Tradeshow season is here, which means most of us are busy making branding updates, designing a booth to blow everyone out of the water (or should I say field!), and ensuring all marketing materials are intact. While we are busy finalizing all the little details, it is equally important to ensure we are utilizing the public relations team to create buzz ahead of the show—and keep it going beyond the event. Here are four ways you can leverage PR for tradeshow season:
Press Releases—Get media excited about your brand
- Showcasing a new product at a tradeshow this year? Ensure the media and retailers make plans to see your brand at the show by sharing a strategically timed press release! Positioning your booth as a “must-see” will help keep you top of mind as media and retailers are roaming the floor. Some shows even offer a digital press room, so be sure to include your release there to maximize efforts.
Media Contacts—Secure media appointments ahead of the show
- One of the best ways to drive traffic to your booth is to reach out ahead of time and secure appoints with media contacts who will be attending the show. This not only offers an opportunity to generate conversation around your client or company, but also provides a way to personally invite important people to stop by your booth. Most of the time, you can find a list of media members who plan to attend. Once you have an idea of who will be there, shoot them an email to begin the conversation—and let them know you hope to see them on the show floor!
Media Kits—Unique ways to present information
- Media kits are an excellent way to provide booth visitors with something tangible (and branded!) to take away from your booth. In fact, we believe the media kit is one of the most underutilized public relations opportunities because of the number of places and ways media kits can be used. While it goes without saying that it should live on your website, don’t forget to print, as well as cross-utilize the visuals and copy for social media, your website, trade messaging, and more.
Pro Tip: Presenting your media kit in a unique way helps set you apart from the rest of the crowd: USB drives, small booklets, visually appealing one-pagers, etc—the sky is the limit!
Follow up, follow up, FOLLOW UP!
- As we all know, tradeshows are a veritable networking pot of gold, with individuals whose backgrounds run the gamut from media contacts and influencers to potential buyers or brand partners. Thus, one of the most important parts of the tradeshow is the follow-up: after all, you can’t build any type of relationship without communication! While easy to neglect, taking the time to reach out post-show helps optimize potential opportunities while also nurturing and growing those relationships you began back on the trade floor. Additionally, know that one call or email could be the difference between a deal or no deal, so be thoughtful—and make sure to thank those who stopped by your booth after the show.
Though mostly working behind the scenes, your public relations team, whether internal or external, is a crucial part of the tradeshow experience. Each of the points listed above work to enhance your marketing strategy and keep your products top-of-mind for media as well as buyers. So, as you prepare to go forth and rock the 2019 tradeshow season, remember to utilize (and thank) your PR team!
Interested in partnering with DMA to elevate your tradeshow strategy? Reach out to us, and let’s get started!
Need a handy guide to the 2019 tradeshow line-up? Download our 2019 Produce Marketer’s Calendar.
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