Page 207 - 597 Business Ideas You can Start from Home - doing what you LOVE! (Beginner Internet Marketing Series)

200 You r Idea, I nc.

• If it happens to be very close to the date of the show, inquire
about taking a booth that may have gotten cancelled at the
last minute. Since the original exhibitor paid a nonrefundable
deposit, the show would be able to charge you less and still fill
the booth. (Be sure you are ready and can deliver your booth
setup and products.) Since the best booth locations are taken
well in advance, don't expect a good location when signing up
late. In some cases, however, any location is better than missing
the show.

• See if the show offers a few smaller "try me" size booths (usually
sized at 5' x 10' and 8' x 10'). This is a great way to test the show
at a discounted price.

In most cases, there's no way around paying the fee to exhibit.
But if your product is a great fit for a particular trade show, you can't
beat the exposure and buzz. You'll have to fill out a contract that
outlines the fees, delivery deadlines, and other important informa­
tion. I'll give you more tips for saving money on other trade-show
costs later in this chapter.

Choosing Your B ooth Location

Trade-show booths are considered "real estate," and the cardinal rule
of location, location, location, certainly applies. If you sign up early,
you sometimes have a better chance of exhibiting near the front
door or near a large "anchor" booth (a large chain store or indus­
try leader)' Being close to anchors is a terrific benefit because they
attract a lot of foot traffic that will have to walk by your booth.

Make Special Requests

The contract you sign with show management usually has a
space for exhibitor location requests, but the task of placing hun­
dreds or thousands of companies in a spot each one is happy with
is tough. So be thoughtful about your requests and consider what's