Choosing The Right Trade Show

The right show makes a big difference

Choosing the right show is key to your trade show success. You could be doing everything else right, but if you are at the wrong show, you have just wasted your time and money. The methodology I found best for choosing the right trade show is to focus on those shows targeted narrowly at my target audience (e.g., IT Directors, Chief Marketing Officers, etc.) and pick the largest shows that cater to that audience.

If you go to shows that are not well-targeted, you are wasting your time on 70 or 80 percent of your booth visitors who are not potential buyers.

If you go to shows that are too small, you will be making a big investment in time and money and end up meeting only a handful of relevant buyers.

If you are not sure if the show is right for you, ask the show organizer for detailed demographics of the last show's visitors. Look at the breakdown by job title, company size, visitor vs. vendor, and other criteria the show organizer may have collected, which are relevant to you.

Do not settle for this year's expected turnout when assessing a show. Ask for the actual turnout at the last show. If there is a big difference in favor of this year's expected turnout, ask for the reasoning behind that difference so that you can realistically assess the expected show turnout.

Do not be tempted to exhibit at a large industry show just because there will be many visitors there. If the demographics show that only 10% of the visitors are in your target audience, it will be a total waste of your time and money.

All other things being equal, opt for a show in which you can secure a speaking opportunity. Talking in front of a captive audience can go a long way towards strengthening your brand and driving people to your booth.

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Take Away Tips

Tip #1 - A bigger show is not necessarily a better one.

Tip #2 - Always check demographics and previous shows turnout.

Tip #3 - Opt for a speaking opportunity when available.

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