This is in the lessons learned the hard way category. How would you feel if you paid $1000 to display at a trade show, and didn't get access to participants at all?
One trade show where my business exhibited was in conjunction with a conference. This was a 
professional group and a one day conference.
The tradition with small conferences with trade shows is that participants have a window of time during lunch breaks to access the trade displays.
There are usually some early birds looking at exhibits before the seminar or conference starts. Another opportunity is in scheduled coffee breaks. On rare occasions the option of visiting trade displays is built into the program for participants or offered as an elective.
Because these windows of opportunity are so brief, and there is a significant cost to being involved in a trade show, exhibitors count on the lunch breaks for access to participants and vice versa.
Horror Scenario:
Imagine the uproar from exhibitors at one trade show where my business displayed. The lunch was a sit down lunch in a different building. Result - no access at all at lunch time and $1000 exhibitor space investment down the drain.
Advice:
Ask the questions and set objectives before signing up for trade shows, especially those run in conjunction with conferences. These will have less access to participants by their very nature.
Lesson Learned The Hard Way:
Don't make assumptions.
Unfortunately, too many trade shows are enjoying the revenue that exhibitors create but are cutting the exposure those exhibitors get. This is causing a growing number of exhibitors to rethink the need to be at these show. Sooner or later, the shows producers need to realize that exhibitors do not pay for space in a hall; they pay for qualified attendees having the opportunity to visit their booths.
Posted by: Peter George | May 14, 2008 2:54 PM | Permalink to Comment