Conference season is heating up, and with it comes the chance to highlight your brand, engage with customers and partners, and make a splash in the news. There are different ways for organizations (and PR teams!) to be successful at a trade show, whether exhibiting, making announcements, or using the time to build relationships with media and analysts.
However, without proper thought and preparation, organizations can miss out on opportunities which can lead to a poor return on investment. Here are three important factors to consider when preparing for your next trade show to maximize exposure and ROI.
The Planning Timeline – How Late is Too Late?
It is never too early to start thinking about your PR plan for an upcoming trade show, but I recommend you start planning at least a couple of months beforehand. Your team also needs to decide well in advance if you plan to make an announcement or engage with media and analysts in any form during or leading up to the show.
Media and analysts often book their schedules for trade shows early, so you want to be reaching out equally early to get on their radar. I would suggest conducting outreach 3-4 weeks in advance, even earlier for bigger shows. This means you need to know what you plan to say at the event and be ready with at least baseline messaging and content – enough to get people interested in a meeting.
To Announce or Not to Announce
Organizations often feel like they have to announce something before or during the event, even if they have nothing of substance to say. An announcement like this only wastes valuable time and resources that your PR team could spend making the trade show more effective in other ways.
Ultimately, journalists will only cover news they believe is truly compelling. This could come in the form of a premier customer signing, partnership, meaningful product update or research that your organization conducted. A basic rule of thumb if you are going to make an announcement is that the topic should be three things: unique, timely, and relevant to current trends in your industry.
If you have something smaller that you still want to announce but aren’t sure if it’s big enough to break through at an event: consider announcing it before the show when it’s quieter and you have a better chance of standing out.
Make it Easy for the Media
Members of the media will be very busy at trade shows. With hundreds of vendors to choose from, journalists simply do not have time to meet with every single one. That means your organization needs to accommodate them.
When you meet with the media, you need to be prepared. Have a dedicated space to talk and focus, preferably in a location where the noise from the show floor is not a distraction. Presentations or demos should illustrate your organization’s value quickly and efficiently and with the bigger market landscape in mind. If your CEO or another C-level executive is in attendance, have them also greet the journalist for a high-level touchpoint. At the end of your presentation, invite the journalist to any private events you may be hosting to continue fostering your relationship.
If you can accommodate the media and keep the experience productive for both parties, you will be able to develop a mutually beneficial relationship for years to come.
Trade shows are a great opportunity to make a lasting impression on the media, customers, and industry leaders. However, it can be easy for your organization to get lost in the noise of a busy show. The keys to transforming trade shows from ineffective to impactful are careful planning, deciding whether to have an announcement and making it easy for the media. If you need to refine your strategy for an upcoming trade show, let’s chat!