Exhibit Fairs: Capturing New Clients

I have just returned from hosting our annual Print Oasis Print Buyers Conference at Amelia Island Plantation in Florida. One of the most popular events was our Exhibit Hall, which featured more than 60 major printing companies and print suppliers. I took note of which booths seemed to be the most popular:

Hit the Ground Running: Before the conference, we provided an attendee mailing list to the exhibitors who requested it. The most successful exhibitors sent out a pre-show promotion inviting attendees to stop by their booth. This definitely increased brand recognition for those who took the time to design a thoughtful and dynamic promotion.

Offer Cool Tools: Concord Litho advertised its free Valentine’s Day Survival Kit on www.PrintBuyersOnline.com a couple of weeks before the conference. To increase the effectiveness of this campaign, kits were also given away at their booth, which were extremely popular. The included wrapping paper created even more good will for Concord Litho when people used it for their Valentine’s Day gifts after the conference.

Get Out of your Seat: Not surprisingly, the sales reps that approached people and greeted them made more connections than those who just stayed in their seats. It sounds like a no-brainer, I know, but you would be surprised how many booths I passed where reps were just camped out in the corner.

Content is King: Exhibitors who hosted mini-educational sessions at their booths received far more traffic than those who didn’t. In addition, white papers and other promotional tools are always a huge hit with print buyers.

Now let’s hear from you in the comment section below: if you have exhibited at a conference before, what have you found to be effective in attracting attendees to your booth?