How To Market, Plan, And Promote An Exhibitor Trade Show In Nashville

Football signals the arrival of fall, bringing cooler weather and vibrant leaves in magenta, maroon, and maize shades. This delightful time is accompanied by the irresistible aroma of warm cinnamon donuts and hot apple cider. Craft and trade shows emerge as autumn unfolds, offering businesses a prime platform to showcase their merchandise and boost sales. In this blog, you’ll discover strategies to market, plan, promote, and exhibit like a pro, setting up a successful fiscal year.

Start With A Budget

A smart business plan for trade show organizers includes a strategic plan and a calculated budget. Stick to your financial blueprint to ensure business success.

Sample of Expenses:

• Venue
• Event planner
• Food
• Marketing

Sample of Income:

• Sponsors
• Vendor sales
• Early bird ticket sales (using Eventbrite)
• At-the-door ticket sales
• Merchandise sales

Find A Venue

The most desirable event venues offer easy access to highways, hotels, and excellent parking. Avoid booking during SEC football games to prevent low attendance. Plan well in advance to secure the best date options and build a tradition your clients will look forward to each year.

Marketing

Creating impactful themes for your trade show can significantly enhance your marketing efforts. Hire a marketing expert to develop compelling promotional materials. Provide participants and sponsors with shareable advertisements for their social networks, including a call to action. Keywords like “early bird,” “limited ticket sales,” “buy now,” and “premium tickets at the door” can drive quick responses.

Partner Industries – Themes

Depending on your venue size, consider featuring exhibitors from these industries:

• Aerospace, Aviation, & Transportation
• Arts & Recreation
• Baby & Maternity Expo
• Business Services
• Exotic Pet Expo
• Food & Beverage
• Gaming & Entertaining
• Health & Fitness
• Hospitality & Hotel Industry
• Hunting & Fishing Expo
• Medical & Healthcare
• Retail & Consumer Goods
• Travel, Tourism, & Leisure
• Writers & Publishers Conference
• Food Trucks

Providing light, healthy snacks and drinks is standard. Save money by inviting local food trucks to your event, allowing them to serve as featured vendors. Food trucks are a popular trend and can attract more visitors.

Customer Relationship Management

A CRM tool helps maintain warm connections, fostering continued sales through relationship building. Event planners achieve success year after year by growing their audience with CRM systems. The key to success lies in effective follow-up.

Follow Up

Encourage visitors to share their opinions. Use tools like SurveyMonkey to gather feedback from trade show partners and attendees. Leveraging this information will help you build momentum and create stronger events each year.