Developing your trade show message is one of the most important things you can do before your show. First, a short definition. The theme of your show is the overarching idea, and you tie the message to the theme. The message is what you want people to take away from your exhibition.
Remember your message is not your tagline, but your tagline needs to support your trade show message.
Your Trade Show Message:
Step 1: What are your goals? What are the goals for this show? What do you want to accomplish? Yes, most shows are there for lead generation, closing deals or even direct sales. However, there are a lot of different areas of ROI that you can get from your shows.
Brand awareness, media attention, and thought leadership are all important to building your brand. Keeping your goals firmly in mind is going to help you create a better trade show message.
Remember brand consistency is critical on the trade show floor. Every interaction you have either reinforces your brand identity or create brand dissonance.
So what aspect of your USP do you want in your message? For instance, if your USP is you have the quickest install for your ducting you might choose to build the message around the “speed” aspect of your product.
Step 3: Analyze the Show: What is the show where you are exhibiting? Is this a show where you plan to sell on the floor? Are you planning on meeting dealers or direct sales? Are you supporting a partner? If so is there a way both of the messages can work together?
If you have not attended this show in the past, try to talk to someone who has. If that is not an option, reach out to the show organizers to see if they can give you insight.
Is there going to be an opportunity for you to present at the show? If so, you need to make sure that your presentation ties into your message.
Also, are you doing an event at the event? You will need to make sure that the message you EaE supports your overall message as well.
Step 4: Analyze the Audience Demographics: What is the prospective audience? Demographics of attendees is where buyer personas come into play.
Many shows attract a variety of personas that you need to target, make sure your message appeals to the need of your customers. It doesn’t matter if you have the best message in the world around “speed” if that is not something that appeals to your show targets.
If you need help with your show planning, download our Guide to Grade Show and Live Events.