Page 188 - 101 Ways to Market Your Business

GO OUT AND CHASE BUSINESS

86 Don’t underestimate the value of trade shows
and expos

I have attended a lot of trade shows during the past ten
years. I believe that they are an exceptional way to find
new business. There are basically two types of shows—one
is for the trade, which means that members of a particular
industry get together to showcase new products and tech-
nology in a trade show format. The other is open to the
general public, normally known as an expo.

From my experience you only get results out of a trade
show or expo if you put the effort in. Make your booth
interesting, always have it staffed with professional people
who can answer any question, ensure an adequate supply
of brochures and promotional material and look for every
opportunity to showcase your products and services.

I attended a travel show in Tasmania, Australia, several
years ago. This show was open to the public and featured
tourism operators from around the country. I was repre-
senting a Great Barrier Reef boating company, as was the
gentleman in the booth next to my stand. I set my booth
up with posters, displays of diving equipment and sunny
pictures of the Great Barrier Reef. The chap next to me
had a bare table with four enormous stacks of brochures.
There were no other decorations and his booth looked
disgraceful. Once the show opened the man running the
booth hid behind the piles of brochures and chain-smoked
cigarettes all day. The only time he left his booth on the
first day was to go to the bar. On the second day he didn’t
even go to his booth and on the third morning he topped
up the brochure piles and disappeared.

During that trip I was lucky enough to make contact
with a gentleman who was taking 100 people to North
Queensland in the near future—he booked a $200 per
person package on the spot ($20 000 worth of business).
There were countless other small groups and enquiries and

173