The in-person Trade Shows are slowly coming back to life, but they are fraught with their own unique
issues. In the past you thru your stuff into shipping cases, hopped on a plane or drove into the venue to
either exhibit or attend a Trade Show. It suddenly is more complicated than it has ever been with so
many things to consider.

If you are exhibiting:

What is the quality of the clientele that are expected to attend? Is this really your market? Just because
there are a lot of attendees does not mean that they are the type of attendee you are looking to market
and sell to.

Get familiar with your budget. In the past there were lump sums that were designated for Trade show
and expenses. Practice a critical eye and judgement when deciding what you are going to bring to a
show. It is not necessary to pack everything you have “just in case”. Pack the necessities and really
look at your marketing material. If you have to many redundancies, get rid of them. Pair down what
you are taking to help preserve your ROI.

Be creative and stand out. With social distancing and hygiene standards many of the crowd-pleasing
games and presentations just won’t be possible. You will need to get creative with how you draw
attention to your booth and your product.

Maybe it is time to call in the professionals and invest in a new booth or components that will help you
stand out in a sea of other booths vying for attention.

Now is the time to ramp up Digital Marketing, you may not be able to have a crowd attracting game or
presentation, but you can create a digital buzz, thru social media and your website. This will keep your
brand in their minds and drive traffic to your website.

Make sure your staff is familiar with the new requirements and can effectively interact with potential
clients at a distance or behind barriers.

Be aware of the potential for supply chain delays. If you are allowed to hand out any of the typical “give
away “items, make sure you order them well in advance. When shipping your booth and other
components make sure that you are ahead of schedule and not shipping at the last minute. Backlogs
and peak season volumes has extended shipping times in many regions.

If you are attending:
Respect the social distancing and hygiene guidelines, they are there for everyone’s benefit.
Be prepared to give these people some of your time. Gone are the days of just casually walking buy with
a nod. These people are there to introduce you to their products, give them the courtesy of listening,
you could be surprised by what you hear.
Participate in the Digital Marketing, it doesn’t hurt to “Like, Comment and Share”.