Exhibiting at a trade show is time consuming and expensive, but if done properly is very rewarding, both on a personal basis for those manning the booth, and financially for your company. There is no doubt that by attending the correct trade shows, you will get to see more people in the course of a day or two than you could ever expect to see by using other marketing methods. The best thing of all is that instead of you having to make contact with potential customers, they come along to visit you.
However, while the concept sounds fairly easy; possibly even foolproof, it is important to remember that to make a success of exhibiting at a trade show preparations need to start well in advance and one of the important issues that needs to be overcome is the budget.
Quite simply, you can't plan or prepare anything until your budget has been set and agreed and that means presenting to the accounts department. If you have attended trade shows in the past and they have been successful, then you are not likely to come across too many problems. Indeed there is every chance you may be able to get an increased budget, so you can have a larger booth area or an enhanced display booth.
If you have attended a trade show before and it wasn't particularly successful, you probably do have a bit of a problem to overcome. Accounts department by their very nature can be sceptical; even more so when there is a previous record of something not producing the required or expected return. You job, along with other people in your sales team, need to put together a very persuasive case. The same applies if you have never exhibited before.
Setting your budget requirements means you have to undertake a fair amount of advance research. However, it is paramount that you do this. Contact the trade show organisers to ascertain the cost of booth space rental; ascertain the cost of hiring or buying a booth and all the peripheral equipment that is needed.
Work out provisional costs for printing brochures and leaflets and any giveaways. Don't forget to take account of travel costs, accommodation and expenses while you and your team are attending the trade show.
Importantly, once you have your expected figure, increase it by about 10 to 15 percent. There will always be items or extras that you didn't include and you really don't want to have to go back to the accounts department to get more money; likewise you don't want to go over budget so the accounts department get a shock, as it will affect your ability to get the finance going forward.
Ask for a little more than you need and then you may not have to spend it all. There is nothing an accountant likes more than when the budgeted amount was not spent and if you manage this and make a success of the trade show then you really are in a powerful position for next year's trade show.
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Written by Lawrence Reaves for Monster Displays - http://www.monsterdisplays.com/ - who specialize in the manufacture and production of trade show displays, digital signage, large format graphics, and an unending collection of accessories that are superior in today's market.
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