you can think of – every industry, every hobby and every association. There are trucking
conventions for truck drivers. There are food shows, graphics shows, building shows, gift
shows, art shows, antique shows, furniture shows, fishing shows, motorcycle shows, health
shows, software shows, golf shows, marketing shows, woodworking shows, boat shows,
clothing shows and even tire shows. There are general shows and there are highly targeted
shows. There are large shows and there are small shows. You will never find a shortage of
trade shows.
Not only are trade shows prevalent, but baby boomers love trade shows and conventions.
They attend them and they head them up as well. If you want to advertise to baby boomers,
this is definitely the place to be. For example, the Philadelphia Flower Show reports that
62% of their attendees are baby boomers.
Adding trade shows, as one of your guerrilla marketing weapons will allow you to
accomplish many goals, including:
. Selling what you offer to attendees
. Selling what you offer to other exhibitors
. Getting leads to follow up with
. Networking with other professionals
. Establishing your industry positioning
. Meeting with existing customers
. Meeting people you wouldn’t otherwise meet
. Introducing new products to the market
. Doing market research
. Finding new dealers, representatives and distributors
. Finding new employees
. Conducting business meetings
. Scoping out the competition
. Gaining media exposure
. Increasing your industry knowledge
. Generating hundreds of qualified leads quickly
. Building rapport with customers and prospects
. Increasing your name awareness
. Penetrating new markets in a brief time
. Presenting your business in a new perspective
. Increasing contact with your suppliers
. Separating yourself from the competition
Trade shows are an extremely effective way to market, and that is why there is a show for
everything. For many businesses, it’s their primary strategy, and if done right, these
companies can get so much out of trade show marketing that they only need to supplement
those efforts with a couple smaller tactics.
Chapter 26:
- Guerrilla Trade Show Marketing Methods
- Compound Marketing
- Follow Up is Key to Effective Trade Show Marketing
- Selecting Trade Shows For Your Niche
