Comments on: Advice for Small Business Exhibitors

By: tracibrowne

tracibrowne — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:39:43 +0000

I would have sent you the book…let me know if you did not download it yet!

Exhibiting is definitely a higher upfront expense (sometimes) but it really is worth it. The secret is in the staff. Also having a well thought out plan of attack. Don’t get sucked into all the glitter of a show. Most of the time you’ll do just fine in a 10 x 10 space if you have prepared your staff well and they come ready to sell.

By: Jenise Fryatt

Jenise Fryatt — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:46:13 +0000

Traci,
I really appreciate these very useful tips. My experience with tradeshows has mostly been limited to the role of supplier. However I’ve recently been weighing the benefits of exhibiting. We are one of those small b2b companies with NO marketing budget. Looking around at my options, “passive” advertising just seems like a waste of money. We have tried it in the past with very poor results. Despite the high initial costs, exhibiting sounds like a better value, especially if one follows a clear strategy such as you refer to. I’m going download your book and I look forward to reading more on the subject on your wonderful blog!

By: uberVU - social comments

uberVU - social comments — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:01:46 +0000

Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by MsStallings: Another interesting #tradeshows post from @tracibrowne: Advice for Small Business Exhibitors – http://ow.ly/1sVIX #eventprofs…

By: tracibrowne

tracibrowne — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:38:27 +0000

Thanks Eric…very kind of you…especially after by comments on Caribou and Starbucks!

I think those of us who’ve been in the trade show biz for so long tend to forget that it’s not second nature to small businesses. It’s the norm for them to have no one in the marketing role. They probably have sales people but alas sales is very different from marketing (but they should be done together).

There is very little quality information out there for these super small businesses…sounds like an e-book to me. I wrote a book a while back for companies who were new to exhibiting but still, it was more geared toward companies that had a marketing budget.

By: Eric Lukazewski

Eric Lukazewski — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:14:45 +0000

Great, great post Traci! I appreciate the thought and effort that went in to accurately analyzing the value of a tradeshow lead. Especially when you consider how rich your target is at an event, it truly is an apples to oranges comparison to most traditional advertising.

Considering the ever changing industry of events, evolving habits of a consumer and continued variances in response to messaging, small biz with little to no brand recognition, has a hell of a task. It’s great to see that you, as an organizer, have understood the value that small companies have in the tradeshow world and are providing solutions for them. Kudos.

By: tracibrowne

tracibrowne — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 02:20:37 +0000

Thanks for the compliment Heidi…thanks also for pointing out how important it is to have a marketing/pr collection. That is why planning is so important…so when you have the money you know exactly where you need to put it.

By: Heidi Thorne

Heidi Thorne — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:50:50 +0000

I love the questionnaire scavenger hunt!

Agreed the cost of tradeshows is, on the surface, more expensive that ads. But I think we need to compare the cost of tradeshows with the cost of making personal sales calls. A single sales call can run into the hundreds of dollars (I’ve seen estimates of $300 or more per call) when you consider labor, vehicle costs, insurance, office, etc. In that case, a tradeshow booth, even for small exhibitors, is a bargain.

Successful sales and marketing is a collection of “touches” which would include ads, tradeshows, networking, print ads, social media, and more. Even small businesses need to consider a mix because it will make them more successful in the long run.

Another great article, Traci!