Renting a booth can be very expensive and well beyond the means of many start-up companies.
Trade shows can still be a fruitful public relations medium, however, even if you are without portfolio (so to speak).
The press doesn’t care
if you have a booth; it is not a sign of wealth or poverty.
On the other
hand, not having a booth may be a sign of good marketing.
For
instance, Peter Norton Computing didn’t exhibit at Comdex.
Instead, they hosted
a hospitality suite for reporters and VIPs, and a breakfast for user group
presidents.
Trade show publicity strategies without a booth include meetings in the Press Room, talking to members of the press outside other companies’ press conferences, and other strategies discussed in greater detail in the next chapters. The fact is, you can discuss your product or conduct quick demos for reporters while standing outside the Press Room or in a hallway. This is exactly how Ken Skier’s No-Squint Laptop Cursor conducted a ten-second demo to dozens of reporters at a recent Comdex. Reporters grasped the concept instantly – seeing is believing. They walked away with a copy of the software and enough information to write an article or review. Many small products can be demonstrated in this informal way.