The value of trade shows and exhibitions

For manufacturing, engineering, industrial and technical companies, exhibitions and trade shows present a valuable sales and marketing opportunity. Although for many businesses the initial cost of preparing for such an event can seem daunting, the benefits outweigh the expenses and importantly, if done well, a lot of the work – such as the stand design – will be reusable for future exhibitions. 

The business benefits of exhibiting are many and varied, but most companies use exhibitions as means to:

• increase sales
• raise brand awareness and recognition
• enhance product knowledge
• network with peers
• meet prospects and customers face-to-face
• launch new products or services
• target specific industry sectors

Exhibiting is a big investment and probably one of the most resource-intensive elements of the marketing budget. Floor space, stand design, graphics, furniture, lighting, electrics, products, logistics, not to mention staffing costs, travel, accommodation and entertainment, all have to be factored into the exhibition budget.

Your competitors will be down the aisle, or even opposite, eyeing the same prospects and customers, so you need to make the most of your attendance to make sure you get the best return on your investment. 

Effective exhibition marketing starts a long, long time before the show doors open. Lots of planning is needed in the months running up to the show to decide on the tactics you’re going to use, to generate quality content promoting your appearance at the exhibition and to distribute this content through the most effective channels.

We've created an eBook offering some suggestions that will help you make the most of the opportunities presented by industry trade shows. 

This blog post is an excerpt from the eBook.