Participating in trade shows gives more exposure to businesses and brands with the special opportunity of interacting live with prospective customers. There is nothing more exciting for business owners than to showcase their products in front of a live audience and get face to face feedback on their products and services.
Trade shows are always happening somewhere, and businesses have to include the cost of participating in trade fares into the marketing budget. The lack of funds can defeat the purpose of participating in trade shows and preparing a calendar in advance for participating in trade shows around the year is very helpful in creating the budget.
Budget is important
The budget will vary depending on the number of trade shows you have to attend. To create a perfect budget, consider some more factors for which you must have a clear idea about what are the different components of trade show participation.
Setting up a booth to display your products and messaging is a primary requirement for any trade show, and you have to decide whether you should purchase a booth property or whether to rent portable trade show displays as and when required. You should base the decision on your business policy, marketing goals, and budget.
Maintain flexibility for creating the right exhibit
To participate in any trade show, the minimum requirement is to set up a booth that becomes a pavilion for housing your business at the venue. What kind of a booth you must have, its size and other infrastructural elements would depend on your budget. You must know what size and style of display would be right for the occasion. It might also depend on the organizers of the trade show who might have restrictions as well as the size of the space that you purchase.
Staying flexible and having alternate plans ready helps you create the right type of exhibit to fit the circumstances and available resources.
The rule of thumb
‘Having the right tool for the job’ is the right approach in deciding what type of display booth you should have at any particular trade show. However, you can follow some basic guidelines that remain the same regardless of the venue and nature of the trade show.
The style and size of display would depend primarily on the goals that you have set up for your trade show programs. Also, the number of trade shows you want to attend in a year, the average size of the booth and the portability requirements also determine what style would suit you. What kind of display you want for static and dynamic communication, the quality of graphic design, the need for meetings and demonstrations all influence the style of the booth and its size.
How best you can operate within the budget while meeting your unique needs is what you must always keep in mind.