Tradeshow Marketing
Whether it is your first tradeshow or your 20th, make sure to have your marketing & printed materials executed well in advance. This will cut down on the stress of making deadlines on printed or promotional items and booth displays.
A good senseable timeline is needed. Keep this timeline updated every year. You may only need to tweek things a little each time depending on your need to refresh things. So what things should be on your time line?
First and foremost, the tradeshows deadline for signing the contract and deposit for a booth space. Booth assignments are almost always first come first serve. So the quicker you sign the contract and make the deposit the better your spot will be. Depending on the tradeshow company, they may begin contract signing up to a year in advance.
Next, if this is your first time you need to have a map of your booth to know where people will be entering and exiting your area. Then, come up with a eye catching display. You can go through your advertising & marketing company or a tradeshow company for booth ideas and execution. Find out what the turn around time will be once a display or graphics are finalized. Be prepared to give approval and payment at least 6 to 8 weeks in advance for your project to be put into production.
Then, at about 4-6 weeks out, it is a good time to order yourself a nice fresh box of business cards making sure all information is up-to-date, along with flyers, brochures, postcards and giveaways with your name & logo on EVERYTHING. Your printer will need at least 1-2 weeks for production and delivery once all artwork has been approved and payment made.
Make every dollar you’ve spent on this tradeshow count. You can do a mass email blast to all your satisfied customers, old and new. If you decide to send out a mailing, postcards are the most cost-effective. Be sure to have your postcards & mailing lists ready 4 weeks prior to the show. Have these sent out no later than 2 weeks prior to the first opening day.
Finally, make sure your website or blog announces the tradeshow location, time and booth number at least 2 weeks before the show. Also, make sure to annouce this information on your facebook, twitter and other social media to get the word out instantly.
Sticking to this timeline should have all items ready for the show with time to spare.
If you need any assistance with any of your marketing collateral,
give us a call at 919-553-3311.