Trade show tips: get management buy-in, plan ahead and attract attention. Sponsor a seminar?

• Author: Held, Shari
• Position: TRADE SHOWS

PARTICIPATING IN A trade show requires a commitment of time, resources and money, but done properly, it can reap substantial rewards. Here are tips from the experts that can help make your next trade show experience the best one yet.

"It starts by getting genuine top-level management buy-in to the importance of trade events as an integral part of the total marketing strategy up front," says Mick Parrott, president and CEO of Fort Wayne-based ICON International, a global marketing concepts company with offices in Indianapolis and San Francisco. "Trade shows are often the last piece in the market strategy, and as a result it is difficult to get top-management buy-in that late in the process."

Doing your homework, Before committing to a particular trade show, do your homework to ensure it is a good fit for your business.

"Businesses are contacted by many trade show organizers, and they need to look at the reputation of the organizer," says Michael Coffeen, sales and marketing director for the Grand Wayne Center in Fort Wayne, a 50,000-square-foot convention center. "What other shows have they done? Go to one of their shows and see how they do it. Ask about their marketing. How are they going to market the show? Who are they going to bring in? What kind of advertising tools are they using? Newspapers? Direct mail? TV ads? Radio ads? What is their marketing plan? How much are they spending on marketing? Does the show you are interested in have a dedicated Web site? All that is important. Because if you are going to spend the money to be at a show you want some results. You want a ROI. And you have to ask those hard questions."

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Another question to ask, according to Chris Gahl, senior manager of media relations, Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Center is if attendance is up or down from previous years. "You need to gauge the interest in a trade show each year," he says. "That is always a good barometer. We've seen an increase in almost all of our shows in attendance." The Indiana Convention Center Complex, with more than 400,000 square feet of exhibit space and nearly 140,000 square feet of meeting space, hosts some of the largest events in the country, including the National FFA convention/trade show this month with 55,000 anticipated attendees.

Marylinn Thomlison, director of conference sales and marketing for The Centre in Evansville, asks show promoters if advance information about the anticipated audience will be provided when she considers participating in a trade show to promote The Centre, a 280,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art convention center. "You are much more willing to sign up to exhibit at the show when you are going to get information that will warrant and qualify that this show will have people who, in our case...