Spiegel & Associates - Chemical Sales

Many of us wait until the week prior to a trade show to make plans for the event. Even though your attendance might earn good results, we suggest that by beginning your planning earlier, you can enjoy a higher return on your investment. This article will help you to focus on the key elements that are important in planning your participation at your next trade show. Also, by understanding the channels which are available to you for gathering technical and purchasing information in advance of a show, you can increase your productivity during a trade show.

Surveys of visitors at trade shows reveal that the element most prized in an exhibitor's booth is product-knowledgeable personnel. Visitors actively seek out booth people who offer in-depth product knowledge, technical assistance and application demonstrations. In essence visitors most value exhibitors who help them make informed purchasing decisions.

The well-prepared trade show visitor accelerates the product selection process by capitalizing on the personal consultation available from knowledgeable exhibitor staff. this process can be enhanced by the technical demonstrations, interactive computer programs and the opportunity for comparison shopping that are available at most major trade shows.

Surprisingly, trade show attendees report that their biggest dislike is lack of product knowledge in booth personnel. They are also irritated by aggressive, high-pressure sales presentations, "products with no shortcomings or limitations", lengthy sales talks and being ignored by booth personnel. Prospective buyers also noted that exhibitors that feature non-business related entertainment acts, professional models or ornately designed booths are considered a waste of time in today's hectic fast-paced business environment. Attendees want more information specific to their needs with fewer distractions.

From what we observe, conducting business has now become the prime reason for attending a trade-show which was not always the case in the past. In less competitive times, attendance at trade shows was all to often viewed as an opportunity to escape the job routine, have a good time on the expense account and routinely engage in business activities to justify the respite offered at past trade shows.

The carnival atmosphere of trade shows of previous decades has given way to today's sharp targeting of the needs of busy industrial buyers. Nowadays, the most effective exhibitors provide attendees with far fewer distractions and far more information specific to their needs. These events are now more characterized by an awesome over-abundance of technical information product operating characteristics, data about underlying technology, prices and terms of sale and comparative offerings by competing suppliers.

Because the recession in the U.S. and Europe has reduced overall trade show attendance, the ration of serious buyers to less influential buyers at trade shows has increased. As a result, more and more visitors attend trade shows with precisely defined business objectives to accomplish. Their attendance is aided by tightly planned schedules. Such preparation enables the focused visitor to make effective use of the time an monetary investment spent in attending the show. If you are not among the people planning your show attendance, it might be worthwhile for you to reconsider your customary practices. Without a definite plan, your productivity is not as high as it could be.

In preparing to attend a trade show, it would be most useful to place current suppliers at the top of the "to see" list. These exhibitors offer an opportunity for you to ask technical and purchasing questions regarding current or new projects. A further benefit is the chance to renew relationships with the supplier's office staff and to meet people in person who may only be a voice on the phone or a name on a fax.

Next on your exhibit-visiting itinerary should be infrequent or occasional suppliers who may have a product or service for some future project. Then, added to the pre-show list might be a few companies that might offer potential products or services which could prove useful.

A show planning schedule also includes any important workshops, presentations of pertinent technical papers, meeting with key people who may prvide competitive market intelligence and contacts useful for professional education or possible recruiting.

Although an exhibitor's booth is conventionally considered the dominant information source for the show. the focused visitor uses many channels to gather technical and purchasing data in planning to attend.

In the weeks prior to the show, the visitor tends to be exposed to four basic levels of non-personal supplier information. Then, once on the exhibit floor, both personal and non-personal communications take place between exhibitor and attendee. Here are some of the channels of product information that are often available to you before and during the show:

The points stated in the above paragraphs reveal that your access to technical and purchasing information that is being disseminated by exhibitors, extends far beyond the exhibit booth - and the direct influence of the exhibitor. These channels encompass many formal and informal sources which can generate additional benefits for you.

Upon arrival at a major industrial trade show, most of us are typically confronted with an overwhelming and huge exhibition hall. The show presents hundreds of supplier exhibits staffed by thousands of people who are promoting a myriad of products and services. In this daunting environment, how can you make the trade show productive using the limited time that is available more effectively, in order to justify the monetary investment that the trade show entails?

Our solution for you requires pre-show investment of time and effort in planning an itinerary/agenda for attending the exhibition. This way, you can maximize the opportunity for business results during the show itself. Remember these key points for planning your next trade show visit, and the event is sure to be more successful while reducing the stress caused by the number of things to be accomplished in a short time frame: