Tell the world you're exhibiting
Exhibition marketing is about promoting your exhibiting presence to your target audience. It is about preparing yourself and your team for taking advantage of every opportunity available before the show, at the show and after the show.
Exhibition marketing is often ignored in favour of getting the exhibition stand sorted. Doing little or no pre-show marketing activity leads to average or poor exhibiting results.
It is the organiser's responsibility to get visitors to the show but it is the exhibitor's responsibility to get visitors to their stand.
GForce works with Marketingesp Limited - a specialist exhibition marketing company. Marketingesp provides advice, guidance or practical implementation of your pre-show, at-show and post-show marketing activities.
We can help you with:
- Pre-show planning
- Pre-show promotions - direct mail, PR, advertising, sponsorship, email and web, promotional items and incentives
- Pre-show stand staff training
- At-show stand briefings and lead management
- At-show promotions
- Post-show follow up procedures and promotions
"We work with exhibitors to help them make the absolute most from their exhibiting experience - to make it rewarding, profitable and enjoyable. We work alongside your existing marketing team providing consultancy advice and guidance and we work with exhibitors that don't have a marketing team where we can advise, recommend and implement the entire exhibition marketing plan." Emma Swales, Director, Marketingesp Limited
Research has shown that companies who conduct a pre-show marketing campaign can increase visitor footfall to their stand by up to 40%. GForce and Marketingesp can show you how.
Your exhibition marketing plan needs to include:
- Measurable objectives
- An exhibition plan, timeline and budget
- Target audience
- Key message(s)
- Promotional campaign consisting of email and direct mail
- Website promotion
- Reasons why visitors should come to your stand
- Identification of what the visitor will achieve by visiting your exhibition stand
- Pre-show, at-show and post-show PR campaign
- Dedicated and fit for purpose lead recording system
- Stand staff selection criteria
- Stand staff training and pre-show briefing
- At-show briefings
- Exhibition literature or give-away information
- Sponsorship opportunities
- Post-show follow up procedure
- Measurement tools
Promotional items and incentives
It is also worth considering using a promotional item or incentive to pull visitors to your stand. This can be a hook device featured in your direct mail or email campaigns or an item that is used to attract visitors at the show. It's important to be consistent in your marketing activities so that visitors remember you and your key message(s).
Show organisers often offer sponsorship opportunities such as carpet tiles, graphic banners, carrier bags, exhibitor locator boards and carrier back inserts. Such activities help to raise the profile of your brand and your presence.
Whatever you choose make sure it fits into your exhibition marketing strategy, is within budget and you get something in return - like contact information for your database, an appointment or some sort of commitment. Think carefully about how you use your chosen promotional item or incentive.
GForce and Marketingesp can help you identify and select the right promotional item or incentive for your marketing objectives and help you decide how best to get maximum effect.
We are able to source just about anything from pens, mugs, mousemats, seed packets, calculators and stress balls to cameras, MP3 players, incentive vouchers, pottery piggy banks and more unusual items.
To find out more or to discuss your exhibition marketing ideas, email or call GForce on 01624 665770.
