1. Developed by Dan Beaulieu: D.B.Management Group
SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN
TRADE SHOW PLAN
(Your company)
AUGUST 2004
Developed by Dan Beaulieu: D.B.Management Group
Copyright D.B.Management Group L.L.C.
1/18/2019

2. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
REASONS TO ATTEND A TRADE SHOW:
SELL OUR PRODUCTS/ GET MORE BUSINESS
INTRODUCE NEW STRATEGIC DIRECTION NETWORK
SELL TO OTHER EXHIBITORS: ASSEMBLERS/ FABRICATORS
MEET WITH MEDIA AND GET EXPOSURE
ESTABLISH INDUSTRY POSITION
ESTABLISH NEW IMAGE
ANNOUNCE NEW PRODUCTS
MEET WITH EXISTING CUSTOMERS
MEET WITH NEW CUSTOMERS
GET LEADS FOR SALES TO FOLLOW UP
NETWORK AND TROUBLE SHOOT WITH OTHER PROFESSIONALS
DO MARKET RESEARCH
FIND NEW REPS AND DISTRUBUTORS
FIND NEW EMPLOYEES
SCOPE OUT THE COMPETITION
1/18/2019

3. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
Show Theme: Strategy
Your company; Your defining slogan
To offer our customers unique, solutions customized to fit their specific needs
Be our customers’
Experts
Advisors
Consultants
visionaries
Learn this specific needs and fill them
Anticipate their future needs and meet them
1/18/2019

4. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
COPRORATE IMAGE: Company characteristics (Goal)
Account Experts: no other supplier knows our customers as well as we do.
No one cares more: we are always looking our for our customers. We know their challenges and we try to find ways to solve them.
We know more about the industry (printing or PCB) than anyone else does (in the customers’ eyes)
We do things that the customers cannot do for themselves
We do things that the customer do not want to do for themselves
We do things that the customer has not thought of yet, or ever
We do “AHA!” stuff from the smallest to the largest solutions.
We do things that the big guys cannot do.
Our Goal: Make it so the customers cannot live without us.
It would be a sad day indeed if the customers could not use your company any more.
1/18/2019

5. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
The Corporate Image: Characteristics
THE “JOHNNY ON THE SPOT” IMAGE
We want our customers to know that we will do whatever it takes to solve their problems.
We want them to feel that when they call we will be there right away
We want them to feel that we are an extension of their own technical staff.
We have to be what we are and not we are not
1/18/2019

6. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
COPRORATE IMAGE: Company characteristics 4
What the Big Guys cannot do:
Be flexible
Be accommodating
Be quick
Be lean
Be unbureaucratic
Be able to make decision quickly
Be very precise in product innovation
Pay more attention to the customer
Be more valuable
Others?
1/18/2019

7. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
YOUR COMPANY’S TRADE SHOW GOALS
INTRODUCE NEW COMPANY DEFINING SLOGAN
MEET WITH EXISTING CUSTOMERS AND UPDATE THEM ABOUT NEW DEVELOPMENTS
SELL TO OTHER EXHIBITORS
MEET WITH MEDIA
ANNOUNCE NEW PRODUCTS
1/18/2019

8. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
YOUR COMPANY ’S TRADE SHOW GOALS 2
INTRODUCE NEW PRODUCTS
LEARN ABOUT CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS
DEVELOP PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
EDUCATE REPS/DISTRIBUTORS ABOUT NEW STRATEGIC DIRECTION AND PRODUCTS
1/18/2019

9. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
YOUR COMPANY ’S TRADE SHOW GOALS 3
Develop great leads for sales people to follow up
Grow our database of qualified leads
Establish position in market place
Check out competition
Check out other technologies
Network
1/18/2019

10. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
YOUR COMPANY’S TRADE SHOW GOALS 4
Set goals: we want to:
We want to meet with: (name people and companies we want to meet with)
We want to find_______ partners to use as beta sites for R&D
We want to find partners to evaluate and comment on our technology roadmap
1/18/2019

11. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
YOUR COMPANY’S TRADE SHOW GOALS 5
Set goals: we want to:
Find out about the competition:
Financial health
Reputation
New products/technology
New key people
Strategy
Customer base
1/18/2019

12. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
YOUR COMPANY’S TRADE SHOW GOALS 6
Set goals: we want to:
Meet with our reps/distributors:
Educate them on new products, strategy and company goals
Motivate them for the next year
Debrief them on status of their territory/customers etc
Get a forecast from them for the coming year
1/18/2019

13. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
YOUR COMPANY’S TRADE SHOW GOALS 7
Set goals: we want to:
Meet with trade magazines
Circuitree: Steve Gold
Circuits assembly: Mike Buetow
US Tech: Walter Salms/ Jacob Fattal
PCBD&M: Andy Shaughnessy
Make arrangements to appear in their publications
1/18/2019

14. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
YOUR COMPANY’S TRADE SHOW GOALS 7
Set goals: we want to:
Meet with IPC
Learn how to get more involved
Learn their schedules for the next two years
Sign up to present at their events
1/18/2019

15. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
YOUR COMPANY’S TRADE SHOW GOALS 7
Set goals: we want to:
Meet with USPCA
Learn how to get more involved
Learn their schedules for the next two years
Sign up to present at their events
1/18/2019

16. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
YOUR COMPANY’S TRADE SHOW GOALS 8
Set goals: we want to:
Learn more about the market:
We want to attend seminars:
Select the right ones
1/18/2019

17. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
YOUR COMPANY’S TRADE SHOW GOALS 8
Set goals: we want to:
Learn more about the trade shows
Number of participants
Who they are?
Are they right for YOUR COMPANY?
Will we do this show next year?
If yes let’s start planning
If no what shows should we do?
1/18/2019

18. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
Working the booth
Develop a strong and clear schedule
Make sure we have good consistent coverage
Important don’t have too many YOUR COMPANY employees at the booth at once
Don’t make a visitor feel like she is crashing a party
Make the booth welcoming
Visitors come first
Leave the front of the booth open for visitors to come in easily
1/18/2019

19. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
Working the booth
Try to schedule visits from customers/reps etc.
Have a good meeting place in the booth.
Have a booth captain for each day or shift
Two shifts each day
Have a sign up sheet so team will know where certain team members are and when they are coming back to the booth.
Have a plan for when a visitor stops by
1/18/2019

20. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
Working the booth
Working a visitor
Get as much information as possible
Get all the key information
All contact information
Use key selling questions
And document, document, document
This contact is the first step to a new customer
1/18/2019

21. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
Questions to ask: Learn these and ask them when as appropriate
What are your needs?
What is the biggest problem right now?
What other problems do you have?
What are you doing to deal with these?
Who are you using right now?
Will they be able to handle your needs in the future?
How is that going?
What do you like about the product? Dislike?
What would motivate your to make a change?
How much would it be worth you to solve your problems?
How can we help?
What we can do?
What is the next step?
1/18/2019

22. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
Working the floor
Decide who is going to meet with whom
Put together the schedule
Make sure all customers who are exhibiting are visited
Make sure companies you would like to do business with are visited
Check out the competition
What does their booth look like?
Are they busy?
Do they have new products?
1/18/2019

23. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
BEFORE AND AFTER HOURS AT THE SHOW
We are at the show to work
Set up meetings at every meal
Make sure every meal counts
Make sure you make good use of key management people
they should be having dinner with key customers or potential customers every evening
Make sure that all individual efforts are coordinated with rest of the team.
1/18/2019

24. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
LEAD GENERATION
Chose the right data base software that can be shared by the entire team
Name a person to be in charge of the data base
Create a template of all the information we need for the lead
Make sure that when we talk to people we get all of that information
Turn it over to the data base person for inclusion
1/18/2019

25. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
SELLING KEY CUSTOMERS
Ask the key sales questions listed above
Find out who the real decision makers are
Qualify the account/make sure it fits with what we want in a new customer
Educate them about our capabilities
Develop a follow up strategic action plan
1/18/2019

26. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
FINDING NEW REPS/DISTRIBUTORS
Target territories and accounts we want to have
Make sure the organization is right for us
Good territory coverage
Financially secure
Good experienced sales team
Strong network and contacts
Can they get us the customers we want?
Can they help us meet our goals?
1/18/2019

27. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
DAILY SHOW MEETINGS
WHAT ARE WE GETTING DONE TODAY?
NAME DAY’S CAPTAIN
BOOTH SCHEDULE
FLOOR COVERAGE
LIST OF MEETINGS
ACTIONS FROM YESTERDAY
1/18/2019

28. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
DAILY DEBRIEFINGS
HOW DID IT GO?
DID WE GET EVERYTHING DONE?
INTERESTING MEETINGS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
ACTIONS THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN
THINGS THAT NEED TO BE FIXED FOR TOMORROW
NAMES TO ADD TO DATA BASE
1/18/2019

29. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
FINAL DEBRIEFING
Once the show is over meet with the entire team and talk informally about the show. Make sure someone takes notes
How did it go?
What did we accomplish?
Did we meet our goals?
Would we come back to this show again?
Any other comments
1/18/2019

30. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
WHAT DO WE DO WITH THIS?
WHAT WORKED?
List all the things that worked and incorporate them for the future
WHAT DID NOT WORK?
List what did not work and then develop a plan for making the improvements that will make it work
1/18/2019

31. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
MEASURING OUR SUCCESS
Did we meet our goals?
Compare with the goals set before the show
Evaluate the data base, did we gain good leads?
Plan to check our progress with the leads in three months? Six months? One year?
How many new customers did we gain?
How much business did we gain?
How much progress did we make to our growth goals
1/18/2019

32. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
MAKING NEXT YEAR BETTER
LEARN FROM THIS YEAR
USE YOUR: WHAT WORKED AND WHAT DID NOT WORK THIS TIME
CAPITALIZE ON THAT FOR NEXT TME
MAKE SURE WE FOCUS ON WHAT WE COULD HAVE DONE BEFORE THE SHOW THAT WOULD HAVE MADE THINGS EASIER
1/18/2019

33. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
THINGS TO BRING NEXT YEAR
MAKE A LIST OF WHAT WE USED THIS YEAR AND KEEP IT FOR THE NEXT SHOW.
INCLUDE ANYTHING THAT WE HAD TO GO FIND AT THE LAST MINUTE
LIST ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE AT THE NEXT SHOW
1/18/2019

34. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
ACTION FOLLOW UP PLAN
PUT ALL INFORMATION INTO ONE FINAL REPORT
ONCE THE REPORT IS PUBLISHED DEVELOP A SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM ACTION LIST
REVIEW IN A MEETING WITHIN TWO WEEKS AFTER THE SHOW
1/18/2019

35. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
The future: show success calendar
52 weeks before the show
Select the show
Make sure it is the right show
Reserve the space
Get the best space possible
Reserve hotel space
Sign up to lead seminars
1/18/2019

36. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
The future: show success calendar
16 weeks before the show
Budget and planning meeting
Set goals
Assign responsibilities
Finalize budget
Develop message and theme
Develop show strategy
Review show kit to understand deadlines
Decide who is going to the show
1/18/2019

37. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
The future: show success calendar
14 weeks before the show
Plan exhibit layout and design
Develop graphics design requirements
Develop media kit and promotion strategy
Develop seminars
Develop literature
Plan staff training session
1/18/2019

38. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
The future: show success calendar
12 weeks before the show
Get details for show directory
Send pre-show media releases
Update newsletters/ website and advertising to let people know you are going to the show.
10 weeks before the show
Order promotional items
1/18/2019

39. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
The future: Show success calendar
6-8 weeks before the show:
Confirm staff
Confirm graphics and new literature are on schedule
Check travel arrangements
Plan travel book tickets
Order on site show services
Request visitor information package from convention center
Make sure seminars are ready
1/18/2019

40. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
The future: Show success calendar
4 weeks before the show:
Create lead form and data base template
Create follow-up package
Write and test follow-up letters
Complete seminar hand out materials
Check on all schedules
Mail pre-show promotional materials
Schedule in-bound and out-bound freight
1/18/2019

41. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
The future: Show success calendar
2 weeks before the show:
Confirm travel arrangements
Package and ship materials
1week to one day before:
Final meeting and training
Show plan
Badges
Conduct daily meetings
Process leads daily
1/18/2019

42. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
The future: Show success calendar
1 week after show:
Conduct after show review
What went well and did not
Send thank you notes
Send follow up packages
Follow up leads
Close sales
1/18/2019

43. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
The future: Show success calendar
After the show
Reconcile expenses against budget
Make adjustments for next time
Decide whether to do the show next year
Measure sales results from show activity
Use the data base as basis of sales efforts
1/18/2019

44. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
The future: Show success calendar
Reconcile expenses
Collect all expenses from the show
Include:
Actual show expenses as we all individual travel expenses
Use this to measure ROI
Use this to budget for next year
1/18/2019

45. SAMPLE TRADE SHOW PLAN TRADE SHOW PLAN
Actions: Develop the actions for next year/next show.
What did we learn?
1/18/2019