INDUSTRYANALYSIS
The Golf Trade Show – your time is precious, so make the most of it
Eddie Reid, TGI Golf Partnership Managing Director, offers his top tips to both visitors and exhibitors heading to The Golf Trade Show
T
he Golf Trade Show is the largest event of its kind in Europe, one that we as an industry should be extremely proud of.
Whether it’s showcasing your latest products, learning new skills or purchasing stock for the year ahead, every element of the industry is taken care of. However, to ensure you gain the most from it,
whether delegate or exhibitor, you must plan ahead and use your time wisely. Here are my top tips for both visitor and exhibitor to help you ensure you gain as much as possible from Europe’s largest golf trade and education event.
Exhibitor With more than 1,300 retailers attending the
event, this is your chance to reach out to new customers as well as touch base with existing ones.
Here are my top 10 tips for exhibitors 1. Build stands that are welcoming and open – do not create barriers
2.Welcome all delegates and potential customers – do not have restricted access
3. Create honest dialogue – if your brand has had a difficult year, deal with it head on and address the issue; if you’ve had an OK year, set ASM targets for new accounts; while if you’ve had an excellent year, make sure you tell everyone and thank those who have supported you
4.Arrange appointments and invite guests to the show before you get there – identify potential new accounts and invite them to your stand
5.Target those you have previously traded with, but have not yet placed orders for next year
6.Consider incentives to drive traffic to your stand – however, avoid offering stock as prizes, as this may encourage buyers to hold off ordering. Consider value-added prizes, such as visits to fitting centres for their customers
7. Ensure relevant ASMs are available for customers from their respective territories
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8.Create a defined order form that can easily be signed by the buyer – draw up order templates for small, medium and large accounts, requiring a signature.
9.Write orders on duplicate paper so the buyer takes away a signed copy with them
10.Acquiring new customers can be expensive, create a strategy that focuses on the hundreds of potential buyers visiting the show
Delegates The Golf Trade Show offers you the perfect
opportunity to see the latest products on offer from the industry’s leading suppliers under one roof. You can place orders and ask questions in days rather than months, as well as taking advantage of an in-depth education programme designed to aid you in enhancing your business. Here are the most important things I believe delegates need to do to gain most from the show.
Have a plan: Prior to the event, study your EPOS reports to see exactly what margins you are making, what is selling well and what sell- through is like. This will highlight the products and brands
you need to continue stocking and perhaps the ones that are no longer working for you, helping you to make an informed decision before entering the show halls. Go with a budget:Make sure you head to Harrogate with a plan of where you will allocate your budget this year. Having looked at your EPOS stats you’ll have a
firm idea of which categories are working best for you - if you are selling more hardware, then allocate more of your budget to pre-booking hardware. If it’s apparel then allocate more to that category and so on. Don’t just order what the suppliers tell you to,
tailor your order to match your budget and not the other way round. Once you have that budget plan in place, stick to it. It doesn’t matter how good a deal sounds
don’t take it if your budget is already spent, as adding extra spend and products will harm your sell-through and margin. The aim of the game is to make margin -
having a plan of action and sticking to it will ensure you do just that. Talk to your customers: Before heading to Harrogate quiz the most important people to your business - your customers. Your club members will be able to give you
valuable feedback on what products are working, those that are not and what they would like to see in the Pro Shop. Put together a small questionnaire that you
can hand to people in your shop or send out via email to find out what they are thinking. Don’t forget to buy for your customer base, not
for yourself! This information will be invaluable to you in helping to plan your pre-book buying for next season. Utilise your time wisely:See as many of the show's exhibiting brands as possible, mixing your day up with the informative speakers that will be delivering key messages throughout the week. Explore: The Show is packed with a wide range of suppliers from all over the golf industry, giving you the perfect opportunity to explore a whole host of brands that you may not have stocked before.
For further information on The TGI Golf Partnership visit
www.tgigolf.com.
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