More to trade shows than just showing up

By Joyce M. Rosenberg
Associated Press

NEW YORK — A trade show can be a wonderful resource for a small business, bringing new contacts, customers and ideas. It can also be a waste of time and money, leaving attendees with some T-shirts and business cards and a feeling of failure.

Small business owners and consultants say a trip to a trade show can be a success if a company starts planning and preparing long before the expo kicks off.

"Trade shows can really rack up big budgets quickly, and they look deceptively simple — I have a booth and giveaways and I'm done," said Ruth Stevens, president of eMarketing Strategy, a consultancy in New York. "If you plan properly and consider specifically what your objectives are ... they can be extremely productive."

Planning means contacting prospective customers — and current ones — before you get to the show.

If you don't start networking until you get to the exhibition hall, "you've missed out on 80 percent of the value of a trade show," said Rob Frankel, a small business consultant in Los Angeles.

"You know that everyone you need to talk to is going to be at one place. You'll save time and money if you arrange to meet them there," he said. "If you wait until the show for the action ... you'll never get your payoff."

Planning also means finding the right show for your company. In many industries, there are a number of trade shows each year, but because most business owners don't have the time and money to attend all, they need to determine which show or shows offer the best opportunities.

One way to research shows is to talk to owners of businesses similar to yours to find out what experiences they've had.

You also might talk to a reporter at a trade publication who's covered shows and find out which companies have attended in the past.

"Ask them what they think" about the show," said Peter Shankman, president of The Geek Factory, a New York-based public relations firm.

Shankman also warned owners about hype by the trade groups that run the shows.

"If you believe the hype of 'the show you don't want to miss,' you're not doing your homework," he said.

Small businesses have other options besides paying for a booth. One possibility is to create an event that might draw attendees. Shankman recommended something as simple as renting a hotel room for a day and opening a hospitality suite.

"I've seen that pay off a thousand-fold," he said.

You could also throw a party — although Shankman suggested hiring an event planner to handle the details. "You have so much to deal with. The last thing you want to do is figure out where a Wal-Mart is so you can buy napkins," he said.

Other possibilities include speaking at trade show seminars or panel discussions. It won't cost you anything and will give you and your firm a ton of exposure.