Trade shows saw a slight decline last year (2009) in terms of the cost of exhibiting – typically price drops of between 10% and 15% were experienced with one notable exception – the cost of space rental. The cost of renting booth space actually saw a slight rise, but this is largely due to the forward pricing nature of how exhibitors contract for space – usually well in advance and sometimes up to a year before the event itself.

Nevertheless, costs still need to be carefully watched and now more than ever, you need to optimize the benefits from exhibiting at trade shows.

Tip One – Watch Trade Show Costs and Maintain ROI

Trade show costs must be carefully controlled because they have a very nasty habit of rocketing out of total control and out of all proportion to any benefit you will accrue. First, establish a budget and stick to it! Lack of a budget is a major cause of overspend. Second, go for quality rather than quantity – taking a smaller space and creating the budget for an eye-popping display is far better than taking a bigger space and installing a dull and lifeless display.

Tip Two – Portable Displays are Great!

Portable displays are flexible, cheap and extremely effective in delivering the same results as a larger, fixed display. The ROI is certainly better and they are far more adaptable to the venue and to your needs. The cost of entry is small too and for a few hundred dollars you can have a fully customized display which is lightweight, easy to assemble and dismantle, will allow you to minimize the number of people you need, will store easily and is a dream to maintain.

Tip Three: Booth Location

Angle for the best booth location possible because this is a crucial factor in traffic generation for your presence at the trade show. This is where getting your request for space in quickly as possible can help you grab a better location. If possible, go for a corner booth because this is a great location for traffic from multiple directions and maximizes your exposure on the floor. The front of the arena is also a great place as everyone will enter through here, the center for much the same reason as traffic gravitates there naturally. Near to food and drink, near the restrooms and next to major exhibitors are also good for high traffic opportunity.

Tip Four: Booth Staffing

Deciding who to send to man the booth is an important decision – you need staff with good people skills who are prepared to mingle and meet and greet. You also need them to be presentable because they are acting as the face of your business at the show. You also must invest time and effort in giving them training on how to deal with attendees from approach, qualifying and gathering information and especially what to do when a hot lead looking to do business now approaches.

There are a host of other things you can be doing, but the most important thing to bear in mind is that you need to carefully plan and consider all of your options, and the greatest asset you will have is a lively imagination.

Author Bio: Rena Patton is the president of ExhibitWholesale, a leading provider of trade show displays and accessories such as pop-up displays and banner stands. ExhibitWholesale can be found online at: ExhibitWholesale.com .

Category: Marketing
Keywords: trade show hints, trade shows, trade show, about trade shows, trade show sales, trade show revenue