How to Trade Show – The Art of Communicating at Trade Shows
Marketing
Posted 05 Jun 2023
In today’s connected world, where digital communications dominate the business world, physical events can often be overlooked or considered outdated. However, despite the increasing digital transformation, trade shows still maintain an important role in marketing and PR. Trade shows have long been a significant platform for companies to showcase their products and services to a wide audience, make new business contacts and attract potential customers. However, in an increasingly competitive business world, it is becoming difficult to stand out at trade shows and gain the desired attention.
This is where experienced PR consultants come in to help corporate clients realize the full potential of their trade show presence. The tasks of a PR consultant have changed constantly in recent years, adapting to the needs and trends of today. Thus, it has also become a profound task to prepare, accompany and support clients for upcoming trade shows. Meanwhile, the question arises: But what are the responsibilities of a PR consultant about trade show work?
Preparatory work in relation to an upcoming trade show is the most important part. The better it is planned, structured, and organized in advance, the easier the subsequent steps will be. First, every PR consultant should gather as much information as possible. Why is the customer at the trade fair and what does the company want to achieve? What is the client exhibiting at the show? What message do they want to convey with the products or services? Which topics are in focus and how is the booth structured?
In addition, it is important to find out what to expect in terms of the customer, the trade fair, other exhibitions and more. Only in this way can the trade fair be optimally planned, the customer ideally helped and there are no unpleasant surprises. Subsequently, before the invitations are sent to, suitable publications and editorial offices, one should be aware of what the customer has to offer. Once the invitations have been sent out, the follow-up begins, and commitments are solicited by phone and mail to find as many prospects as possible who will be there and visit the booth.
At the trade show itself, the PR consultants are present and keep their eyes open for familiar faces in order to possibly arrange further meetings. They familiarize themselves with the employees and contact persons of the corporate client on site. In addition, the PR consultants are responsible for briefing the customers and preparing them for the upcoming meetings. In doing so, the customers are informed about what they can expect and what topics might guide the talks. Also, the company’s contact persons are instructed on how best to respond to difficult questions and which topics are typical for the respective editors. If unpleasant questions are asked, the PR consultant can intervene and steer the conversation in a sensible direction. The preliminary work is therefore so significant, as the PR consultants do not engage in any further promotional activities on site. At the end of a trade show day, the results are evaluated together with the client, and the next steps or planning for the following day are discussed, the PR consultants prepare a daily summary of the individual discussions as well as publication options.
This could also be of interest to you: Talking to journalists – How to make the interview a success.
After the exciting and varied time on site, there is still a number of tasks for PR consultants to complete after the trade fair, including summarizing the individual trade fair days and interviews, as well as evaluating the trade fair with the client. This involves discussing which goals were achieved and providing feedback accordingly.
In addition, if necessary, appointments are made for interviews that could not take place on site. This is usually done online, with the PR consultants assisting the corporate clients. Materials are also sent to publications and any questions that may arise are answered. Post-show activity and follow-up are important to maximize the results achieved. Thus, the follow-up is at least as important as the activity at the trade show.
Overall, working with a PR consultant on trade show work can give the company a valuable competitive advantage. However, there are some tasks involved. In principle, however, a visit to a trade show is also advantageous for the PR consultant, as they come into personal contact with the customer and also get to know the customers better. In addition, one gets to know the products, which, for example, will subsequently be mentioned in one of the next press releases. This makes it possible to establish a much more personal relationship with the customers, which in turn has a positive effect on the work that follows. Especially after Corona, such trade show visits can strengthen the business relationship again. Therefore, trade fair visits are worthwhile for both sides and every company should consider this possibility.
In summary, it can be said that the preparatory work for a trade show is significant for success, and PR consultants perform a great service in this context. At the fair itself, they are an important support. The consultants not only accompany their customers on site, but also organize and structure their time at the trade fair so that it is as pleasant as possible. With their expertise, they offer their clients professionalism and maximize success.
With us as PR consultants at your side, you can be sure that we will get the most out of your trade show appearances and achieve lasting success. Invest in professional trade show work and let us help your company succeed and shine at trade shows. Get in touch at: vibes@hbi.de
Communication Advisor at HBI Helga Bailey GmbH – International PR & MarCom
Annika Müller has been supporting HBI in the areas of PR and marketing since 2022.
As a Communication Advisor, her responsibilities include the creation of professional articles & the conceptualization of social media postings.
Furthermore, Annika is involved in directly assisting our client work.
