Trade Show attendance and performance are up is yours?

According to Red Bank, NJ-based Exhibit Surveys Inc., the exhibition industry saw meaningful upticks in 2012, which is a welcome change considering the statistical stagnation experienced in 2011, when the industry held steady but failed to demonstrate any noticeable growth. Each year, the exhibit- and event-research firm polls attendees from more than 30 U.S. trade shows to determine the effectiveness of exhibit marketing and identify industry benchmarks. The company's 2012 Trade Show Trends report includes valuable information about exhibit performance, show-floor traffic, and attendees – their buying power, purchase plans, and attendance habits. The survey determined that 84 percent of trade show attendees have the power to recommend, specify, and/or make final purchasing decisions. Perhaps more importantly, 49 percent came to 2012 shows with real purchasing intent. While those statistics represent just 3- and 2-percent increases respectively, they compare favorably to long-term industry averages, meaning we may have finally returned to some semblance of business as usual. In fact, 2012's all-show average for Net Buying Influence tied the 10-year high not seen since 2006. So the question is how do you get these people to stop and visit YOU? Do you target or just set up your booth and "Show up and Throw up"? Come on gang you are better than that. Put some pre-show planning into it. Who are the best "buyer" "influencers" in your space that could potentially be attending this show? Invite them. Don't wait for the roster to show up and then do something. Mail to them, email them a promotion but they have to stop by. Make the booth fun, or else if they think they know who you are why would they show up? Most recently one of our clients, Lycored, ran a promotion with a custom cornhole contest and the winner got tickets to the Superbowl. Okay yes, was it a nice sized investment on their part. Let us look at the results, and what happened.

Here is an image of the game that people got a chance to play, which we produced the game. Then for showing up you received a promotional football.

No big shakes either. But because of the nature of the promotion our client had John Elway stop by their booth and play cornhole. Yes, the John Elway whose team is in the Superbowl. Talk about great PR, and we have the video link to show you. But we must create excitement in our booths, if we want to make an impact and attract the right people. So when you are getting ready to put together a trade show booth, or a pre-show promotion just give us a call and we will drive the non "trick or treaters to your booth"




So here is John Elway himself stopping by my clients boot to play our custom designed Cornhole game.  The point is make your booth memorable, and we can help.

Thanks for reading.

Derek