Giving our customers the business advantage with proven

strategies for exhibiting success.

Exhibitor Marketing Guide

www.exhibitoradvantage.com
 exhibitor
advantage

W elcome to the Exhibitor Advantage Program, courtesy of Diversified Business Communications. This program
is your guide to improving productivity and controlling costs at your next Diversified show. It will help you
promote your company’s participation at the show, meet with more of your clients and prospects at the event and
follow up with more results.

This Exhibitor Advantage Program offers you:

• The Exhibitor Marketing Guide, filled with tips, techniques, samples, resources and checklists to maximize your
company’s promotion investment before, during and after the show.
• Six Exhibitor Updates: strategies for establishing measurable objectives, selecting and training your booth staff,
saving money with show services and turning your leads into sales after the show.
• An Exhibitor Website (www.exhibitoradvantage.com), your one-stop shop for all the information and materials
you need to increase the return on your investment at your next Diversified Business Communications show.

Everything in the Exhibitor Marketing Guide is designed to maximize the return on your investment at your next
show. Share all these new tools, especially this guide, with your sales team, marketing and communications
departments, distributors, agents and reps.

We’d love to hear from you! Please contact us at 207.842.5550 or by email at exhibitoradvantage@divcom.com with
questions or ideas about how we can help you attract more buyers, prospects and media attention to your booth.

Thank you.


 exhibitor
advantage

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Increase Your Show’s Return on Investment with Measurable Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Diversified Business Communications Brings Buyers to the Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Identify and Attract the Right Buyers to Your Booth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8

Marketing Tools to Bring More Buyers into Your Booth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Proven Pre-show Marketing Techniques to Increase Your Booth Traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16

Diversified Attracts Media to the Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

How to Attract Media Attention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-19

Post Show Follow-up — Turning Leads into Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Promotion Schedule and Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-23

Sponsorship and Advertising Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Diversified Business Communications’ Event Staff and Additional Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25


 exhibitor
advantage

Increase Your Show’s Return on Investment with

Measurable Objectives

Determining Measurable Objectives for a Diversified Show

First, decide what your company wants to accomplish by exhibiting at a Diversified

Business Communications show. Using the list below, develop your own list of
objectives. Make them measurable so that you can track your progress and see your
success. These measurable objectives must be:
Julia O’Connor of
• Aligned with your company’s marketing plan
Tradeshow Training, Inc.
• Targeted to the different types of attendees who will visit your booth: customers, says,

“
hot prospects, cool prospects and new leads you will make at the show
• Specific and quantifiable, so you can track: Your trade show
z Number of visitors to your booth must be part
z Booth visitors by target audience (by accounts, by industry, by title, etc.) of your company’s
z One-on-one meetings with key accounts marketing
z Number of qualified leads continuum.
z Lead quality mix (percent of A, B, C leads, etc.) Shows are
z Lead mix by geography or product interest marketing events
z Lead mix by the day and hour of the show bracketed by
z Number and value of sales confirmed all types of
z Number of international distribution deals completed marketing done
z Number of requests for proposals received before and after.
z Amount of media coverage received When you think of a
z Percentage increase in your company and/or product awareness among tradeshow as a one
attendees after the show time thing, your
z Numbers of attendees exposed to your demo or live presentation company loses
z Number of questionnaires completed by target audience momentum in the

”
z Number and quality of strategic alliances confirmed with other exhibiting marketplace.
companies
Make sure your sales force is involved in creating these objectives and executive
management agrees with them.
Using your company’s measurable objectives, target your marketing dollar to get the
most out of your investment. You can use these measurable objectives to create a
“picture of success” that will guide all of your decisions regarding:
• Pre-show marketing and PR efforts
• Your display’s theme, graphics and floor plan
• Products and services to spotlight in your booth
• Premiums and literature to distribute
• Design of your lead-follow-up campaign, which begins as soon as the show is over

Make all your objectives SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results oriented and Timebound.


 exhibitor
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Diversified Business Communications Brings Buyers to the Show

DIRECT MARKETING
Mailings, faxes and e-mails to buyers in target markets.
Print promotions to prospects, including segmented letters, visitor brochures and reminder postcards.
Follow-up e-mails and faxes to complement the direct-mail campaign.
Phone calls to past registrants extending a personal invitation to the show.

ADVERTISING
Show ads in international, national and regional trade publications to reach hundreds of thousands of
qualified buyers.
Radio ads on stations broadcasting to areas where shows are held.


 exhibitor
advantage
Identify the Right Buyers and Attract Them to Your Exhibit

Successful exhibitors know that the competition for the attendee’s limited time on the
exhibit floor is fierce. To get their fair share of booth traffic, they don’t just rent space,
show up and hope people find them. They use targeted pre-show marketing to get
on the right attendees’ agendas before the show opens.
So how do you get on an attendee’s “short list”? It’s easier than you think. Here are
four steps to help you fill your booth with qualified buyers at your next Diversified
Business Communications show:
STEP 1. Invest 15% or more of your total show budget on pre-show marketing.
The average exhibitor allocates just 6% of its show budget to pre-show marketing.
Most of these average exhibitors don’t get results. Of all the things you will spend NOTE: Go to
money on, pre-show marketing is one of the most important. Don’t skimp in this
Diversified Business
critical area. It can mean the difference between a busy exhibit and watching
people pass you by.
Communications’
new Exhibitor
STEP 2. Identify the buyers you want to visit your exhibit and build target
visitor lists. Advantage website
(www.exhibitoradvantage.com)
Start in-house with your sales team and your distribution channels. Build a list of
customers and current prospects you would like to have visit your exhibit. Include to learn more from
anyone who has inquired about your products or services over the last 12 months. Jefferson Davis’
Ask yourself, “What types of companies and what job functions/titles do we want to webinars. These
visit our exhibit?” complimentary
STEP 3. Give attendees a compelling reason to visit your exhibit. one-hour business
Don’t just pitch products and services; focus on solving problems, creating seminars cover
opportunities and delivering meaningful value. Analyze your company, products measurable objectives,
and services carefully. What is your value proposition? What problems do you solve? pre-show promotions,
What opportunities do you create? What do you do better than your competition? and increasing your
What benefits do you deliver? sales at the show.
Use powerful visual images and captivate attendees with provocative benefit- and
solution-focused headlines like: “Slash your downtime by 15%,” or “Increase your
turns by 20% without increasing your costs.” Everyone is interested in solving
problems, reducing costs, improving results and getting more value. Tell attendees
specifically how you can help, and they will come running to your exhibit.
STEP 4. Use a combination of media to implement an integrated pre-show
marketing campaign.
Integrate multiple media to “touch” prospective visitors at least three times before
the show opens. Start with print advertising in mass media and publicity in industry
trade publications. Advertise in show publications, such as the official show
directory and be sure to include your booth number on all advertisements. Then
add one-to-one media: personal letters of invitation, postcards and formal
invitations. Be sure to include an exhibit pass, when available. Put the third and
final touch on your program with more personal media like e-mail, faxes and
personal telephone calls. To increase response, offer a reward for responding; e.g.,
entry into a contest. Better yet, invite prospects to your booth to pick up a free gift.
With a little creative thought, some basic planning and focused execution, you
will have a booth full of interested and qualified visitors. All it takes is targeted
pre-show marketing.

Jefferson Davis, “The Tradeshow Turnaround Artist”, Competitive Edge

jdavis@compedgetraining.com www.compedgetraining.com

 exhibitor
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Attract More Buyers and Prospects to Your Booth with Pre-Show Marketing

The most important aspect of your next Diversified Business Communications show is the quality and quantity of your
pre-show marketing.

FACT: 76% of attendees arrive at the show with an agenda.

FACT: Attendees spend quality time with 26 exhibitors at a show.
FACT: Half of these 26 exhibitors scheduled appointments in advance.
Source: Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR)
CONCLUSION: Two months before each show, your company has to
get on your clients’ and prospects’ agendas.

It’s a fact that the level of success at your next Diversified show will be in direct proportion to the amount of pre-show
marketing you do. According to the Center For Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR):
• Direct mail motivates 53% of previous show attendees and 29% of newcomers to visit your booth.
• The frequency of mailings increases booth attendance. Your first mailing will get a 25% response, but sending three
mailings to the same audience will increase your response rate to 75%.

To get more qualified traffic in your booth, use a targeted, coordinated pre-show promotion campaign. Key components
of your campaign include:
1. A single database of each show’s prospects. Use your in-house database, new sources and appropriate publications’
subscriber lists.
2. Marketing pieces designed to stress the unique benefits you offer attendees who visit your booth.
3. Direct mail, e-mail, advertising, faxes, telephone calls and visits to prospects, inviting them to your booth.
4. Show-specific pages on your website.
5. A master schedule and budget for these pre-show marketing efforts.
6. A VIP program for each show’s top prospects, with exclusive benefits such as invitations to off-site events and
one-on-one meetings with your company’s top executives.
7. Participation in Diversified’s Key Buyer Program. E-mail us at exhibitoradvantage@divcom.com for details.
8. A public-relations campaign.

In all your marketing pieces, stress in the simplest terms the benefits your customers and prospects will receive by
working with your company. According to CEIR, 85% of show attendees have not been called by a company
salesperson in the last year, so they are hungry for:
• New-product information
• Additional data about existing products
• Tools to help them compare products from different companies
• Assistance in marketing and business planning

CEIR’s research finds that buyers decide whether to attend shows based on input from the following sources
(on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most important):
Friends/colleagues and word of mouth . . 4.9
Trade-publication articles . . . . . . . . 4.7
Calendars in trade publications . . . . . . 4.6
Direct mail from show sponsors . . . . . 4.5
Show sponsor advertising . . . . . . . . 4.2
Invitations from exhibitors . . . . . . . 3.7
Exhibitor advertising . . . . . . . . . . 3.7

 exhibitor
advantage

Attract More Buyers and Prospects to Your Booth with Pre-Show Marketing (cont’d)

Maximize your pre-show marketing efforts by matching them with the input sources attendees use to decide which
shows to attend:
zC
 reate
a “buzz” about your participation in each Diversified show that will translate into positive word-of-mouth
promotion for your exhibit.
z Work with trade-publication editors to place your company news in pre-show issues.
z Personally invite your most important buyers and prospects.
z Advertise in pre-show issues of trade publications.
The time and energy your company invests inviting prospects and clients to your exhibit in advance of each Diversified
show will pay off in increased traffic at your booth.

Because attendees are looking for concrete solutions to their current problems and challenges, here is what you can
do at your next Diversified show to increase the return on your tradeshow investment:
zS
 end your clients and prospects printed VIP invitations with a fact sheet on the products/services that will be in
your booth.
z Promotewhat’s new in your booth and tell your targeted audiences how it will help them save money or add
new revenue streams to their businesses.
z Staff your booth with company employees who can help solve your targeted audiences’ problems.
z Convince your prospects to visit your booth by explaining your company’s special product or service — your unique
selling proposition.
z Promote in advance the technical specifications of the new products that will be on display in your booth.

Quotes from exhibitors using pre-show marketing to increase their booth traffic and sales:

“ We do much more pre-show contact to bring people into the booth. Our company uses direct marketing,
mailings and personal telephone calls to increase booth traffic. We promote in advance that we will have
people in our booth that can answer their questions. Then we try and schedule a hands-on demonstration in
our booth. We create new ads for each show that focus on the benefits of visiting our booth. Investing
more to target our pre-show direct mail and include more valuable content. E-mail our sales partners
to tell them to invite potential customers to our booth. Create a newsletter and mail out multiple times
featuring the new products we will have at our booth. Put more detailed information about our booth at
the show on our website. Do a pre-show mailing promising a giveaway of business value by visiting our
booth. Targeted e-mails with incentive to visit booth. Use statements and invoices to invite customers

”
to visit our booth. Use our corporate voicemail to invite prospects and clients to visit our booth
at the show.
(From Tradeshow Week’s survey of exhibitors)


 exhibitor
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Attract More Buyers and Prospects to Your Booth with Pre-Show Marketing (cont’d)
80%

70% 69%

60%
Pre-show Marketing: 54%
How do Exhibitors Drive 50% 69%
Attendees to Their Booth? 43%
40% 39%

30%

20%
Source: Tradeshow Week Executive
Outlook Corporate Exhibitor 2005 10%

0%
Direct mail Website Magazine ads Email Rely on show mgmt
pre-show
marketing efforts

Ten ways to attract quality buyers and prospects to your booth:

1. Clean and update your database. 20% of any business list is out of date annually. Use a service bureau and consider
renting subscriber lists and show-registration lists to augment your list.
2. Promote your participation and booth number aggressively, using every marketing and communication tool at your
disposal. Add your company’s booth number to your website, statements, invoices, postage-meter message and promo-
tional products. Talk to your Diversified sales representative about the free promotional opportunities available to you.
3. Communicate to the media. Issue press releases to trade and business publications about new products and services you
plan to showcase in your booth. Arrange for interviews with your executives about your company’s show introductions.
4. Use the Internet. Put more detailed information on your website about the exhibit you’ll have at your next show.
Include photographs of your booth and staff and a floor plan showing where to find your booth. Also add any show
specials you will be offering. Send multiple e-mail blasts to invite prospects to your booth. Include new, useful content
in each e-mail to ensure it will be read.
5.Invite key prospects to visit your booth — multiple times in different ways. Invite them to your booth in person, on the
telephone or via e-mail and fax. Send personalized letters and postcards. Add an invitation to visit your booth to your
company’s voice mail and individual voice-mail messages.
6. Schedule appointments with key clients in advance. Reserve a meeting room or create one in your booth for private
conversations.
7. Create new advertisements that stress the benefits of visiting your booth and place them in key publications and
on websites starting three months before each show.
FACT: 33% of attendees visit a booth in response to an advertisement.
FACT: Exhibitors who advertise attract 56% more attendees than exhibitors who do not advertise.
8. Print a flyer with each of your shows’ locations and dates, your booth number and a preview of the new product and/
or show specials in your booth. Include this in all the direct mail you send to customers and prospects starting two
months before each show.
9. Remind your sales partners to invite potential customers to visit your booth.
10. In pre-show mailings and e-mails, promise a giveaway at your booth that will have business value, such as special
pricing, a complimentary service, current research or white papers.

 exhibitor
advantage

Marketing Tools to Bring More Buyers into Your Booth

Use All Marketing and Communication Tools to Increase Your Exposure at the Show
The best ways to maximize your company’s return on investment at its next Diversified show is to increase the number of
customers and prospects who visit your booth. Use all of the following tools to create a powerful, integrated marketing
plan that will attract more of your clients and prospects to your booth.

Corporate Communications Tools

Tip Display your booth number at the show in everything your buyers and prospects might see.

Direct Mail and E-Mail

Send at least three pre-show invitations to increase the number of clients and prospects in
Tip your booth.

NOTE: According to CEIR, companies that send multiple pre-show invitations see 50% more traffic in their booths than
companies that don’t.
1. Two months before the show, mail the print VIP invitations supplied by Diversified, along with a personal letter, to
your clients/prospects.
2. One month before the show, e-mail the e-VIP invitation with an updated personal letter to your clients/prospects.
3. Two weeks before the show, fax your clients/prospects an invitation to visit your booth.

Advertising

Run your advertisement multiple times in several publications and on websites prior
Tip to your next show to generate interest in your booth.

1. Create a new advertisement for the show that tells your audiences how they will benefit by visiting your booth.
Include the show logo and your booth number.
2. Add “Visit us at (show name) in booth ___” to your existing advertisements.
3. Advertise on the appropriate show website.
4. Advertise on the appropriate show broadcast e-mail.

Sales

Ask your strategic partners, distributors and international agents to invite mutual
Tip clients and prospects to your booth at your next show.

1. Tell your staff to distribute print and e-VIP invitations to clients and prospects.
2. Call your best clients and prospects to schedule meetings at your booth during your next show.
3. Create a “show special” that will be available only at your booth and promote it in advance.

Publicity

Pitch new technology, unique product introductions and product improvements to

Tip get an editor interested in your press release.

1. Distribute a press release on any new product and/or service your company will be demonstrating at the next show.
2. Offer editors exclusive interviews with your company’s top executives to discuss your company’s plans at your next
show.

 exhibitor
advantage

Proven Pre-Show Marketing Techniques to Increase Your Booth Traffic

Advertising:
Advertising helps build awareness of your company’s participation in a show for a large number of potential customers.
Because of this large audience, you should design an advertisement for the show that clearly tells them the benefits they
will receive by visiting your booth.

Advertising Tips:
Include your booth number and show logo in your ad.
Running smaller ads in multiple issues starting three months before the show will bring more booth traffic than run-
ning one large ad the month before the show.
Place your ads in the same publications and on the same websites as your show’s ads, and schedule them to run at
the same time.
Keep your copy concise, benefit laden and to the point.
Add a response device to help track your ad’s effectiveness.

For Web ads:

Tell the readers what to do: “Register today,” “Click here for show specials,” etc.
Link your ad to the show’s website.

Create an Effective Ad
Advertising in trade publications is a proven way to reach your target audience successfully.

headline
Here are steps to produce an effective ad. headline
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headline
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body copy body copy
body copy body copy

CALL NOW!
800-555-2525

Picture Headline Text Call to Action

A photo is most com-
monly used. However,
a drawing, your logo or
oversized display text
may substitute if you do
not have a good quality
photo.
The phrase that appears
first and is in the largest
print. This is your mes-
sage. It should be simple,
clear, and concise, and
not more than 8 to 10
words. Less is more.
One to three short para-
graphs that explain your
product or service; usually
ties into the headline.
A sentence that ends the
text by telling the reader
to “act now” by ordering
or requesting informa-
tion on your product or
service. Be sure to list
your contact information.
Finish your ad with your
logo and Web address,
the show name and your
booth number.
10
 exhibitor
advantage

Proven Pre-Show Marketing Techniques to Increase Your Booth Traffic (cont’d)

Direct Mail:
Direct mail still works! Sending your prospects and clients a letter of invitation with a VIP registration ticket will help get
your company on these attendees’ show agendas. The best results are obtained by sending at least three pieces of direct
mail; postcards directing potential visitors to the show-specific page on your company’s website work well.

Be sure to encourage your distributors, agents and partners to mail invitations with a VIP registration ticket to their cus-
tomers and prospects so they can visit your booth.

Sample VIP Registration Invitation

11

Proven Pre-Show Marketing Techniques to Increase Your Booth Traffic (cont’d)
Direct-Mail Tips:
Keep your mailing lists current. At least 20% of data
in a business list becomes out of date each year. Con-
sider adding new names from Diversified publications
and from your show’s attendee list.
Target “multi-buyers.” If you merge/purge several lists,
mail more often and send a more expensive mailing
to names that appear on multiple lists, because these
people are serious prospects. According to the Direct
Marketing Association, mailing to multi-buyers is the
second-most-used technique to improve response.
Segment your list into groups and send each group
targeted messages and offers.
Keep each mailing’s message simple and focused
on your audience’s needs.
Have all your messages reinforce your company’s
unique selling proposition.
Design professional full-color postcards; they are
inexpensive, and 77% of your audience will look at
both sides.
Create a fact sheet with show information and new
products you will have on display in your booth.
Include fact sheets in everything that goes out to your
customers and prospects, giving them a reason to
come by your booth.
Send multiple mailings so your company will stand
out from your competitors.
Put a strong incentive on the outside of each mail-
ing to ensure it is read.
Send the first piece to arrive 30 days before the
show and the last piece to arrive the week before
the show.
A Successful Direct-Mail Piece:
- is addressed to a specific person.
- contains a valuable business reason for that
person to visit your booth.
- invites attendees to see demonstrations and new
products in your booth.
- Includes the show name, dates, location and your
company name and booth number.
- provides a response device — possibly the show
registration form.
exhibitor
advantage
“ How To Write with Power
by Mark S. A. Smith
Whether you are writing copy for brochures, press
releases, sales letters or the internet here are six
ideas that will give your writing pizzazz and sparkle.
1. Focus On Your Reader
Your reader always thinks “So what?” or “Big
deal!” or “What’s in it for me?” Use the powerful
words “you” and “your” whenever possible.
2. M
 ake Your Writing Exciting With
Active Verbs
Look at the difference in the energy level of
these sentences: “The discussion will be led
by Joe.” “Joe will lead the discussion.” Which
version has more life?
3. Put Your Reader In The Picture
Look for ways of writing your reader into the
action. Instead of, “Thursday, Joe will lead the
discussion,” try, “Join us on Thursday, as Joe
leads the discussion.”
4. Start Paragraphs With Miniature Headlines
Pull your reader through your writing by making
the beginning of each paragraph exciting and
tantalizing.
5. Promise Your Readers Benefits
Change “So what?” to “Is that so!” with the
promise of benefits. And follow through with
the benefits.
6. Kiss: Keep It Super Simple
Einstein pointed out, “Make everything as
simple as possible, and not one bit simpler.”
When writing to inform or persuade, keep the
vocabulary simple. This article checks in at the
”
8th grade level.
12
 exhibitor
advantage

Proven Pre-Show Marketing Techniques to Increase Your Booth Traffic (cont’d)

Tip
Some color tips to remember:
Your graphic should have one dominant color, with other colors
drawing the eye to particular areas of the page. For a harmonious
feel, choose colors from the same family as your dominant color. For
a brighter image, choose complementary colors — colors opposite

“
each other on the color wheel, like blue and orange. Know who your Colors that Sell
target audience is. For example, a piece aimed at retailers would use By Suzanne Roman
different colors than one aimed at health-care professionals, even if Art for the Web,
www.webpagedesign.com.au
the product were the same one. Learning to use colors right may just
give you the edge you need over your competition.
Color is a powerful psychological
For more information go to www.webpagedesign.com.au.
trigger. It creates strong emotions
that can sometimes mean the
difference between losing or
Internet
making that sale. Here are the
One of the best ways to promote your company’s show schedule is on your
company’s website. From Julia O’Connor, here are 10 easy ways to use
associations people make with
your website to attract additional traffic to your booth: certain colors.
1 List all your shows. Add all shows to your website. Once on your site, Reds: love, warmth, excitement,
this listing promotes your company before the show and, thanks to search passion, and food.
engines, can last forever. Delete each show listing one year after the show.
Blues: power professionalism,
2 Link your site. Link your dealers and distributors to your show site, so your trustworthiness, and calmness.
show information gets to the individual buyer who may be attending.
Greens: nature, life, and
3 Add a photo. Highlight your exhibits. Even for a 10-foot-by-10-foot display,
money.
there is something unique about your exhibit — one dominant image, a new
sign, a photo of a giveaway, the grand prize. Oranges: affordability,
4 Who are you? Add photos of your exhibit staff for each show. Photos will creativity, fun, youth.
make your staff more approachable for prospects coming to your booth and Purples: royalty, luxurious,
during other activities at the show. fantasy, and dreams.
5 Add a map. Provide a floor plan and highlight your exhibit so your buyers
and prospects can find you. Each color has negative and
positive associations. Use
6 Where are you? Promote your booth number.
colors in your designs in a way
7 Admission tickets. Offer Diversified’s VIP registration tickets from your site that steers the viewer’s mind
with a deadline date for mailing or pick-up.
toward the positive associations
8 Set appointments. Make it simple for people to contact you before the rather than the negative ones.

”
show to make appointments at the show.
9 Link to your show’s site. Provide a link from your website to the show site
to promote your participation in that show.
10 Tell people. Some of your customers and prospects won’t look at your
site unless you give them a reason. Promote your site’s special show infor-
mation in person, via mail and through e-mail correspondence.

Your web site is a powerful tool in trade show marketing. But remember to use the Internet as a component of your show
marketing plan, not as your show marketing plan! Julia O’Connor — Speaker, Author, Consultant
Trade Show Training, Inc.
www.TradeShowTraining.com
13
 exhibitor
advantage

Proven Pre-Show Marketing Techniques to Increase Your Booth Traffic (cont’d)

E-mail
E-mail, used wisely, is an important part of an exhibitor’s pre-show
promotion. Do not send out mass e-mails, because spam filters may
delete them. Personalize your e-mails and make sure they do not con-
tain words like “Free” in the subject line, because spam filters will likely
delete them as well.

“
Here is a sample e-mail to send along with the e-VIP
registration ticket: Telemarketing Tips:
I want to invite you to attend <SHOW NAME> on <DATE OF SHOW> at
<SHOW LOCATIONS>. <COMPANY NAME> will be exhibiting at booth •H  ave a reason for calling
<BOOTH#>, so visit our exhibit to see the newest in <INFORMATION – update them on some-
ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT>. thing new at your company
Because <SHOW NAME> has more than <XXX> exhibiting companies, it is
the best place for you to see all the latest innovations and newest products in our
or changes with their current
industry all together at the same time. You will also benefit from the educational suppliers.
sessions and peer-to-peer networking at <NAME OF SHOW>. • Invite them to meet someone
Please visit <www.nameofshow.com> to find a complete exhibitor list and the lat-
in your booth they might nor-
est conference information and for information to help plan your show schedule
and reserve your hotel room. mally not have a chance to
If you have not registered yet, please use this e-VIP registration ticket and register meet with — an executive or
today. We look forward to seeing you in our booth <BOOTH#>. technical expert.
(Suggested E-mail signature for your staff)
• Schedule a time for them to
see a demo in your booth.
Visit us at booth <BOOTH#> during <NAME OF SHOW>, <DATES OF • Invite them to your booth to

”
SHOW>, <LOCATION OF SHOW>. Please register today at <www.showsweb-
receive a sample.
site.com>.

Fax These tips are from Keith Reznick,

President of Creative Training
Use the fax machine to send out invitations and VIP registration tickets.
Consider including a fax-back device for your customers and prospects
to use for setting up a meeting with you at the show. Make your fax no
longer than two pages and send it at night. Your customers will
appreciate your consideration.

Telemarketing
Adding telephone calls to your other marketing efforts will increase the
chance of getting on your customers’ and prospects’ agendas before
the show. Starting one month before the show, personally call your
top customers and prospects to set up meetings. It is very important to
get on these key buyers’ agendas in advance of the show so they can
allot time to visit your booth. Also, call them again the week before the
show to confirm your appointment.

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This handy chart, courtesy of Skyline Displays, outlines the pros, cons, and objectives of the marketing
techniques discussed above. It also has some additional ideas for your consideration in advance and
at the show to help increase your booth traffic.

Promotion Advantage Disadvantage Objectives

Before the Show

Trade Press Ad Wide reach, Not selective or targeted Build image awareness,
Reaches vertical audiences Introduce Product, Sales
Direct Mail Targeted Reach List availability Build image awareness,
Generate leads,
Introduce Product,
Pre-schedule appointments
Telemarketing Direct contact/direct feedback Expensive, time-consuming Generate leads,
Pre-schedule appointments,
Sales
Broadcast Fax Targeted message to a List availability Build awareness,
targeted audience Generate leads,
Introduce product,
Pre-schedule appointments
E-mail (broadcast) Targeted message to List availability Build awareness,
a targeted audience; Generate leads,
generates a dialogue Introduce product,
before the show Pre-schedule appointments

At the Show
Billboards Wide reach Limited locations Build image awareness,
Introduce product
Airport Ads Early exposure Limited time for exposure Build image awareness,
Introduce product
Hotel TV Ads Less competition for visibility Limited time for exposure Build image awareness,
Introduce product
Mobile Ads Repeat exposure Restrictions in some cities & Build image awareness,
for some shows Introduce product
In-Room Promos Less competition for visibility Additional time, Build image awareness,
cost for distribution Introduce product
Hospitality events Less competition for visibility Cost, limited control over Build image awareness,
who shows up Introduce product
Show Issue trade pub ads Wide reach Not targeted or selective Build image awareness,
Generate leads,
Introduce product, Sales
Show Daily Ads Wide reach, show related editorial Readership varies from Build image awareness,
show to show Generate leads,
Introduce product, Sales,
Promote your at-show event
Hall Ads/Boards Repeat on-site visibility Limited choices Build image awareness,
Generate leads,
Introduce product
TV/Photo Ops Local or national exposure Limited time exposure, Image awareness to a public
Little control, Limited audience audience, Generate leads,
Introduce product
Show Directory Ads Outer covers provide good Limited availability, Costly Build image awareness,
exposure, Selective reach Generate leads,
Introduce product, Sales
Promotion Advantage Disadvantage Objectives

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Promotion Advantage Disadvantage Objectives

In the Exhibit
Contests, games, drawings Ability to draw a large audience Time-consuming, Generate qualified leads,
Audience too general Introduce product
In-booth premiums Generate qualified leads, Frequently misused by staff Generate leads
Relatively inexpensive
Celebrities Ability to draw a large audience Audience too general Build traffic
Live Presentations Ability to draw large audiences, Can draw too general an audience, Build traffic,
Ability to deliver a targeted message Can lose targeted prospects if Introduce product
staff fails to interact

Promotions Guide courtesy of Skyline Displays (www.skyline.com)

DRIVE VISITORS TO YOUR BOOTH —

Let them know you’ll be at the show.

4 Invite them to attend

4 Distribute VIP invitations
4 Send a pre-show mailing
4 Participate in the Key Buyer Program
4 Prepare promotional literature
4 Advertise
Sample Invitation
4 Add this line to the bottom of your new or existing ad
in industry publications and the show directory:
“Come visit us at Booth #____ at the XXX Show.”
(Be sure to include the dates of the show)

PROMOTE YOUR NEW PRODUCT — You may not be launching a product this year, but if a visitor hasn’t seen
your product, it’s new to them!

4 Use public relations

4 Order your trade-press list
4 Boost your website traffic by linking to the show website
4 Participate in your show’s New Product Showcase

Sample Press Release

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Diversified Attracts Media to the Show

PRESS PROMOTIONS

4 Our public-relations firms have a proven track record in securing coverage in national trade, business and
in-language press, as well as in other media outlets.
4 Large billboards promote shows in metro areas where the events are held.
4 Press releases are sent to industry trade publications and local press. Daily media faxes are sent during shows.
4 Posters are distributed throughout the metro area where shows are located and delivered to select outlets along
with VIP passes.
4Large banners are hung in appropriate public venues to promote the shows.
4 Press kits are distributed to working editors and reporters during the show.
4 Press releases are submitted to industry publications both before and after a show.

How to Attract Media Attention

Use the power of the press to attract attention to your company’s display at the show. This section provides the
strategies, tools and tips you need to create successful press releases and press kits. You’ll also learn how to conduct
press conferences. Remember, an effective public-relations effort begins before the show, continues at the show and
pays big dividends for your company if you keep it up after the show.

Fifteen Essential Pre-Show PR Tips:

1 Contact media by e-mail to arrange appointments.
2 Don’t schedule appointments too close to the opening of the show, as traffic at the door could affect a reporter’s
ability to get inside and find your booth in a timely manner.
3 Don’t schedule appointments at the same time as press conferences by any company that dominates
your industry.
4 Prepare press releases, backgrounders and fact sheets.
5 Have photos and digital images of products.
6 Create press kits and CD press kits if reporters don’t want to carry paper.
7 Get the press list from show management.
8 Arrange to send press kits to your hotel. Always take a handful with you on the plane in case the shipment
is delayed.
9 Role-play at interviewing executives at your company. Record the interviews so executives can see their mistakes
and learn from them.
10 During media training sessions, ask your executives tough questions; reporters certainly will.
11 Arrange to hold a press conference with show management.
12 Create a script for your press conference and rehearse it.
13 Prepare a press-briefing book so your executives can read about reporters who will interview them.
14 Send a press release in advance to the Show Daily.
15 Send a press release to PR Newswire for distribution.
Steve Leon and Dan Janal of Showstoppers, www.showstoppers.com, created this resource for Susan Friedmann, The Tradeshow
Coach, at www.thetradeshowcoach.com

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How to Attract Media Attention (cont’d)

Press Releases — see sample on page 16.
Press releases are ideal for keeping the press up to date on your company’s news and activities at the show. To get an
editor interested in your press release, make it newsworthy by including:
• New technology
• New or unique products
• Show-related promotions and events
• Product improvements
• Notification of mergers/acquisitions
• Write your press release to be of interest to the readers of the publication you are pitching.

Tips on Writing Press Releases

z Unless a release date is necessary, state: “For Immediate Release.”
z I nclude a contact name with title, office telephone, on-site telephone and e-mail. The on-site contact information
is imperative.
z The date line should include the date and location.
z The lead, or opening paragraph, should include all of the critical information: who, what, where, when and why.
z The lead should also grab the reader’s attention and summarize the release.
zT  he second paragraph can further describe the product and include a quote from a company executive about the
new product.
z Sentences should be kept short. Avoid technical terms and acronyms that might confuse the reader. A third
paragraph can be used to include more interesting details about the new product.
z The final paragraph should be a description of the company and its services.
z End the release with “###,” centered at the bottom of the page.
z If the release continues onto another page, the word “more” should be centered at the bottom of the page.
zP hotos should be color, 5’’ x 7’’ prints, with captions taped onto the back identifying the company, people
or products.

Press Kits
What is a press kit?
Press kits are a one-stop source for the media to get information about your company and products. Most shows have
a pressroom on or near the show floor. Contact your marketing representative for information regarding that room or
booth number.
Information included in the kit should be kept simple and to the point. Journalists are not interested in marketing
materials; they are after hard news. The best kits are enclosed in a folder that is marked clearly on the outside with the
company’s name and booth number. Some members of the media prefer an electronic press kit — online or CD-ROMs.
These electronic kits should contain the same information as hard-copy kits.

What goes in a press kit?

4 News releases
4 Photos with captions
4 Your company logo
4 Supporting literature
4 A technical-specifications list
4 A business card or contact information
Pages should be collated and stapled into units, and mailings should go out at least two months prior to the show. Many
companies are now sending out “e-press kits” with the same information either on CD-ROM or linked in an e-mail to a
corporate website.
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Press Kit Tips

zD
 etermine the most relevant information to include in the press kit.
zF
 or hard-copy kits, make sure your company name is clearly listed on the front cover. Be sure to put your company
name, not the product name, on your press-kit cover. Include your booth number on the cover.
zB
 ring approximately 30 press kits for the pressroom and extras for your booth.
zA
 ll hard-copy materials should be contained in a binder or folder. Kits on CD-ROM and single press releases are
the exception.
zS
 end the kits through a delivery method that provides a tracking number. This number should be brought with you
to the show in the event that your kits are missing.

Press Conferences
A press conference at the show can be a very useful public-relations tool. With proper planning, a press conference can
be a forum for a large gathering of media, where you can deliver news, demonstrate a new product or introduce a new
company executive. Some topics that would interest the media:
4 New products or technologies
4 Company announcements
4 Introduction of a new member of your executive team
4 Research that is available for the first time ever in your booth
4 Any celebrities that may be appearing in your booth

Press Conference Tips

Here are some guidelines for a successful press conference:
z Establish clear and precise objectives that are newsworthy.
z Plan presentation details, visuals and handouts.
z Use knowledgeable presenters who have had media training.
z Use Diversified’s media list to invite key media and analysts.
z Schedule briefings early in the show, early in the day, and limit them to 30 minutes.
z Send electronic or printed invitations one month before the show.
z Collect RSVPs.
zF ollow up with telephone calls two weeks prior to the show to confirm attendance and remind potential attendees
of the date and time.
z Ask Diversified’s staff to publicize your press conference in the show’s pressroom.
z Prepare an announcement about the event to include in your press kits.
z Have a sign-in book or business-card collector at the door to see who attends your press conference.
z Send thank-you letters to those who attended and include any new information.

Five Post-Show PR Tips:

1 Send the media press releases reporting trends, statistics or information on significant developments or orders that
resulted from the show.
2 Collate all published articles and media coverage before, during and after the show, and send them to top
management and your sales force. Include the best articles in mailings to customers and prospects.
3 Create a state-of-the-industry report based on your observations at the show and send it out or offer it free to
prospects/customers who respond to a post-show mailing.
4 Send your customers and key prospects an audio recording of your presentation or interesting interviews that took
place during the show.
5 Include worthy show information in your company newsletter.

Steve Leon and Dan Janal of Showstoppers, www.showstoppers.com, created this resource for Susan Friedmann, The Tradeshow
Coach, at www.thetradeshowcoach.com
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Post Show Follow-up — Turning Leads Into Sales!

Plan for your post-show follow-up, and put all the pieces of your plan in place before you leave for the show. Follow up
on your leads right after the show; that tells your customers and prospects that your company cares about them and is
responsive. Studies reveal that 80% of exhibitors do not follow up, so take your competitors’ customers and increase
your show’s ROI — follow up on your leads!

Sort Your Leads

Sort your leads either by their business potential (A, B, or C leads) or by the type of information requested. Hold your
staff accountable to fulfill these leads (contacting the A leads soonest, then the B leads and finally the C leads) by
requiring a written record of each lead’s status. Contact your show’s registration vendor, ARI, for time and cost-effective
ways to sort and follow up on your show leads.

Follow-Up
Make sure all your leads receive a follow-up with requested information within two weeks after the show ends. Use
personal telephone calls, direct mail, faxes or e-mails to respond to your A and B leads. Your C leads can be contacted as
time and resources permit.

Use the Internet

Attendees will go to your website after the show to learn more about your company, staff and products. Be sure to
keep show-specific information on your site for at least three months after the show.

Your Post-Show Evaluation

Within a week after the show ends, make sure you debrief your show team. During this post mortem, determine how
you can improve your company’s ROI at your next Diversified Business Communications show. During this evaluation,
discuss:
• Prospects’ buying needs and plans
• New leads captured
• Sales made
• Effectiveness of advertising
• Special promotion effectiveness
• Effectiveness of your booth size, layout and staffing

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Promotion Schedule and Checklist

Immediately!
❏ Read Diversified’s new Exhibitor Marketing Guide.
❏ Go to Diversified’s new Exhibitor Advantage website (www.exhibitoradvantage.com) for tips, strategies and
resources to attract more buyers to your booth.
❏ Determine measurable objectives for your next show.
❏ Clean, update and enlarge your show’s prospect and customer database.
❏ Create a compelling reason — also known as your company’s unique selling proposition (USP) — for your audience
to visit your booth.
❏ Contact Diversified if your company has a speaker who could contribute to the show’s conference program.
❏ Contact the Diversified staff with any questions or ideas you have on how to attract more buyers and prospects to
your booth.

At least three months before each Diversified show

❏ Communicate your USP in a creative way so your company will stand out from your competition before and during
the show.
❏ Design your booth, graphics, marketing pieces and sales collateral to amplify your USP.
❏ Create a “show special” that will be available only at your booth. Promote this in all your advance marketing.
❏ Add to your website your show’s logo, a link to the show’s website and your booth number at the show.
❏ Create a show section on your website with photographs of your booth and booth staff, details about what will be
displayed in your booth and any show specials or new information that will be available only in your booth.
❏ Determine which of Diversified’s branding opportunities and/or sponsorships work best for your company.
❏ Finalize your pre-show advertising schedule for publications and websites.
❏ Create a new ad for the show using your company’s USP to entice your audience to visit your booth. Be sure to
include your booth number.
❏ Add to your existing ads “Visit us at (show name) in booth #___.”
❏ Send Diversified your company information for inclusion in the show’s e-newsletters.
❏ Order your show’s media list from Diversified.
❏ Create a list of key trade-media editors. Send them your press releases and have your executives schedule
interviews with them at the show.
❏ Distribute to this media list your press release with details about the new products/services featured in your booth.

At least two months before each Diversified show

❏ Use the complimentary VIP Invitations Diversified sends you.
❏ Finalize your pre-show, on-site and post-show marketing plans and budget.
❏ Add “Visit us at (show name), booth #___” to all your direct mail, such as newsletters, invoices and new-product
announcements.
❏ Send Diversified contact information for your 10 best clients so they can be included in your show’s Key Buyer Program.
❏ Determine if a promotional prize/giveaway will help attract your targeted audience. If so, order your prize/giveaway
and promote it!
❏ Add to your voice-mail message “Visit us at (show name) in booth #___.”
❏ Reserve advertising space in your industry’s publication.
❏ Determine if a hospitality event will help attract your target audience. If so, finalize your on-site arrangements and
promote it!
❏ Add to your staffs’ e-mail signature line “Visit us at (show name) in booth #___.”
❏ Advertise on your show’s website.
❏ Create a flier explaining what attendees will get out of visiting your booth and include it in all your direct mail.
(continued on next page)

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Promotion Schedule and Checklist (cont’d)

At least two months before each Diversified show (cont’d)

❏ Remind your staff, agents, and distributors to give their customers and prospects print VIP invitations and fliers
about the show.
❏ Send the first of three e-mails to your prospects and customers, inviting them to visit your booth at your next
Diversified show. Include an e-VIP invitation.
❏ Mail the first of two personalized letters of invitation to customers and prospects. Include a print VIP invitation.
❏ Ask your partners to promote your booth at the show to their customers and prospects.
❏ Listen to “High-Impact Exhibit Marketing — How to Identify and Attract Enough of the Right People to Your Exhibit.”
In this free webinar, on our website at www.exhibitoradvantage.com, you’ll discover proven marketing methods
all exhibitors can use to increase their booth traffic.
❏ Enter your product in your show’s New Product Showcase or New Product Competition.

Six weeks before each Diversified show

❏ Encourage your senior staff to present printed VIP passes to key prospects and customers and invite them to
your booth.
❏ Send the first of two broadcast-fax invitations to your booth.
❏ Send the second of two personalized letters of invitation to your prospects and customers, along with the show’s
attendee brochure and a print VIP invitation.
❏ Order your lead-retrieval device to capture potential-customer information.

Four weeks before each Diversified show

❏ Listen to “Inside the Numbers: How to Convert Tradeshows from Expensive Appearances into Profit Centers.” This
webinar, on our website at www.exhibitoradvantage.com, tells you how to increase your company’s visibility and
build booth traffic at the show.
❏ Order additional e-VIP invitations to allow your best customers and prospects access to the tradeshow as your guest.
❏ Determine if you will have a press conference at the show and contact Diversified to reserve a press-conference slot.
❏ Add your “show special” to the Diversified show section on your website.
❏ Reserve advertising space in the Show Daily.
❏ Determine your list of best customers and prospects to telemarket.
❏ Place the first of two telephone calls to your best prospects and customers, inviting them to your booth at the show.
❏ Promote your participation in the show at all internal company meetings and during all sales calls.
❏ Send the second of three e-mails to your prospects and customers, inviting them to visit your booth. Stress that they
can get the “show special” only if they visit your booth.
❏ Finalize your a2z Digital Booth with up-to-date product listings and booth contacts.

Three weeks before each Diversified show

❏ Listen to “Countdown to Exhibiting Success — How to Prepare Your Staff for Success and Develop a Closed-Loop
Lead-Management Process.” This free webinar, located on our website at www.exhibitoradvantage.com, provides
last-minute marketing tactics to attract the drive-in audience to your booth.
❏ Place the second telephone call to your top prospects and customers to schedule appointments with them in
your booth.
❏ Fax your customers and prospects another VIP invitation to visit your booth and receive their “show special.”
❏ Call key editors to schedule interviews at the show with your executives.
❏ Determine what you will include in your press kits.

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Promotion Schedule and Checklist (cont’d)

One week before each Diversified show

❏ E-mail confirmations to your buyers and prospects reminding them of their scheduled meeting in your booth.
Follow up with a phone call to each.
❏ Send the third e-mail to your prospects and customers, inviting them to visit your booth at the show. Include an
e-VIP invitation.
❏ Call your appointments to confirm their scheduled meeting in your booth.
❏ E-mail editors to confirm interview appointments.

One week after each Diversified show

❏ Follow up on your most important leads.

Two weeks after each Diversified show

❏ Complete follow-up on all show leads.
❏ Debrief with staff.
❏ Sponsorship and Advertising Opportunities
❏ Please refer to your show’s website for sponsorship and advertising opportunities, or contact your Diversified
Business Communications event account representative at 207.842.5500.
❏ All of Diversified’s events can be found at www.divbusiness.com. Click on Conferences & Tradeshows.
❏ Diversified Business Communications Contacts and Additional Resources

Notes

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Sponsorship and Advertising Opportunities

Please refer to your show’s website for sponsorship and advertising opportunities under exhibitor information
or contact your Diversified Business Communications’ event account representative at 207.842.5500.

All of Diversified’s events can be found at www.divbusiness.com.

Click on Conferences and Tradeshows.

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EVENT STAFF — ENSURING YOUR SUCCESS

Show Director:
• Oversees all aspects of the tradeshow, from marketing and audience development to exhibit sales and operations

Audience Development:
• Works with marketing and sales teams to identify markets for growth
• Obtains data for mass-market campaigns
• Strengthens and creates association partnerships to bring in member buying groups
• Manages Key Buyer programs designed to attract high-volume industry buyers

Exhibit Sales:
• Responsible for show-related sales, including:
- Exhibit space
- Advertising
- Sponsorships

Operations:
• Handles all show logistics, working with the convention center and show decorator
• Prepares the Exhibitor Services Manual
• Negotiates and secures discount travel and hotel accommodations for show
• Works directly with customer-service and registration teams

Customer Service (207.842.5504; customerservice@divcom.com):

• Available to answer exhibitors’ questions about the Exhibitor Service Manual, co-exhibiting, Show Program
listings and other show-related issues
• Handles logistics of contracted advertising and sponsorships

Registration:
• Works with the registration vendor to ensure smooth procedure as exhibitors and visitors register to attend
the event
Resources

CENTER FOR EXHIBITION CREATIVE TRAINING SOLUTIONS TRADESHOW COACH

INDUSTRY RESEARCH Keith Reznick Susan Friedmann
972.687.9242 800.515.4114 518.523.1320
www.ceir.org www.creativetraining.com www.thetradeshowcoach.com

COMPETITIVE EDGE SKYLINE DISPLAYS INC. TRADESHOW EXHIBITORS

Jefferson Davis 800.328.2725 ASSOCIATION
800.700.6174 www.skylinedisplays.com 312.842.8732
www.compedgetraining.com www.tsea.org

TRADESHOW TRAINING INC.

Julia O’Connor
804.355.7800
www.tradeshowtraining.com

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