Page 60 How to Make Your Trade Show Successful


By Robert Smith, Robert Smith Presents Mark Sparks of Triangle Talent contributed to this article.


After the disappointment of the Florida Fairs convention & trade show being cancelled in 2020, I know all of you were thrilled to be back together in Naples for the 2021 show. Typically I try and find a good balance between business and socializing at the conventions I attend. This convention was a little different though. I’m not going to lie, I went way toward the social side. I think most people did. What a re- lief it was to reconvene the Florida Federation. Kudos to Dan West, Jim Ward, Rhonda Ward and everyone involved in planning the event.


So now that the convention has come and gone, what did


you do to make your trade show & convention a success? More importantly, what can you do at future events to con- tinue that success?


I break my trade show approach into 3 stages. The most important part of the trade show happens long before the convention even happens.


STAGE 1: Pre-Show.


Define Your Success Before every trade show I define what my successful show is going to look like.


Here’s an example of what that looks like for me: Start building 1 new relationship. Have productive conversations with specifically named


fair managers. Get firm yes/no from a given fair. (If necessary) Talk to fair contacts about something going on in their


lives outside the fair itself. (“Hey I saw you have a new grand baby now. Congratulations. How are mom and baby doing?”) Focus on listening.


If you don’t define what a successful show is going to look like, how are you ever going to measure that success?


Define Your Market Not every fair is the appropriate venue for your act. Read that again.


In a small market like Florida, where you know the area your potential clients are coming from, it’s easy to do your research ahead of time. That includes not only knowing who the buyer is or how the decisions are made at a given fair but also whether a given fair is even a prospective cli- ent to begin with.


Some fairs flat out don’t have a budget to book your act whereas some fairs decide their small budget only gets them 1 or 2 bites of the apple. So those fairs may be more likely to book say a circus show or motorcycle stunt stunt show because it gives them the most bang for their buck.


Faircracker SUMMER 2021 Getting this information ahead of time enables you to be


more targeted in your approach and saves valuable re- sources when you’re at the actual show.


STAGE 2: The Trade Show


Mark Sparks from Triangle Talent has enormous experi- ence exhibiting at trade shows throughout the fair industry. I asked him what he thought were some of the best bits of advice for success once you’re at the show. Here’s a few of the ideas he shared.


Participate Attend meetings and round tables and join in the conversa- tion when appropriate. However, don’t make it an adver- tisement for your business. That’s at turn off for buyers.


Volunteer Offer to help out when needed. You’d be surprised how much taking tickets or helping in other ways gets appreciat- ed and noticed.


Respect Exhibitor Space You wouldn’t like it if someone was trying to sell their goods in your booth or even in the aisle in front of your booth. Limiting conversations to your booth or to common areas outside the trade show floor is a show of respect to everyone around you.


No Pressure Pressure manifests itself in many ways at a trade show. From forcing yourself in front of a potential buyer and shov- ing your flyer into their face all the way to physically stop- ping someone to try and pitch them. This is a quick way to develop a bad reputation. It will also lead to buyers not only avoiding you but potentially avoiding the entire aisle at a trade show.


Know Your Price Congratulations! You’ve gotten to the point where the buy- er is interested in your product and asks, “How much?” The answer is not, “Well, what’s your budget?” Whether they’ve got a $50,000 budget or a $1 million budget has no impact on the value of your show. Know your price and quote it when asked.


If you’ve got an attraction that varies in size or perhaps you’ve got a variety of packages for a client, it’s also okay to give a range. For example, “Our entertainment packages range between $1,000-$1,500/day.” Once your client is settled on what they need, quote the price.


Keep Track Make sure you’re keeping accurate notes as to whom you’ve spoken with and how each of them prefer to be con- tacted for follow up after the convention.


Have Fun People like to do business with people they like. Fun peo- ple are likable.


Continued on next page


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