Selecting the best show for you

 
This is where the process of successful exhibiting really begins. There are literally hundreds of shows each year in Britain alone. If you include the rest of the world, make that thousands. Some will obviously be of no interest to you but it is important not to write off any show without considering exactly who will be likely to attend. A friend of mine found that housing association exhibitions were very successful for his business. His business? Microfilm and digital storage! His company takes paper records that have to be kept for commercial or statutory reasons and turns them into handy little rolls of film or CDs. He reasoned that the organisations visiting these shows, being under strict government restraints, would have lots of records to keep. (There is apparently still no more cost effective way of storing information reliably for long periods of time than microfilm.) He frequently finds that he is the only such provider appearing and therefore he does a roaring trade. You too need to think laterally, as he did, especially if you have a small budget.
 
The first question to ask yourself is ‘who is my target client?’ So, if you are a software seller, you may be looking for managing directors, financial directors and IT directors of medium to large enterprises.

Having answered the first question, there are a number of supplementary questions that also need answers:
 

1. What sort of shows do these target people attend?
2. What, if any is the best time of year to approach them?
3. How many established shows meet your criteria?
4. What information can you gather about likely shows?
5. Is geographic location a consideration?
6. Is there anything scheduled that will clash – for your potential visitors or for you?
7. Having found your show, where should you locate your stand?

Once you answer these questions, you are ready to begin planning your show strategy. This will bring up many more questions – which we will cover in future blogs!

The main content of this article originally appeared in Chapter 3 of
 'Winning the Exhibition Game'
 by Jim Ewan