Toolbox: Do You Have Trade Show Anxiety? (Your Complete Trade Show Marketing & Communications Checklist)

By Bob Decker

It’s 2:00 AM. It’s pitch black outside. All is quiet, except the drumming between your ears. You should be sleeping. 

Instead, your mind is going in circles listing off all of the tiny things that could slip through the cracks. You’re thinking about the details no one knows but you. You’re looking to foresee any potential problems before they happen.

The cause of this anxiety is the next trade show on the calendar. Whether you’re preparing for NAB, IBC, InfoComm, Sensors, or one of the other shows that take place each year, you’re not alone if you find yourself under immense pressure in the lead up to the event. 

Everyone experiences stress in anticipation of major trade shows because you have invested so much time, effort, and budget into everything going perfectly. Plus, a great deal is riding on the outcome because the reason you invest in the trade show is the number of deals you can start or secure there. 

That’s why I’ve put together a complete list of every marketing and communications task you have to do starting one year before a show and continuing during a show and even after. 

By following this list, you can eliminate much of the tension and anxiety you experience because it will allow you to anticipate everything you need to think about for a successful trade show. 

Before reading the list, you should know that the single greatest stress-reducer you can put into practice is working with an agency that has expertise in both your industry and trade show marketing and communications. Dundee Hills Group agencies, including Redpines, provide each and every one of the services on this checklist for our clients, easing the load of the trade shows where they exhibit.

Here’s Your Complete Trade Show Checklist:

 

6 to 12 months in advance of the show:

● Begin full show campaign plan

● Pitch possible speaking opportunities and paper presentations

● Create, proofread, format, and submit presentation abstracts 

● Propose ancillary and/or co-located events

● Submit show-related award nominations

● Prepare the trade show participation budget

● Plan product roadmap 

● Create overall theme and visual treatment

3 to 6 months in advance of the show:

● Identify, prepare, and submit for relevant award opportunities

● Complete exhibitor profile on the trade show website

● Submit content for the show dailies

● Design ads and create advertising plan

● Create strategy and budget for press events, such as a press conference or dinner

● Make press conference room reservations

 

1 to 3 months in advance of the show: 

● Media:

○ Organize press events, including invitations, managing RSVPs, catering, and creating and editing the presentation 

○ Identify editorial opportunities specifically aimed at the event

○ Place and write contributed articles on trends, thought leadership, etc.

○ Develop a show preview

○ Create sponsored content for show dailies and other trade press

● Digital marketing:

○ Produce show landing page

○ Design and schedule a social media campaign

○ Organize and offer a pre-show webinar

○ Write and send an e-mail campaign inviting prospects to visit your booth

○ Produce short videos to generate show leads 

○ Reach out to targeted leads one-on-one to schedule meetings at your booth

○ Create digital media that can be on display at the booth

○ Write and design tailored articles or reports

● Print:

○ Coordinate with stand builder 

○ Create sales collateral 

○ Design booth graphics

○ Specify vendor and order booth graphics

○ Specify vendor and order printed handouts

○ Final proofing of all printed graphics

 

1 month or less in advance of the show:

● Review, edit, proofread, and format final paper, booth presentations, and/or slides

● Create virtual tour of the booth 

● Manage booth staff training

● Design slide deck presentation to go on monitors at the booth

● Strategize pre-show video scripting

● Media: 

○ Conduct pre-show one-on-one briefings of editors

○ Provide staff media training, including how to present at a press conference and talk with editors in one-on-ones at the booth

○ Prepare press kit 

○ Create look-books with pictures of editors and a schedule of meetings

○ Offer calendar invitations for press meetings

○ Send press releases about exhibiting at the show, new products, customer announcements, etc.

○ Write and edit press briefings and talking points

 

During the show:

● Staff the booth, press room, lounge, and/or meeting rooms

● Set up the booth

● Troubleshoot booth technology

● Provide final proofing of all changeable graphics (such as lettering) being done on site

● Post on social channels from the show floor

● Host editor meetings

● Record and/or photograph award presentation and booth events

● Take video on the booth to use for follow-up social media and your website

● Coordinate and lead dealer and distributor meetings 

● Launch text-from-stage campaign during the show to capture leads

● Follow up with booth visitors during the show

 

Within 1 month after the show:

● Send follow-up e-mail campaigns to booth visitors 

● Conduct post-show performance assessment and reporting

● Manage editorial follow up such as writing thank you notes, sending press requested materials, and arranging interviews for upcoming features

Having read through the list, would you like to take any of these tasks off your plate in the lead up to your most important trade shows? 

Dundee Hills Group agencies can offer you every one of these services, removing your biggest stressors with expertise and key contacts within your industry. If you’d like to talk about a package of services we can provide you, please reach out to me by phone at 415-409-0233.

Toolbox: Unlock the Potential of Contributed Articles in Your Marketing Plan

By Bob Decker

I was recently invited by the marcom manager at one of the world’s best established sensor manufacturers to have a Zoom conversation with his team about contributed articles for trade magazines, which is the topic of a marcom brief I put together several months ago.

“What I’m interested in hearing you talk about isn’t so much about how to do contributed articles, but why,” he said. “It would be useful for my team to have your insights on why contributed articles are worthwhile.”

This set me thinking in a new direction, the result was a conversation that covered a lot of different ground from the marcom brief I'd written a few months earlier. At some point I'll revise that document and make it available here, but for now wanted to share with you a few insights that people thought were valuable.

1. Contributed articles are most useful at the top of the sales / marketing funnel. 

They take time to read. They tend to address general questions about various technologies rather than "Whose product should I buy right now?" So it's unrealistic to expect that someone will read your article and then place an order five minutes later. That said, articles (and many other types of long form content) are a great way to let customer know that 1) you're in a given business, 2) you have expertise that can help them solve a problem now or at some point in the future, and 3) you know how to be helpful.

2. A corollary to the preceding point is that contributed articles are best used to promote products that are still relatively new but that have been around long enough that you know well how they'll work in the real world and hopefully you can give some real examples of how they're solving problems for your customers. 

Using a contributed article specifically to promote a new product usually isn't a great idea since most publications don't want free editorial to be used this way and you'll be compelled to refer to your new solution in cryptic language that stops short of identifying what it is and where to buy it. Of course, a contributed article doesn't absolutely need to talk about a specific product at all to build your credibility as someone who understands what challenges your customers are facing. 

3. Paid contributed articles that are indistinguishable from the unpaid kind, i.e. which don't have ADVERTORIAL warnings plastered all over them, are a thing to be open-minded about. 

While you may not want to pay for magazine "coverage," that might be the only choice depending on your industry or which geographical market you're targeting. Besides the guarantee that something will actually get published where you want it to be, paid editorial provides the incentive to get the darn article written. You'll be given a firm deadline by the magazine and if you miss it, you lose the money you paid to get it published.

I could go on and on about this topic! But what I'd really like is to talk with you directly about how Redpines can help you create and promote several types of long-form content, including contributed articles. To request a call, just E-mail me at bob.decker[at]redpinesgroup.com, or go ahead and dial 415 409-0233.

Marcom Brief: Increase Visibility and Engagement: How To Take Center Stage

 By Bob Decker

Speaking appearances at industry conferences are great opportunities to put yourself and your company before a highly informed audience that has actually paid money to hear what you have to say. 

In addition to providing the catalyst for content creation that we all need, the benefits speaking appearances provide are quite significant – from boosting your company’s visibility to giving you the opportunity to interact in a “live” and meaningful way with a group of people who are truly motivated to hear from you.

Unfortunately, the process of actually securing a presentation slot at a prestigious event can often be long and arduous. So, to help you and your company take center stage, I’ve put together the following checklist that outlines the important steps in securing a speaking appearance and maximizing its impact:

Download this simple guide to find out how and when to submit a winning speaking proposal.

If you need even more motivation, Redpines – and our years of experience helping companies deliver their messages more effectively – is here to guide you through the process outlined in the checklist. For a free consultation, please reach out to me at +1 415-409-0233.