When you launch a new product, you launch a new marketing campaign to promote it. You should do the same with new trade show exhibits. Trade show displays are only effective if people come see them. People will only come see them if they know that the booths are there. If you do not take the initiative and plan a marketing campaign before the event, your company's presence at the convention may be completely unannounced. Instead, ensure that the word is out about your booths with a few simple marketing decisions.

Identify Potential Visitors To Your Trade Show Exhibits

One of the most difficult elements of a pre-show marketing strategy is determining who might visit your booth and how you can contact them. Few convention organizers will allow you to directly mail attendees. And for that matter, not all attendees will have signed up several weeks before the convention. Even if you could obtain a list, it would be incomplete.

Try to get the most comprehensive list possible. If finding such a list is absolutely unreasonable, then consider what type of audience your product has. Is it a niche market? Or is it something with broad appeal? For a niche market, target everyone you can find within that niche. If your product is general, target anyone within a geographical area near the convention center. They're closest to your trade show exhibits and therefore the most likely to turn out.

Consider Your Best Form Of Contact

Getting the word out about your trade show displays may not require direct mailing to individual households. If you have narrowed your target to a specific geographic area, you might be able to use print marketing instead. Consider your cost options carefully: depending on the status of that market, it may be less expensive to advertise in the mail.

Drawing Traffic To Your Trade Show Displays With Direct Mail

The most effective way to motivate turnout with direct mail is to offer some kind of reward for visiting the trade show exhibits. Mail your attendees a ticket that can be used to redeem something at the convention, and then let them come to you to redeem it. That way, you don't have to pay for postage to actually send the potential visitors an item, and there is no risk that they'll accept the gift and then fail to attend your display.

If you have a large budget and know the addresses of your primary visitors, you can send them a welcome package in advance that also has a gift redeemable at your booth. The welcome package is an excellent idea because it will arrive before the convention starts, giving your visitors time to familiarize themselves with the setup and enjoy the benefits in your welcome kit beforehand. However, if you send only a welcome kit, the visitors might choose not to attend your booth. Combining a gift in the mail with a promised gift in person provides both benefits.

Timing Your Mailings

All of these methods require planning and must be executed before the date of the conference. Generally, all mail items should be received about four to seven days before the convention is scheduled to start. If you choose advertisement instead, that can begin earlier and run later. The main constraint would be staying within your budget.