CamLife Magazine
Trade Show marketing 101
We here at Cam Life Magazine know that hitting the trade show or expo circuit is vital for any company’s growth and long-term success within the adult entertainment industry or the live webcam community. So we asked our good friend Michael P CEO of QWEBEC EXPO MONTREAL. Michael has traveled the world attending many of the biggest trade shows, expos and events in the adult entertainment industry. With over 15 years of experience as CEO of QWEBEC EXPO MONTREAL. we have asked Michael to share some tips, kinda Trade Show marketing 101 if you will.
Today I’m gonna share with you some tips about how to get a better ROI when you attend Trade Events. Some might sound very obvious, but sometimes a little refresh cannot hurt. I will try to keep this one as short as possible. I won’t jump into the obvious things like do not get drunk, etc. you’re a big boy/girl, so you know about it.
Before the show;
Define the main objective, it can be to push a new product or service. But at least make sure you have the main one so you won’t turn around. Of course, you adjust your presentations depending on who you meet and on their specific needs. Make sure you let your network know that you are attending ‘this event’ and promote your meeting platform page. I personally like to use Youcanbook.me Premium which allows me to set dates and times with my own look and feel. If you can integrate it inside your own site, it’s even better, this way they can continue visiting your site once they set a meeting with you. DO NOT forget to include contact info (Email, Cellphone, Skype, etc..) so they can reach you at the event in case of a delay or time change. Also include a good and clear photo of yours so they can recognize you at the meeting spot, especially if you never met.
Make your HOT list. These are the ones you ABSOLUTELY want to have a meeting with. Make sure you reach out and set a date and time. try to avoid the ‘Yeah let’s meet at the show’. It might never happen…
Most events provide a way to communicate with other attendees, please do yourself a favor and use it. Even if you get only a few meetings, at least you are assured to meet some of the people you want to, that you’d probably miss otherwise. We at QWEBEC Expo, provide a cool In-House-Meeting-Platform where all attendees can book meetings with the other ones they are interested to meet… Compose a short message for other attendees you want to meet. Include a short presentation about yourself and company and give some teasers about your Special offer for that event.
Just before leaving; Follow up with your meetings requests, finalize your meeting’s schedule, finish preparing/getting stuff you’ll need, and Read and re-read your offer. KNOW IT! … Then, TAKE A DAY OFF! Go shopping, pack your bags. RELAX! This will put you in an approachable mood.
At the Show; Try to follow your plan as much as possible, but be flexible. Carry a notepad and use it, it is so easy to forget some details about a specific meeting. You might think you will remember everything, but a few days after, it’s easy to forget.
CAPT’N OBVIOUS SAYS: Here is something I can’t stress enough: HAVE BIZ CARDS! Plenty of them, you better bring 100 cards back to your room than miss ONE. You have only one chance to make a good first impression, don’t blow it! It is also a good idea to put a few aside in your wallet, just in case. Take notes on Back of Cards when possible.
Forgot your cards at home? Hit the Hotel’s Business center, open MS-Word and create a quick one with your Name, Company, Phone email, etc… Print and cut. It won’t look as great as your real card, but at least you won’t be ‘that unprofessional/disorganized guy’ who showed up at a trade event without biz cards. Shit Happens, but at least you will present yourself as the one who can turn lemons into lemonade… Back to your room at the end of the day, empty your pockets and make sure you put all collected biz cards at the same place. It is also a good time to take some notes and clear your mind while information and ideas are still fresh.
Beside some seminars that might be of interest of yours, DO NOT skip the Meet & Greet and Speed Networking events. These will take about 3 hours total of your event, but you will expand your network drastically. Even if you think you know everybody and their companies, be assured, you don’t. There is nothing wrong with asking someone you know for a long time “Hey, what I don’t know about your company/service?”… Things change and evolve. there is always something new to discover about this or that company. Who knows, it can open new opportunities you would think about before with them… So make sure you visit all exhibitors, even if you think there is no business there. That new contact might become very handful down the road.
CAPT’N OBVIOUS SAYS: When meeting new people, LISTEN first… Don’t throw your pitch at them, you might lose valuable time and their interest, trying to sell a steak to a vegetarian… When you listen to them first, they give you information about what they do, so you can identify their needs and what mutually beneficial opportunities you can present to them.
AFTER THE SHOW; Follow-Up, Follow-Up, Follow-Up! Looks like I can’t stress this enough. At least send an email to all the persons you met. Even the ones with no present opportunities. This industry is a sport of contact, and the more contacts and business relationships you have the better. Sometimes a simple “Hey it’s been nice to meet you at ABC event, please stay in touch…” Now with our HOT list, make sure you send them a personalized email, recap your meeting, what’s been discussed and agreed. And, at all costs, try to avoid the “Let’s meet at the next show” then it goes on and on… It is usually a good idea to end your email with a call to action, or an open question instead of the platonic “Please contact me if you need anything…” This is one of the best methods to have this ending right here, right now or dragging for weeks/months… Well, that’s about it folks. I would like to thank Bender at CamLifeMag for this opportunity.
Michael P is the owner/CEO & Sales Manager at Qwebec Expo. For more information on the Qwebec Expo contact Michael
QWEBEC EXPO || The International Online Entertainment B2B Convention in Canada
E-mail: admin@qwebec.com
Phone: 418-570-7070
SKYPE: michaelqwebec
