Trade fairs are an immensely powerful marketing medium. They attract tens of thousands of global buyers and vendors in just a brief time period. There are a lot of ways to look for vendors and goods, however, none can match the benefits that the trade fairs provide. Their reach is worldwide, their ability to connect sellers to buyers is unparalleled, and lastly, they are extremely affordable, as they don’t need to pay an arm and a leg to sponsor. All these benefits lead tens of thousands of businesses to attend trade fairs in an yearly basis, and increase their sales enormously.
There are two major ways to examine the marketplace trends at a trade fair. One would be to personally participate in it. It’s fairly possible you might get ideas which you want to execute differently or examine new technologies. If you don’t go to a trade fair, then you are going to miss a massive opportunity to observe how other exhibitors are dealing with the competition. On the flip side, if you are at a trade fair, you’ll also be able to take home the newest ideas and technologies which you’ve learned from the competition.
In addition to analyzing the tendencies and purchasing the right products for your stalls, it’s also advisable to study the prices and the floor space required for exhibiting your products. Most trade shows possess stiff floor area requirements. If your plan is to establish an exhibit at a fair, you will most likely have to employ a number of heavy, mobile exhibits. Such exhibits are more acceptable for temporary displays and smaller displays, rather than long-term exhibitions. You should also examine the average price level per square foot for the various trade fairs and exhibitions in your area and purchase a booth which will fit into this budget. Study the layout of the exhibition floor area, and choose an exhibit that will not congestage the floor area – attempt to choose an exhibit that will optimize the available floor area.
One other significant factor that you ought to consider is the level of interaction that will be potential between the visitors and the exhibitors in the trade shows. Typically, trade shows are attended by businesses, business professionals and investment bankers. If you want to be effective at a trade fair, you want to set up a booth which will not only attract visitors, but one which may even encourage them to socialize with you and the company.
Interaction in a trade show can be complicated, since most visitors at trade shows do not speak English, nor do they generally speak the local language. Some companies also hire translators to work together with their customers in a language-friendly method. Try to concentrate your efforts on prospective customers who speak your target language, and whose intention is to find and purchase products that match their personal requirements. This can help you communicate with these prospective customers.
Lastly, you should use social networking events to construct your presence at trade shows. Most businesses today regularly hold social media events within the weeks before and after they hold trade displays. These events allow stall attendees to meet other stalls, create relationships with other companies and traders, and network together. For some companies, social media events are so precious that they give an entire exhibit booth to networking events. You should definitely consider attending some of these events within the weeks before your trade show.
