Baby Boutique Marketplace

Why are trade shows important?  They are a great way to interact with your customers and potential clients.  You should identify the various trade shows that you would like to attend and define your reasons for creating a trade show exhibit, whether that is to expand your customer base, introduce new products, or refine existing customer relationships.  There are a few key factors that can help to make your trade show experience a success: knowing your audience, creating a meaningful booth, and providing opportunities for positive conversation.

Audience: Before attending any trade show, be aware of your target audience.  What kind of people are going to be attending the show?  What message do you want to convey to those people?  What are your goals with those people?  As soon as you answer those questions you are free to coordinate your exhibit accordingly.  Knowing your audience affects everything from booth design to what kind of aesthetics and marketing messages are going to be included.  What kind of customer take-away are you going to offer?  What kind of interactive experience are you looking for with potential customers?  How much time should you spend with each person?  Knowing your audience can also help to create a way to measure your trade show goals and define your lead management process.

Booth: Trade show booths are extremely important, but only if you have taken the time to know your target audience and define clear goals for the show.  The next step is to create a reasonable budget.  Again, having clear goals helps you to decide on where to spend your money.  When creating content, be sure to keep it simple and engaging; create a look that is more about one concept and/or central idea.  Go back to your original business plan and identify the “essence” piece that would make the greatest impression.  Also be sure that your company’s name, logo, and contact information are easy to see.

Conversation:  Positive interaction with people at the show is a critical key for success.  No matter the length of a conversation with a show participant, it is important to have a positive exchange.  That means making yourself available when people approach the booth.  Do not be eating or in deep conversations with booth staff.  Be aware of body language (like crossing your arms) so that you appear approachable.  Always stand (and wear comfortable shoes) and don’t be afraid to venture out into the aisles to greet people.  You don’t need to have gimmicks to get people to come to your booth.  Positive body language, appropriate dress, and a well-trained staff can create the opportunities for conversation that will help you to fulfill your trade show goals.

The best way to gain invaluable trade show experience is simply by attending some. Do some research on industry trade shows and don’t hesitate to speak with people about their own trade show experience. For the baby-good industry, some of the larger shows include the ABC Kids Expo, the New York International Gift Show, The ABC Spring Educational Conference, and the Las Vegas Kids at World Market.