Include Publicity Opportunities in Your Tradeshow Promotions Plan

A well-executed tradeshow promotions strategy can help your company attract positive press coverage, even with strong competition from hundreds of other exhibitors at an event.

Since most show organizers engage in promotional activities that include media on an ongoing basis, stay in contact with these organizers throughout the year.

This will open opportunities to get your company or products included in newsletters and/or press releases that are distributed by the organizer on an ongoing basis.

Three months before the show, contact the organizer’s public relations representatives and offer to assist with publicity activities. Offer to contribute industry information, research, and expert interviews to help the organizer promote the show and secure media interest.

One month before the event, prepare your press kit and include the following information:

Company overview and key information about your products and services
Company fact sheet and time-line
Performance reports
Recent news articles and coverage
Executive biographies with photographs
Other photography and marketing materials that will help reporters gain understanding of your market positioning and competitive points of difference.

Make arrangements to have copies of your press kit placed in the event media room and keep some extra copies in your trade show display area.

A few weeks before the show initiate your own tradeshow promotions and publicity efforts by contacting key trade and area reporters who are likely to cover the event, as well as media representatives who are pre-registered for the show.

To attract the interest of the press, you must have newsworthy information to share such as research findings on the latest industry trends, expansion activities in your market, new product introductions, the latest economic indicators for your segment, etc.

Provide reporters with your media kit, a press release covering your news, and offer to serve as a media source at the event. In addition, journalists will appreciate your help putting them in contact with other industry representatives even competitors.

If you have a significant news announcement to make, you may want to consider setting up a press conference during the event and personally inviting key media to attend.

For all media inquiries and interviews, designate a single point-of-contact within your organization who is a senior-level representative from your company.

Also, prepare for the unexpected by making sure your trade show booth representatives are well versed in communicating your company message and prepared for possible questions that may arise unexpectedly from reporters... and prospects.