Tradeshow Marketing

I’m working/attending a tradeshow this weekend. It’s a wholesale, to the trade show. How many of you have tradeshow marketing as part of your plan? Walking around, I see a vast difference between those who take a tradeshow seriously, and those who just show up and throw some catalogs on the supplied black covered tables. Tradeshow success depends a lot on your pre-planning. Does your booth represent your brand or is it generic from tradeshow services? Will customers REMEMBER your booth? What do you have that will draw customers into your booth? Are you a destination booth? Do you have plenty of updated marketing materials to hand out? I see some booths that are always “the place to be.” I see others that are quiet, uninviting dead zones, where its not pleasant to hang out, even if you did have to write an order. Make sure your booth is a comfortable, inviting space and encourage old customers to linger, and new customers to want to hang out. Think about all the senses…have things to touch, see, hear, and maybe taste! Food and drinks is always a hit with tired shoppers!