Pre & Post Show Marketing: Implement a Promotional Strategy Plan

The best pre-show promotions are multiple, distinct programs aimed at various target visitors. It is important to identify what the customers position is the moment they step in the trade show booth in order to prioritize who's time is most valuable. Most companies target the following mixture of visitors:

Key customers:

This extremely important group of existing customers provides most of your business. These are the customers that keep on coming back to your trade show exhibit year after year.The good old 80/20 rule usually applies here: 80 percent of your business comes from this 20 percent of your customers.

Other customers:

This group already buys from you but they don't give you all their business, which means you have the opportunity to gain more of their business.

Prospects:

This group of people is on your priority list and it is just a matter of time (you hope) before they decide to buy from you.

Other good prospects:

You would dearly love to sell to these people if only you had the time to devote to them.

Realize that a one-size-fits-all marketing plan won't work. You have to look at each target group and decide how best to communicate your message to them.