Companies are continuing to take a hard look at all their marketing initiatives and one of the most costly pieces of that pie is in trade show exhibition. Most marketing departments are asking this question: How do we increase leads and awareness about our products or services? Fend off the competition? The answer still for most organizations is to participate in trade shows!
4 Great Trade Show Tips: How to Stretch Your Marketing Dollars

Below are some easy and cost effective ways to better manage your trade show budget:

Rent, don’t buy. This makes great sense especially if you only exhibit a few times a year. Rent iPads, computer kiosks, and other components. Not only does the trade show rental equipment save you money, but additional funds are saved because you incur no shipping costs. In addition, if any of the equipment requires maintenance or needs to be swapped out, the audio visual company is on location or a phone call away to assist you.

Cut travel expenses by cutting staff at show. The cost of the show isn’t only the trade show booth rentals, but the personnel at the booth. This adds up with additional flights, hotel rooms, and meals. Consider cutting 1 or 2 personnel out and shift that money toward touch panel kiosks or other interactive technology tool rentals that can provide your leads with videos, photos, contests, or Internet connections about your organization. The possibilities are endless!

Lighten your load by going green. Forget about brochures, tchotchkes, and plastic bags. The only real thing your prospect is interested in is knowing what your business is and your business card. If you are going to spend money on something to entice them to give you their business card or information, have a super prize that they can’t resist (iPad 2 comes to mind). Create quizzes or trivia questions on touch panel kiosks. Have a photo kiosk at your booth where prospects can take photos of themselves. Make sure you let them know you are active on LinkedIn and would like to connect with them.

Order all services and equipment carefully. Make sure you have a booth budget and take the time to line item everything you spend money on. When renting audio visual equipment, negotiating hotel room nights, or understanding the convention services organization, treat them more like partners, not suppliers. Let them know you have a certain budget for various aspects of the show and share with them what it is. Get everything in writing and follow-up with questions. Typically, I go over budget because I haven’t worked out a firm plan with the client or it hasn’t been communicated effectively with the vendors. Follow the budget and review expenses every day when you are at the trade show, to catch any mistakes or misunderstandings.

AV Event Solutions, has state-of-the-art trade show booth technology from computer kiosks, iPads, laptops, and plasma TVs. Give them a call or request Express Quote today!