There are so many reasons trade shows are important. From the earliest days of modern trade shows such as The Great Exhibition, hosted by Queen Victoria, businesspeople have been gathering to show off the advances they’ve made in their respective industries, and to try to impress the crowds who are drawn to the innovation and business opportunities on display.
The central purpose of trade shows hasn’t changed. We use them to create business and marketing opportunities which bring in new customers to our businesses. However there are a sea of secondary ways you can still benefit from the advantages of trade shows in the modern, often online-driven, marketing arena.
Trade Show or Training Ground?
There are many modern avenues for interacting with existing and potential customers, including the incredible new grounds, opened up by the use of things like QR codes, which you can find out more about at the Gold Image Printing blog post QR Codes: Scan for Customer Connection. However, there’s nothing quite like attending trade shows to give you face-to-face time with people who are not only coming to you with an open mind but are quite likely to be actively seeking out the kinds of goods or services you provide. This up close and personal interaction is a fantastic reason to exhibit at trade shows. It’s also the perfect opportunity for you and your staff to show off their knowledge of your products, and their ability to effectively promote them.
The combination of technical know-how and eye-catching displays like this incredible SEG backlit frame take modern production and advertising technology and integrate them with the kind of on-the-job learning and customer interaction that can only really be found at trade fairs. In practical terms, when you increase staff exposure to your clients and products, you’re killing two birds with one stone. Not only do your clients get the chance to build in-person relationships with you and your staff, but your staff will also have to really get to grips with the fundamentals of what you offer so that they can effectively communicate this to your customer base.
What’s the Competition Up To?
One of the key benefits of trade shows is the chance to see your competition up close and personal. When else but a trade show will you be placed in such close proximity with your friends and rivals for such a long time? You don’t want to be left behind, discovering too late that other market elements are taking advantage of design services that you haven’t thought of yet, or are bringing to market products or services that would be perfect for your customers.
With so much business being done on the internet these days, it can be hard to fully understand the products, and services being employed by others in your field, or indeed in the companies you might network with for your own business needs. What seems super slick and straightforward online might be revealed to be less than ideal in the real world, whereas a product or service you never would have considered might show up at every exhibit at a trade show, and draw large numbers of potential customers.
There are so many businesses out there that are failing to fully capitalize on their trade show potential, but with fantastic resources and blog posts, and other online resources outlining fundamental trade show essentials, there’s no reason for you to fall into the same trap. You can be fully prepared to blow away the competition, but where should you focus your efforts?
How Can You Outshine Everyone Else?
Obviously, you know your business better than anyone, but it’s always a good idea to gather as much knowledge as possible before you embark on your next trade show journey.
Branding is the foundation of brand growth, and this is vital both on and offline. That’s why it’s important to go to the people who understand best how you can utilize your branding, and indeed how you can best build a brand identity in the first place. When you partner with a company like Gold Image Printing, they can guide you toward the best use of your branding. If you show up to your next trade show with a fully coordinated unique custom booth, or a unique fresh custom booth, you’ll stand out compared to your competition in three important ways – coordination, professionalism, and attention to detail.
Choosing a company who have shown they understand the myriad different Ways to Increase Small Business Customer Engagement, as well as one which has a long history of perfectionism in the world of printing, is another surefire way to stand out on the trade show floor. It’s all too easy to miss the small details when it comes to printed media, especially when this isn’t the focus of your own business. Outsourcing these worries to a business whose sole focus is making sure your trade show booth and printed material are perfect will save you money in the long run, and could well be the tipping point between landing a big new client and seeing them take their business elsewhere.
After all, what is a trade show for if not to show the best possible face of your company to the public?
So What If You Don’t Do?
There are plenty of people who would ask why trade shows are important these days, seeing them as somewhat anachronous, often expensive, and often logistically complicated. This may seem like a sensible position, but it misses the holistic, qualitative benefits of getting out into the world and meeting your clients – and your competition! Trade shows are a great opportunity to build teamwork and camaraderie, and to strengthen business ties between your business and others with whom you’d like to work.
So while not attending trade shows may seem like a money-saving choice, in the long term, you might find yourself regretting the less obvious opportunity costs of deciding to stay home.
A Helping Hand From a Trusted Source
But where to start? If you’re less experienced in the setting up and tearing down processes, spending some money on graphic installation services is a great way to learn from the expertise of others.
While trade shows may seem like they’re less important as we move forward into ever more digital realms, it might be a very good idea to remember how much people enjoy interacting and building relationships with the businesses they work with, and how these relationships could benefit you long into the future.