Why trade shows are so important
Love them or loathe them, trade shows are an integral part of many businesses in allowing them to expand to markets and customers that they might not necessarily reach in day to day business. You may say we’re biased since we work for some trade shows but with many years of experience in this area, we know how important they are, as long as you make them work for you. For many exhibitors who might be small, one man businesses, trade shows allow you to network with other producers and showcase your products to your audience, who as trade customers will be keen to give constructive feedback.
Call us old fashioned but nothing quite beats the face to face selling. Despite every sales technique in the book we are all still humans and interaction is important so meeting your customers and buyers allows you to sell your product quickly and efficiently.
For buyers, trade shows can’t be avoided if you want to find out what’s new and innovative in your business. You might find 3/4 of the Show irrelevant but that one quarter may be the little gems that make your business a success.
But for both exhibitors and visitors the most important thing is be prepared. For exhibitors prepare your stand and make sure it shows your products in the best possible light. Look and feel good about it as this will immediately attract custom and of course, follow up after speaking to trade customers. For visitors look through the exhibitor lists and activities at the Show and prioritise what you want to see and hear – in this way you won’t waste any time.
Above all enjoy getting out and seeing people – it can make you feel good about your business!
What better way to showcase a new kitchen than to have a cookery demonstration, which is exactly how client Kitchens International officially opened their new showroom at Martin & Frost, Fort Kinnaird, near Edinburgh. Chef Tony Singh MBE showed how to get the most from these beautiful kitchens by cooking up a delicious Spicy Lamb Pattie, called a Nuhra with the most delicious marinated onions, as well as putting together a Ceviche of Scallops with pomegranate, ginger and lime. My favourite ingredients – lime and ginger – really made this a special dish and there was unanimous approval of both dishes.
Times are tough for many companies right now and it can be all too easy to race to do something to improve business. There is no doubting that PR is essential if you are to stay visible in this fast-moving digital world. But before embarking on a campaign it is vital to work out your marketing objectives (what are you trying to achieve), your PR objectives and strategy (how are you going to achieve it) and who your target market is. From this you can define your goals and then work out what is the best campaign to follow to achieve it. For example there’s no point mounting a massive social media campaign across Instagram and Snapchat if your target audience don’t ever go there. (And did you know the average age of someone using Instagram is just 22?) Equally if you’re only wanting to talk to other businesses use trade press, business to business communication and twitter.
Thanks for visiting the new Fenella Taylor website. If you have a business that needs to get its message out in an affordable, eye-catching way, give us a call!