St. Cloud, MN
619 W St. Germain St., Suite 214
St Cloud, MN 56301
(320) 203-4840
Green Bay, WI
520 N Broadway, Suite 270
Green Bay WI, 54303
(920) 884-1496
St. Cloud, MN
619 W St. Germain St., Suite 214
St Cloud, MN 56301
(320) 203-4840
Green Bay, WI
520 N Broadway, Suite 270
Green Bay WI, 54303
(920) 884-1496
Trade shows have historically been a crucial tool for manufacturers to showcase their goods, talk shop, and foster new business leads with an engaged audience. So it’s not surprising that ninety-three percent of advanced manufacturing professionals are likely to return to in-person events, including trade shows. If you're one of many hitting the trade show circuit this fall, here are four tactics to help you make the most of your experience and deliver a favorable ROI.
Trade shows are expensive. The last thing you’ll want to do is spend the significant resources on a trade show presence, but neglect the pre-show work to make the most of the opportunity. Take an active role in promoting your attendance at the trade show. Connect with prospects and current clients to let the know you’ll be there. Use this in-person event as an avenue to set up conversations. This can be done in a number of ways:
As the French writer, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, said: “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” If your goal is to net results from a trade show – whether that be new clients, partnership, or employees – you better have a plan to get there. Here are a few things to consider:
If you’re not nurturing the connections you made at a trade show, you’re wasting a massive opportunity. Even if attendees you connected with aren’t perfectly aligned with what you’re offering – product, service, employment, etc. – that doesn’t mean they won’t eventually need you. Deliberately nurturing this newly acquired contact list can offer both short- and long-term wins. Here are a few ideas:
This is good for you, for company leadership, and for any stakeholders in the trade show event. Identifying the desired outcome and measuring data to show results is a powerful way to keep your team focused on what truly matters. It also will help you filter future opportunities. If a trade show didn’t net you the desired results, does that mean you need to make a change to how you approach that event? Or perhaps skip that event in the future? Be sure to consider the following:
After 2020 and the beginning of 2021, I think it’s safe to say that collectively we will not take in-person events for granted. While virtual events and engagements have forever changed the way most of us do business, nothing will truly replace an in-person event. If you're planning to be at a trade show this year, take advantage of it! A little planning and effort go a long way in turning those prospects stopping at your booth into customers, partners, or employees. Everything begins [and ends] with marketing, even for industrial manufacturers.
Want to take your trade show marketing to the next level? Connect with our team. Give us a goal to hit. We'll map a path to achieve it with you, then get the right tactics in place to execute on it.
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