Over the next couple of months, some of the best industry trade shows will be opening their doors: Casual Dining and lunch! (18-19 September), and Restaurant & Takeaway Innovation Expo (15-16th October).

When utilised to its full potential, a trade show stand serves as a perfect platform for showcasing products and services to a target audience, to generate leads and secure sales! So, how can businesses ensure they are making the most of their exhibition opportunity? And how can they create some noise in the run up to a big event?

In our latest blogpost, we talk through our top communication tools, for event success!

E-newsletters

If you have a database of contacts, then sending them an e-newsletter with key information about your trade show is a no brainer! You can also look to send out bespoke emails using key industry magazines and their databases of contacts.

Using an incentive in your newsletter is a great way to draw people onto your stand. A free goodie bag, a prize-draw, or an invitation to an on-stand drinks reception or product launch is a great way to boost stand visitors. As the goal is to get a customer to your stand, make sure any incentive offered is redeemable at the show itself!

Social Media

Whether LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or X, brands should look to communicate their exhibition presence with their followers’ weeks ahead. Countdowns to tradeshows work particularly well across all platforms, as do sneak-peak posts for products that are being showcased. For wider reach, make sure to tag relevant social media accounts into posts, use official hashtags, and check into locations too!

Advertising

Both digital and print advertising within relevant industry titles can really help to build awareness in the run-up to a trade event.  Other key platforms worth exploring are LinkedIn and META. Advertising on these platforms allows for excellent targeting, including job-title and company specific campaign targeting and you can even reach users that follow specific accounts, such as a trade show itself!

Press releases and features

PR is of course fundamental when it comes to creating a buzz pre-show. By distributing press releases, and responding to preview features in trade magazines, a brand is making its exhibition presence known to the media, and its reach of readers.  Being at a trade show is news worth talking about – and can be enhanced even further when written with a little creative flair for extra excitement!

If you’re looking to boost your pre-show communications, then we’d love to chat! Our team of PR & Marketing specialists has been helping clients prepare for key industry events for over 35 years, with ROI always in mind.