

  Arrange the cards and general catalogs stand at the entrance and next to the allusive technical products, preferably using brackets brochure stands to increase the feeling of cleanliness. Give the visitor the promotional material in bags of your company that will take your brand throughout the fair.

 

Gifts should be delivered personally by limiting its distribution in order to show certain exclusivity. Develop schedules valley with fewer visitors to visit the fair background yourself: visit to competition, discover trends, strengthen its industry contacts, introduce yourself to the specialized media and invite them to visit you ... Get the most from stay, not to mention (in a controlled manner) dinners and parties that usually happen at these events.

 

 

Shares post-show

Personally supervise the dismantling of the stand and the packing and shipping of excess material, you control the same contact cards, business cards and completed order forms have been obtained. Disassembly is one of the critical periods of the show in which everything must be absolutely controlled and planned.

  Take a balance of action with a meeting to fund the entire team involved in the fair, openly suggesting comments and improvements for future performances.Analice los contactos comerciales, tanto de clientes fijos y potenciales como de proveedores, competencia y medios, remitiendo un email o carta personal de agradecimiento.

 

Develop press releases to the media with the results of the fair.

Perform a final report of participation in all cuatitativos and qualitative aspects of the exhibition summarizing action. It compared the results obtained with the objectives, the performance of commercial staff, competitive analysis, recommendations and suggestions for improving future performances and an assessment of the usefulness of this fair will be reflected. Annexed will be essential to establish economic balance of the investment, item by item, and must not forget that their results in terms of profitability include those intangibles that you can only be measured in terms of long-term and public hearing related to the brand.

 

 

As tried to expose in this short report, the presence of a business in a fair event should be integrated in the communication strategy of the company. In GÉMINA we are already working on our upcoming exhibition events and you are invited to indicate whether this information has been of interest and what have been your experiences in fair marketing.Thank you!