Trade shows are one of the most rewarding forms of marketing and a rare opportunity to meet face-to-face with your target audience. Proven to generate high quality leads, offer exceptional networking opportunities and strengthen relationships with customers and business partners, it’s no surprise that many businesses base their entire marketing strategy around their events calendar.
Below we cover six of the main benefits of exhibiting in an industry trade show.
1. Fantastic opportunity for lead generation.
Trade shows draw thousands of visitors from around the world and provide an opportunity to attract hundreds of these visitors to your stand. With a proven interest in your sector, these visitors will sometimes have even paid an admission fee to be there, making them a highly engaged audience. Your sales team have a perfect opportunity to generate lots of quality leads to follow up with after the show, or possibly even secure new business right then and there.
Trade shows are one of the few environments in which your sales team benefits from a highly engaged audience of potential customers that are genuinely interested in hearing about your products and services. Added to this, Exhibitors Survey Inc states that over 82% of exhibition attendees have buying influence, so having a chance to interact with these people while they are in the mindset to listen and engage is a fantastic opportunity.
2. Meet your customers face-to-face.
One of the greatest benefits of trade shows is the opportunity to meet your customers face-to-face and show them the human side of your business. A study by Oxford Economics found that face-to-face meetings are the most effective way to strengthen relationships with both new and existing customers.
These face-to-face interactions are more personal than traditional marketing, and customers are likely to be more receptive to future marketing messages when they have met the real people behind them. This helps to create a more personal bond with your customers, which could lead to increased business while cementing your company as the go-to option to meet their needs.
Your customers can also provide valuable feedback on your products and services that can inform future developments to your business. Customers are more likely to provide honest feedback in a face-to-face setting.
3. Stay up to date with industry developments.
Trade shows are a fantastic way to keep up to date on developments in your industry, with opportunities to learn new techniques, get ideas from your peers and explore innovative products that could help your business in the future.
They also offer brilliant educational opportunities, with presentations, workshops, seminars, and lectures that will help you understand the latest trends in your industry and adapt them to your business. These talks, delivered by thought leaders and industry experts, can provide you with unique insights that you otherwise might have missed.
4. Find out what your competitors are doing.
One of the most distinctive benefits of trade shows is the opportunity to see for yourself what is going on amongst your competitors. More than half of exhibitors say that they exhibit because their competition is there. Exhibiting allows you to observe what your competitors are doing to attract clients, how they are showcasing their products, any new product launches etc. Once you know what your competitors are doing you can assess their results and use these to inform your own business strategy.
Keep in mind that while you are watching your competitors, they will also be watching you!
5. Build a network of useful business partners.
Trade shows are where an industry gathers, and the best place for you to find other businesses capable of solving some of the problems your business faces. An important and often underrated benefit of exhibiting at a trade show is the chance to meet with other businesses in your sector and build a network of useful business partners.
Networking with your industry peers at a trade show can offer vital business opportunities and connections that you would not have come across otherwise. This highlights that trade shows offer far more value than just interacting with customers and generating leads.
6. Increase brand awareness.
Exhibiting at a trade show is an excellent way of showing your company to the world and increasing brand awareness within your industry. Potential customers and partners will be switched on and ready to listen to your message.
Trade shows are one of the few marketing environments where you have the same access to your target audience as your larger competitors do. This makes them a valuable opportunity for strengthening your brand and positioning your business as a leader in the industry.
Your presence alone will let visitors know that your company exists, but a successful exhibition will also create confidence that your company is the best option for meeting your customers’ needs. Hand out some branded freebies and you’ll even ensure your customers take your brand home with them.
These are just some of the benefits that make exhibiting at an industry trade show a vital part of marketing your business. Whether you’re more interested in lead generation, boosting your customer relationships, learning about the industry, or improving your network of partners, trade shows present opportunities that other forms of marketing simply cannot match.
See also – Top Tips for Making the Most of Trade Show Exhibiting