Page 10 - EXHIBITION BOOK - BOOK 1 Before!_Neat

CHAPTER 3 DON’T LEAVE IT TO CHANCE – BOOK THE RIGHT SHOW

Like everything in life there are good and not so good products and services out there. Exhibitions are no
different and it’s crucial that you pick the right one. If you are selling to the end consumer then it’s a
consumer show so you will need to find out what the previous attendance at the show was, how long it
had been running and important what re-book rate they have each year. This is a good yardstick as to how
successful the show is. That’s not to say that I would write off a new show as in reality new shows are
exciting for visitors and can often have a very strong footfall. Often with new shows you have a greater
chance of getting the exact stand you want and as a big name may even have leverage with the stand
price.

It’s also important with consumer shows to find out what the entry cost is. People who have to pay to visit
an exhibition tend to be more invested in getting something from it and in my opinion, tend to buy more
or be more real buyers. If something is free entry, it tends to have less value and whilst you will probably
get a higher number of visitors, you will also get a lot more “tyre kickers” who are just there for a day out
and not real buyers. Another consideration with consumer shows is that if you are offering any
promotional gifts or giveaways on your stand, you are likely to see these dwindle very quickly at shows like
this and you may struggle to get a real return on them. Consumer shows however offer you a strong brand
awareness opportunity and if you are building a consumer brand, this is a strong way to do it.

Consumer Shows – Advantages

• Great for brand building
• Immediate sales tend to be quicker at consumer shows
• Opportunity to get promotional opportunities through national press
• Higher footfall
• Strong market research opportunities
• Larger number of leads

Consumer Shows – Disadvantages

• More staff needed to manage stand due to higher footfall
• Promotional materials needed far greater and ultimately more money
• Tend to be on weekends – Staffing cost higher
• More “tyre kickers”
• Working through leads can be more time consuming

The other option is what’s traditionally called a trade show which is essentially a business to business show
in a certain industry sector. If your company operates in the B2B market, then this is the place for you.
Footfall tends to be lower, but the visitors are targeted to your specific sector. B2B shows continue to grow