We joined a builders association this year and will be doing a one day trade show in Oct. allowing associate members to show their stuff to the builders and developers in the area.
I want to showcase our fine handcrafted signs, digital work and vehicle graphics and have a 10x10 space to work with. I have never done a show in all my years in this business and I need some ideas on what others have done (pics please!).
I will have actual dimensional sign samples and photos as well as some digitally printed banners and decals.
I have some ideas, but want to see what some of you have done in the past.
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
We have advertised at trade shows for the apartment industry for quite a number of years. The following has worked for us.
If a corner booth is available, take it. You get traffic from two directions and your booth is open on two sides, inviting people to enter.
If you have a table, put it along the side of your booth, not across the front. You want to beckon people in, not subliminally create a barrier to keep them out.
If there is some grand prize whereby people have to have a bingo type card stamped by all participating booths, pay the extra hundred dollars or so to sponsor so as to generate extra traffic. Even if you don’t have a prime location at the show, you will get more attendees stopping by. While one of your people is stamping the card, another can direct their attention to your products.
Some sort of advertising specialties trinkets can help. I prefer to give something useful, so I had a thousand ‘Lil Chizlers made with our contact info on them. Small individually wrapped candy morsels in a fish bowl also attract people. A drawing for a small free sign or something similar also gets them dropping off cards.
One year, the theme of the apartment association show was “Love, Peace and Leasing at Woodstock III”. We were pushing our Granite signs under the moniker of “Stone Age Graphics” and imploring people to “Join the Stone Age”. Our bow to their theme was twofold. We had a sandblasted Granite sign with the copy “Check Our Local ROCK GROUPS” as the header over photos of our masonry monuments. Our other ploy was a button that read “I Got (Legally) STONED at Woodstock III” “STONE AGE Graphics by a Sign of Excellence”. People loved the buttons and practically stormed our booth! We went through 500 in no time and for months afterward, when I would visit managers about their signage needs I would see those buttons on their desks.
We also told people that once an hour we would send a person out to find someone wearing one of our buttons and they would get a coupon to redeem for $5 cash. Sometimes people who would see us walking about would come up to us and ask if they got the $5. The $20 we spent there got our name out all over the trade show.
Have color brochures available with your card stapled to them. You can set up a photo collage on your computer and have someone run them for you. We made ours 8-1/2 x 11 trifold. It was well worth it to pay a few cents extra to have them folded by machine. There have been a number of contacts listed here on the Bullboard who print four color brochures quite reasonably. You might make up several different brochures. They could be targeted to a different type of customer or just a further compilation of your works. After the show, send everyone who dropped off a card a letter of thanks with the second brochure enclosed. Use the big commemorative stamps available at the Post Office. They grab attention and may get your letter opened rather than consigned to file 13.
You can also have a slide show presentation looping on a laptop at your booth.
I keep a small spiral notebook in my pocket. If a particularly good lead comes up, I write notes about it in the spiral and staple their card to the page for quick follow up after the show. Any sales you generate directly from the show are gravy. The purpose of the show is marketing–you want to get your name in circulation, your company in their minds for later.
If you build your own booth, as we did, make it light weight. Our first one could have doubled as a bomb shelter. We also made the mistake of putting all our pictures in frames with glass faces. For our second, we used 2x3 spruce fence rails for the frame, sheathed it with 1/4" plywood and glued closed loop carpet to the plywood. We had pictures laminated to 1/4" foamcore and they adhere well to the carpeted wall with hook Velcro. Our booth folds in the middle and the wing walls are removable. The booth stores in my office as a display and divider wall from my office to that behind it. Keep in mind that the fire regulations in some venues may dictate certain types of construction.
You will be on your feet for hours on a concrete floor. Put a section of carpet down and your feet will thank you. A couple of chairs will also have them singing praises for the opposite end of your body.
If you have to set up the day before, do not leave anything of value there. A few years ago, someone stole our chairs after we set up. It made for a miserable show.
Below is a photo of our booth at the National Apartment show about a dozen years ago. On the left is Bill Zollicoffer, my foreman at the time, his wife is hiding behind him. My wife is seated on the right.
Below is a photo of our brochures, buttons and Lil’ Chizlers. Please note the button advertises our Stone Age Graphics and says “I Got (Legally) STONED at Woodstock III...”
[ August 18, 2004, 01:16 AM: Message edited by: David Harding ]
Posted by Devin Fahie (Member # 3961) on :
There was an article in Signcraft a few issues ago (maybe up to 6) about a sign shop in Maine that attended a trade show, how they marketed, and how it worked out for them, it was a good article, check it out.
Posted by Mark Yearwood (Member # 2723) on :
David, I'll be looking for those. Thanks.
Devin, thanks for the tip. I'll look for the article.
Anyone else??
Posted by Mark Yearwood (Member # 2723) on :
bump.
c'mon guys, anyone have ideas to share? Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
Mark,
Used to do this years ago...
Using PVC plumbing pipes or 2X4s, make a frame for a back wall appx. 8'X8' and make a sturdy set of legs for it. Stretch a colored material across it as a backdrop. Black cloth works well since it isn't reflective and doesn't upstage what you are displaying. Hang your stuff up and show it off.
Hope this helps... Rapid
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
Oops! I meant to edit my previous post.
[ August 18, 2004, 01:12 AM: Message edited by: David Harding ]
Posted by Dave Levesque (Member # 4374) on :
Well I was hoping to hear more ideas as well since I will be doing a show here in October.
I don't know the outcome but I can tell you what my plans are.
First off I'm having a larger 10'x10' banner printed, Black background with a version of my business card logo on it. The logo is a raised dimensional looking lettering and very sharp. I hope the lower DPI doesn't take to much away from the design. I may try printing it on my epson 7600 and just ordering the black banner and stick it straight to it. Only I will have to handcut seeing how my software doesn't print and cut. Anyway it will be big and bold and should attract attention.
Next since there aren't many other sign companies locally doing much dimesnioal, gold leaf or nice custom vehicle work. I'm making up some small panels 12X18" or so. One sandblasted, one gold leaf, one custom fade on vinyl etc...
Will also give away some kind of candy or promo, as well as new business cards that match the large banner.
Have a drawing of business cards or businesses who register for 12"X24" vehicle graphic Or gift cert. for a certain value. Build a mailing list out the cards afterwards if you don't already have one.
Will have lots of signcraft mags on hand, as well as my small but proud portfolio pics and a couple of testomonial letters I have received with the pics of the signs they are praising.
and if I had half the talent of you Mark, I would get one of those pedal cars and stripe it up, just like at the meets. I think people would love that kind of thing. Heck you could even make that your give away and leave a space for the winning businesses name. Any busniness would love to have one of those sittin in their front office as a display.
Well hope this gives you some ideas like I said nothing has been tested yet, but those are some of my plans for my show in Oct. Saw a post a few months back were someone use pegboard on large easesl with the sign panels on them.
Good Luck.
Posted by Suelynn Sedor (Member # 442) on :
Good Luck, Suelynn
Posted by Jon Aston (Member # 1725) on :
Mark:
Judging from anything that I have ever seen of yours, there is no question that your exhibit will WOW them.
There are good suggestions above. In particular, I think David's comments are especially "on the money". Success at trade shows is also entirely dependent on engaging people. No question there, either.
This being stated, the key to success is having clearly defined, quantified (and therefore measurable) objectives for the show. Without clear objectives, how can you expect to develop a successful strategy and tactics for achieving those objectives? If your objectives aren't quantified, how will you measure your success? How will you know if this was time and money well spent?
When it comes right down to it, you're probably going to that show with the intent of generating qualified leads and adding to your prospecting list...and developinging relationships with prospective new customers (not to mention some existing ones, probably).
How will you engage passers by?
How many leads are you after?
How will you qualify your opportunities?
How many prospects?
How will you record the information above?
How will you follow-up?
etc...you get the idea.
It's also always a good idea to spend some time afterward thinking about what worked (and why) and what didn't work (and why)...so that you can focus on improving results with each show that you exhibit at.
I hope that helps...good luck!
Oh - If you (or your customers) are ever going to use banner material at a trade show, be sure to use a product that is "fire rated" and ensure that you (or they) have a valid "flame cert", on premises, at the show.
[ August 18, 2004, 11:09 AM: Message edited by: Jon Aston ]
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