Small Business and Trade Shows

Do you participate in your industry’s trade shows? Sometimes it’s a question of balancing the investment of a show, including travel expenses, booth rental and staff management, with the expected generation of sales or new leads. It’s not an easy decision for some. The next time you ponder whether to exhibit in a trade show, consider the following:

• Results of an American Business Media survey released recently indicate trade shows play an important role in driving the actions of business executives.
• According to the research, after attending a trade show, executives seek additional information on a company's Web site (77%), by talking to a sales rep (73%) or by calling a toll-free number (40%).
• 70 percent of respondents said they purchased or recommended the purchase of a product or service directly as a result of advertising/promotion at a trade show.

Another ABM/Forrester Research study entitled, "The Power of In-person Events,'' determined marketers consider in-person events to be the number one marketing tactic to build brand image and the number one marketing tactic to generate qualified leads. Some trade show attendees, however, state that having to follow-up with leads after such events are expensive and time consuming.

The idea of attending trade shows can be overwhelming, and some find it impossible to fit such events into already busy schedules. One way to help make the decision easier is to contact past exhibitors of a particular trade show that you are interested in attending. Ask them about their experiences with the event, including what they felt about attendance, the overall “feel” of the show, and how many new leads they received.

Trade shows can be beneficial to small businesses if they’re a good fit for your business.