Just as you must match your message with appropriate reporters, you must also select trade shows that reach your desired audience. Before going to a show, check the show’s demographics, so you’re assured of reaching your target market.
Where will you find this information? Every trade show has a sales office that religiously tracks the demographics of the audience. (Each attendee must usually complete a thorough questionnaire. Exhibitors also complete a similar survey as part of their application for participation.) After each show the sales office produces a report that becomes an integral part of their marketing for the next show. The information the convention or show group collects includes:
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Number of attendees
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Job titles
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Buying power (individual and corporate)
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Information about the size and nature of attendees’ companies
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Names of reporters who attended, and total count
To identify the best shows and conventions to invest your time and money in, study these show reports and determine whether the show fits the profile of the audiences you want to reach. Check the show’s track record: talk to a few previous exhibitors, and listen to their stories. It’s also worth your time to call your target reporters, ask them which shows they usually attend and ask if they plan to attend the show you’re considering. Also, find out what the convention group is doing to promote the show and attract attendees. This is especially important at regional meetings and new shows.
It’s worthwhile to do thorough research before you commit to a show. Make sure that the “big guns” in your industry will be represented. They are the primary drawing card to bring your market to you. Experience demonstrates how without them, a show can be a miserable failure: it can become an exhibitor-to-exhibitor show – a relatively non-productive use of time and money, multiplying the costs geometrically.