null
  Loading... Please wait...

Blog - trade show

Article: Are Trade Shows Still Worth It for Manufacturers

Posted by

Paul Kiesche of Aviate Creative interviewed several manufacturing companies, including Parkway Plastics, for their perspective on the topic question ... 

Full Article: 'Are Trade Shows Still Worth It for Manufacturers' 

by Paul Kiesche

We’ve seen some serious marketing crimes committed at trade shows.

Manufacturers are no strangers to trade shows. Many companies treat them as a key marketing strategy or, in some instances, their only strategy. Others have walked away from trade shows entirely, concluding that there are other, more effective ways to market themselves. Such disparity can leave manufacturers scratching their heads. With digital marketing at work, are trade shows still worth the expense?

We interviewed several manufacturers to get the answer. In short, what we found is that yes, trade shows can still be very valuable. But you need to put in the time and effort—and you need to do it right to get results.

Go Where Your Clients Go

Many manufacturers waste time and money attending the wrong events (i.e., the ones crawling with your competition). If you have room in the budget for them and think it’s important for your company to show face, then go for it. But if you want results, you need to be more strategic and go where your clients go.

Art Garcia, the vice president of sales and marketing at Mars International, says that “Focusing on industries that we serve has been a good strategy for us. It shows that we have industry experience and expertise.” Just by attending the right events and catering to your niche, you’re likely to find much more success than you would in a room full of other manufacturers.

Know Your Goals & Do Your Homework

Whether you want to increase sales or recruit new employees, establish your goals before committing to any show.

Tegan James, the marketing and social media manager at Parkway Plastics, advises to, “Definitely come prepared. Do your research ahead of time and know who you’re going to meet.” Reach out to your customers and prospects via email and social media to let them know you’ll be attending the show. Spread the word and spread it well.

Turn Wasted Minutes Into Meeting Minutes

There’s a whole underground of trade show marketing that you might not be leveraging.

Well before the event takes place, many companies schedule meetings with prospects and existing clients. These meetings will take place right at the trade show in conference rooms. So the exhibit itself might be ⅓ of the picture, and the remaining ⅔ is meetings behind the scenes.

When used wisely, trade shows can actually save manufacturers a lot of money. Since these events bring everyone to one place, companies will meet with nearly all of their clients or business partners in one trip to save on airfare. Scott Bass, the senior director, global marketing at Edmund Optics, attests to this benefit, saying, “Where else can you meet with so many key people like that over the course of 3 days?.... To spend that money on flying our salespeople all over the world to have these meetings would cost more than the actual trade show, that’s the primary reason we do it.”

For Pete’s Sake, Send the Right People

And if Pete isn’t the right guy, don’t send him either.

We’ve seen some serious marketing crimes committed at trade shows. Exhibitors who should be engaged with prospects are glued to their phones. Others are wallflowers. Some are even asleep at the booth (yes, we’re serious!)

Scott Dailey, vice president of sales and marketing at Carl Stahl Sava Industries, Inc., argues that marketers shouldn’t be leading the booths because, “Most times they are not engaged in business development at the booth level. And from my experience, it’s because they’re not being held accountable to come home with anything interesting.” Don’t pick people based on availability or rank. Pick the ones who are most interested in the topic and have real incentive to do a stellar job.

Speak Up for Speaking Engagements

Trade shows almost always have speaking events. Whenever possible, try to sign up as a guest speaker. We can’t emphasize enough how effective this can be in positioning yourself as the expert. Scott Bass concurs, saying “It’s important for us. The biggest thing we try to push at trade shows is getting our experts to speak at the conferences verses just having a booth at the exhibition hall.” Gigs like these aren’t all that hard to get—so use the opportunity to your advantage.

It’s All About Strategy

Trade shows require careful planning and preparation. Simply showing up or booking a last-minute flight isn’t enough anymore. But if you’re willing to put in the work, it’s easy to see that trade shows can still be highly valuable for manufacturers.

Paul Kiesche is the president and creative director at Aviate Creative, a branding, marketing and graphic design agency with an edge in manufacturing. Paul applies over 20 years of experience and award-winning work in branding and marketing to the manufacturing industry. In addition, Paul is an adjunct professor, speaker and author of branding, graphic design and marketing subjects. His objective is to help educate and grow manufacturers through effective, proven strategies. He can be reached at (908) 509-4442, or visit www.aviatecreative.com for more information.

_______________________________________________________

The article was published by Manufacturing.net on December 5, 2019

See the article on Manufacturing.net here: https://www.manufacturing.net/operations/blog/21104416/are-trade-shows-still-worth-it-for-manufacturers

Podcast: Is Trade Show Marketing Worth the Expense for Manufacturers? || The Industrial and Manufacturing Podcast

In a recent interview with Paul Kiesche of Aviate Creative, Tegan James, marketing and social media manager at Parkway Plastics Inc, shared Parkway's experience with trade-show marketing for manufacturers.Be sure to bookmark our blog and keep an eye out for the article which will be published in a few weeks (we'll post a link to it on our [...]

Read More »


Don’t Miss Out! South Florida’s Cake & Candy Expo – SoFlo2018 - Over 90 Cake Decorating and Design Classes to Choose From!

Don’t Miss Out! South Florida’s Cake & Candy Expo – SoFlo2018 - Over 90 Cake Decorating and Design Classes to Choose From! Uh-oh! Classes are beginning to sell out at South Florida's Cake & Candy Expo 2018! Have you seen the classes they're offering?!  There’s more than 90 to pick from! View the list below or visit their website: soflocakeandcandyexpo.com. SoFlo [...]

Read More »


Attending an Upcoming Vendor Fair? Set Your Company Apart from Competitors with Customized Jars and Caps - Parkway Plastics

Trade show vendors use Parkway Plastics’ small plastic jars & smooth caps to attract potential clients & gain sales.Attending an upcoming vendor fair? Need high-quality plastic jars for your product to set your company apart from local competitors? Our customer, Your Nanny Boutique, recently had great success with our 1/2oz 53mm Thick Wall Clear Styrene Jars and 53mm Smooth White Caps [...]

Read More »


Blend, Bake, Cool!: All About The 2017 SoFlo Cake & Candy Expo in Miami

 Bakers and Instructors Reunite at the Largest Cake & Candy Expo in South FloridaImagine a place where you're in a room full of cakes and experienced cake decorators, some of which you might even recognize from TV. Ever wonder what that would be like? Well at the SoFlo Cake & Candy Expos, attendees can indulge in [...]

Read More »


​Hello from Miami! - SoFlo's Bake and Candy Expo 2017

Experiencing the SoFlo Bake & Candy Expo - Bakers, Vendors and Community Turquoise sandy beaches, luxurious hotels, a vibrant nightlife, and for three busy days America’s sugar-land. Yes, Miami just hosted SoFlo Bake and Candy Expo which is described as “South Florida’s largest and most interactive Cake and Candy Expo.”This event, that was hosted by Sweet Life Cake and [...]

Read More »


Pots de Plastique for Pot? Parkway Plastics goes to the 3rd Annual New England Cannabis Convention (NECANN)

A buzz was in the air at the 3rd Annual New England Cannabis Convention (NECANN) at the Hynes Convention Center in downtown Boston Massachusetts April 22-23rd. I was there with Parkway Plastics to take it all in and meet this budding community of cannabis entrepreneurs. The turnout was fantastic. Vendors, advocates and enthusiasts from across the country and across the [...]

Read More »


International Trends in Beauty - Cosmoprof and BeautyStreams make headlines when they team together to come up with their TOP 50 TRENDY PRODUCTS LIST

For the 50th Anniversary of  Cosmoprof Bologna Worldwide, Cosmoprof partnered with internationally acclaimed trends agency BeautyStreams - whom is known globally for their "Insight Inspiration Intelligence." Together, they came up with their TOP 50 TRENDY PRODUCTS LIST.  These products were selected by Cosmoprof and BeautyStreem based on the show participation data from Cosmoprof Bolonga's 50th Anniversary show. They [...]

Read More »


Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna - What did we miss? Plastic Jars and Caps in Europe, China Japan, India and Beyond!

Every year, Parkway puts together a trade show calendar. We analyze each show decide which trade shows we are going to attend, picking and choosing is NEVER easy as there are a lot of GREAT shows out there and we service A LOT of industries. That being said, to make a thoughtful decision, we take [...]

Read More »


Tradeshow Talk: IBS NY - International Beauty Show NY 2017 & Barber Con - Well worth the trip to the big apple!

This year the International Beauty Show celebrated it's 100th year. This year plastic jars and plastic packaging was all the rage!!! Whether it was plastic nail dipping powders, uv gels, acrylic powders or gels, creams, scrubs or lotions. Or barbershop supplies such as pomades, scrubs, shaving soaps, shaving cremes and the like. Plastic jars and [...]

Read More »




Recent Updates

Sign up to our newsletter