This article is the first in a three-part series helping manufacturers maximize their return on investment in trade shows.
In this part, we discuss the pre-show build-up.
Part II: How to Work a Manufacturing Trade Show Booth
Part III: How to Follow Up with Manufacturing Trade Show Leads
Companies that increase booth traffic and high-quality leads during trade shows begin their marketing a month or more in advance. They also use email, social media, print, and their own website, as well as third-party publications and event advertising or sponsorship. The larger challenge is identifying what to say, do, or offer in order to get the right people to visit your booth during the show.
We’ve all heard it before: failing to plan is planning to fail. In spite of this, we’ve also heard how many manufacturers struggle to generate a decent ROI (return on investment) from their trade show efforts.
If you’re exhibiting at industry trade shows and you rely on the leads they produce to grow your business, improve your ROI by starting with intentional build-up.
Butterfield Color is one of the nation’s most well-known companies for decorative concrete stains and stamps. They exhibit at 5-10 trade shows every year in order to strengthen their relationship with customers, distributors, and contractors face-to-face, as well as to build new relationships with potential customers. While Butterfield typically takes a conservative marketing approach, when it comes to the World of Concrete trade show in Las Vegas, they hold nothing back.
One week to 10 days before World of Concrete begins, Butterfield’s crew arrives on-site in Las Vegas. Why so early? They spend a full week or more pouring concrete and building the company’s entire exhibit–literally from the ground up.
As the crew built its exhibit, they also took photos to create a timeline gallery for their website and social media.
Butterfield’s significant investment has built a level of expectation over the years at World of Concrete. For attendees, the question is not, “Should we visit Butterfield’s booth?” but rather, “What will Butterfield’s booth feature this year?”
It’s not possible for every company to build up to a trade show the way Butterfield Color does. Michigan-based BW Manufacturing chose to create anticipation around its industry revolutionizing product. They used an email marketing and print postcard campaign to unveil the D-1800 machine leading up to World of Concrete.
Like Butterfield, BW Manufacturing felt that showing specs and photos at their booth wasn’t good enough. So, they brought the 4,480 pound, 9′ 1/2″ long by 5′ foot wide and 5′ foot tall machine itself.
The D-1800 wasn’t even listed yet in any of BW Manufacturing’s sales collateral. So, the only way to see it was by invitation or by visiting the company’s World of Concrete booth.
A full month before World of Concrete, Idea Graphic Designer, Sean Moran, and Marketing Associate, Holly Walsh, worked with BW Manufacturing to create a visual teaser postcard with a dual purpose.
“The D-1800 new product introduction was the primary purpose for the postcard design and the back side included an invitation to see it in person at World of Concrete as a secondary message,” Moran said.
Walsh then created a campaign of four emails. The first three emails invited recipients to the BW Manufacturing booth. Each included a detailed map of the exhibit hall that marked the location of their booth. The emails also featured an opportunity to win one of several raffle prizes. The emails had an open and click-through rate higher than average and they even exceeded the industry average for manufacturers.
Pro Tip: The best reason to visit your booth should not be the free candy, the branded SWAG, or the free beer. Trade show marketing is a game of quality leads, not foot traffic.
Continue to Part II: How to Work a Manufacturing Trade Show Booth
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