Trade shows: 13 ways to generate more business.

• Author: Ess, Charlie

Many trade show attendees say revenues increase following their presence at a trade show. The key is in getting noticed and communicating with potential customers. Pictured are booths at the State Chamber of Commerce Convention in Valdez.

Trade shows are a gamble any way you look at them. Months in advance, you commit to a booth for hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars, and as the time draws near, spend weeknights prepping you displays for a marathon weekend away from home - all for the chance that your efforts will increase exposure, generate business leads and, with any luck, boost your sales throughout the next year and beyond.

Working in the world of trade shows may never be painless, but with a few tricks from the experts, it can become well worth your while. Some vendors say they see an immediate jump in retail sales, and one said the exposure generates an extra month's worth of revenue during the year. As the international events coordinator with Sourdough Productions, one of Alaska's largest trade show producers, Rada Jones offers these tips:

1. SET A GOAL ON WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE. Reasons to set up a booth most commonly fall under the categories of generating new leads, gaining exposure, marketing new services or selling products directly, says Jones. Deciding where to focus in planning a campaign goes a long way, she says.

2. PUT SOMEONE IN CHARGE OF SETTING UP THE SHOW. Delegate responsibility to someone who not only will decide the booth's contents, but also will complete details including a roster of employees or representatives to work the booth during the entire show. This direction and focus will prove important once the doors are open to the public and precious days rush by. "There are only so many hours to do whatever you set yourself to do," reminds Jones.

3. KEEP TRACK OF COL TACTS - AND FOLLOW UP. Jones suggests that you should have more than a pile of business cards from people who drop by your display to chat. "Keep track of the content of the conversations," she recommends. Then after the show, make a point of maintaining a relationship with the visitors.

4. BEWARE OF INFORMATION OVERLOAD. It's easy to overwhelm prospects visiting your display, Jones warns. "Define the product or service," she says, "and just hit on that. You can provide more detail later (during the follow up calls)."

   Sidney Booksh, owner of Machinery Diagnostics, and a first-time vendor at the Pacific Rim Construction, Oil and Mining Expo...