Five Tips for
Trade Show Success on a Small Budget
No matter how small your marketing budget, your business can afford to have
a successful presence at trade shows without incurring big expenses. Here
are five tips for exhibiting in trade shows inexpensively
By Rena Klingenberg
Contributing Author
No matter how small your marketing
budget, your business can afford to have a successful presence at trade
shows without incurring big expenses. Here are five tips for exhibiting in
trade shows inexpensively:
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1. Have a sales representative exhibit your line
at a trade show.
If
you can't afford a booth and travel expenses, a sales rep who exhibits in
trade shows or gift marts in your industry can present your product line
without the cost of a full-fledged booth. An added benefit is that a
professional sales rep has a network of connections and knows your market
niche well, and is likely to be more experienced in selling and trade show
dynamics than you are.
2. Rent a temporary space at a wholesale gift
mart or showroom
.
You can plunge into wholesale shows inexpensively and without being present
by renting a temporary space in a wholesale gift mart or showroom. For a
monthly fee, you can display your products there for direct sales to retail
shop owners. This is a good way not only to break into wholesaling on a
small budget, but also to test new products.
3. Share a trade show booth and expenses with a
related but non-competing business in your niche.
This cost-cutting solution works
especially well for one-person businesses. Besides saving money, additional
benefits to a booth-sharing arrangement include access to each other's
customers in the same market niche, and the convenience of having a
knowledgeable person manning the booth when you need to take a break.
4. Make over your current displays instead of
buying new ones.
Creating a new exhibit by giving your existing trade show booth displays a
fresh face costs a fraction of the price of purchasing all new booth
components. Consider each element of your booth separately, and brainstorm
ways to update it without completely replacing it.
5. Purchase used trade show displays rather than
springing for new ones.
Many pre-owned booths and exhibits are in excellent condition and can be
bought for less than half the cost of a brand new one. If you decide to buy
previously owned exhibit components, be open-minded and keep your display
needs in mind. Visualize how each used exhibit might perform for you.
For even greater savings, look at used trade show displays offered at
rock-bottom prices because of damage or missing parts. If you can think
creatively about how you'll refurbish the damage or replace missing pieces,
you can come up with an effective, original display for very little cash.
Many sellers of pre-owned trade show displays are willing to bargain with
you. Don't hesitate to offer the seller less than the asking price. It helps
to research beforehand the retail price for the exhibit so you can make a
reasonable offer.
In summary, there's no reason to miss out on potentially profitable trade
shows because of the expense. Look at your small marketing budget in a new
light, and brainstorm ways to put those limited dollars to work helping you
reach new customers.
