A Survival Kit and a Smile – Seven Ways to Boost Trade Show Traffic with OccasionOgraphy® (Continued)

Well, have you started looking for trade and bridal shows in your area yet? Finding your show and making that reservation is the most important step! So go do some research and see what shows would fit best for your OccasionOgraphy® personalization business. If you’re interested in focusing on weddings,  www.onewed.com/bridalshows or http://www.bridal-show.com/ are both great places to start, and they allow you to sign up as a preferred vendor!

Ok, so let’s assume that you’ve signed up for your first trade show. Let’s move on to the remaining four tips to ensure that it is a huge success!

4.    Put your contact information on EVERY piece you hand out. Every sample you provide, every customized SplashBands™ water label, every personalized match book. These are your business cards, and the products are a better marketing tool than any brochure you could hand out. It can be simple, just the link to your website or your telephone number. Make it easy for people to find you, even if they never actually made it to your booth.

5.    Bring your laptop. Make a slide show with pictures of your personalized candy wrappers and custom water bottles. Show people how your niece used the product at her recent wedding. Even consider showing customers in real-time the possibilities for personalization you offer. And with your computer right there in your booth, you can play music and enter contact information directly into your database. Just make sure you check in with your venue to see if there are any extra charges for access to electricity!   

6.    Make a survival kit. A survival kit for a trade show? Yes, it’s true, these can be rather tiring affairs for attendees! You can make up an “after lunch” package with MyMintos™ and a customized water bottle tied together with a colorful ribbon. Or use a MyMintos™ wrapper to create an emergency tailoring kit for your potential bridal and business clients. If you give someone a needle, thread and spare button in a container small enough to carry in their wallet chances are, they will KEEP your contact information and call on you when they need a personalized touch for their next big event.

7.    Follow up. After the fact, make sure you reach out to the new relationships you formed. Send friendly emails to your “booth neighbors,” or better yet, send thank you notes on your Angels on Occasion® stationary! It is a simple step, but one that helps you build a solid foundation for the future.

And remember, the most important tip for success at trade shows and networking events is just to have fun and listen. Focus on finding and meeting your client’s personalization needs. When you love what you do, it shows, and people are naturally attracted to your business. So what are you waiting for? Go book a show and share your passion for personalized candy!