I hear it every day: trade shows are dead; people can’t afford to attend trade shows these days; exhibiting at trade shows is a waste. For the most part, I agree. Attendance at trade shows is down, people are reallocating marketing resources to virtual events, and companies are scaling back trade show sponsorships. However, I think that maximizing your trade show presence can still be an effective tool to reach decision-makers.
I recently attended the Golf Industry Show to support several of our green industry clients. One was launching a new auspicious product into the golf industry, and I think they fully maximized their trade show activities with pre-show communications, print advertisements, giveaways, a microsite, product collateral, a Flash-based demo, media conferences and even a live presenter in the booth. It all paid off in the form of trade media coverage, more than 100 new sales leads, high awareness levels and excitement about the product. I don’t think they could have generated as much interest in the product without the trade show as a focal point.
In addition, there are numerous ancillary benefits of attending trade shows. Sometimes it’s the only time you see industry partners and trade media, plus it’s an opportunity to meet face-to-face with your best customers and continue to cultivate those relationships.
Have you scaled back or eliminated trade shows from your marketing mix? Have you tried virtual trade shows or resorted to ‘unconventional’ trade show tactics such as outboarding?







