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Trade Show and Event Marketing
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Trade Show and Event Marketing

Plan, Promote and Profit

Ruth Stevens
Thomson South-Western, 2005
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

If you are in marketing and you exhibit at trade shows, this book may change your behavior forever. Not only does it provide in-depth information about what trade shows can do and how they operate, but it also explains the financial structure you should put in place to determine whether participating in a trade show is worth your while financially. That may be bad news for corporate marketers who prefer to unpack their booth, buy the coffee and flowers, and hand out literature. But if you want to turn a trade show appearance into a truly special corporate event, author Ruth Stevens has a game plan for you. Her book includes sample budgets, case studies, expense spread sheets, lead generation forms, checklists, survey ideas and a great appendix listing sources of additional information. It explains everything you need to know about the opportunities that trade shows offer and how you can use them to advance your marketing goals. getAbstract highly recommends this book to marketing managers of business-to-business companies who want to start getting solid returns from special events.

Summary

Stop Wasting Money on Trade Shows

Trade shows and other corporate events provide ideal opportunities to identify new customers, foster closer relationship with current ones, enhance the sales process, debut new products and boost your company’s visibility. But many companies do not take full advantage of such business events. As a result, corporations waste much of the annual $21 billion they spend on trade shows and the $15 billion they spend on other corporate events.

To get the most out of your company’s trade show appearances, carefully select which shows to attend and define your objectives and message. Consider what types of pre- and post-event marketing activities to stage. Each show you attend should complement your strategic marketing plan and contribute to overall profitability.

Trade shows and corporate events are your chance to meet customers face to face. They also enable you to:

  • Prospect to a qualified audience - One study found that 57% of the people who attend trade shows are planning to buy within the next year, and 93% have influence over purchasing decisions.
  • Accelerate the buying process - You can close a sale to a prospect...

About the Author

Ruth Stevens consults on customer acquisition and retention for consumer and business-to-business clients. She is the author of The DMA Lead Generation Handbook and numerous articles, and has taught at New York University and the Columbia University Business School.

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