What to do next after you buy a space at a trade show

by Vivienne Kane

It seems like a good idea at the time. You’ve been offered a stand at a trade show that will be full to the brim with customers who fit your target market to a tee. And the price is a steal.

So you sign on the dotted line. You’re committed. Then what? What’s your objective? Sales, new leads, new product launch, building brand awareness, meeting customers and prospects face to face?

How are you going to get a really big bang for your buck – both the money you’ve spent, and the time and effort you and your staff will invest in being there?

Here are a few suggestions:

  • Publicise it on your Facebook page – announce the event with an enticing benefit to attendance
  • Mail a personalised invitation to all appropriate customers and prospects in your database – with more good reasons to attend
  • Print some give away desk calendars and notepads customised with your logo and details – and a call to action
  • Print a booklet with useful tips on a subject relevant to your customers and your product
  • Run a competition on the day 
  • Display a banner with your key business pitch
  • Promote the event at your usual point of sale, and on a postcard or brochure with your product when you ship
  • Think strategic alliance – do you have colleague/s with a business which serves the same target market, who could offer a product or service of value to your trade show audience? Why not make up a branded show bag with your calendar, notepad, information booklet and voucher/s from your strategic alliance partners? Branding a limited run of bags with a logo sticker is easy and affordable
  • Do a short run of business cards with a QR code link to the event – and hand them out like confetti. And add the QR code to your invoices and quotes.

What other ideas do you have? Or have you road tested a strategy that kicked goals at a business event or trade show? We’d love to hear.


Vivienne Kane is the co-owner and Business Development Manager of Minuteman Press Prahran, an inner Melbourne print and design supplier. Minuteman Prahran specialises in assisting small businesses to buy and use print successfully, and also has an online custom calendar website – CalendarPrint. Vivienne started her career as a Speech Pathologist, has 3 Gen Y children, a Golden Retriever, an almost empty nest and a passion for travel and reading.

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The views and opinions of the author expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Hotfrog.