Determining your Trade Show Objectives

An article about participating in trade shows  

Millions of individuals attend and thousands of companies participate, but relatively few who are involved in trade shows fully understand the exhibit medium. 

 There are many reasons why a company enters a trade show, and it is important that a company spell out its objectives before making this decision. These objectives can include: to make sales; to maintain an image and continuing contact with customers; to initiate contact with new customers; to introduce a new product or service; to demonstrate equipment; to offer an opportunity for customers to bring their technical problems and obtain solutions; to obtain feedback from booth visitors; to relate to the competition; etc The most common objective, of course, is the first one: to make sales and the trade show can play a unique role in leading a prospective buyer from mild interest to the decisive act of placing an order. While making sales and sales contacts is the most common objective of an exhibit, it is certainly not the only one. Participation in a trade show is a good way to sharpen one’s sensitivity to the conditions of the marketplace. At a trade show, you can sense the general attitude of people more rapidly than any other way. 

Full article at: http://www.themarketingupdate.com/Trade_Show_Participation_Objectives.html