Recently, we have dedicated an article to the rising importance of event marketing for companies. If you have not read it, you can find it on our blog.
Event marketing has to do with planning and managing an event that aims at promoting not only the brand but also specific products or services and conveying their value to the attendees.
Even though the types of events and the possibilities of event marketing are limitless (conferences, seminars, pop-up stores, and others), trade shows and expos deserve a peculiar space on our website.
Trade shows: planning as an essential step to achieve your goals
We will never get tired of telling you that planning is essential for anything, especially in the case of sector-specific trade shows.
One of the most frequent mistakes during such events is only caring about beautiful booths, memorable graphics, and captivating flyers. What is missing is, too often, thorough planning, organization, and integration of the program having in mind your target audience and the experiential marketing components of the event.
Trade fairs represent an extraordinarily effective promotional device for a brand, supporting the launch of new products and services, improving brand awareness and visibility, strengthening its relationships, and gathering information on the sector.
Therefore, they should always be well-devised and managed by professionals with the required know-how to achieve the desired objectives.
The benefits of partaking in a trade show: from brand awareness to meeting your clients
Partaking in a trade show with your company is not something you should underestimate and requires lots of care to generate positive outcomes.
The advantages are numerous, but we at Nitage prefer to summarize them into four bullet points:
- Improving your company's image
Usually, participants in similar events are genuinely interested, making them potential customers for your business. You can leverage this factor to develop and improve your brand's image and convey its value to the target audience.
In addition, these events allow you to test the awareness of your brand and understand if and how much it is known, as well as how it is perceived.
- Getting in touch with potential clients and retaining existing customers
The more sector-specific the trade show, the easier it is to meet clients potentially interested in your business and strengthen their relationships with you. Therefore, choose your event wisely!
Moreover, meeting in person can stimulate discussion and exchange, giving you a chance to collect data on the field and avoid other indirect tools such as questionnaires.
- Keeping up to date
Thanks to the seminars and round tables often programmed, trade fairs can be great for keeping up with what happens in the industry.
- Connecting with suppliers and establishing new relationships
Events offer the ideal context to meet new suppliers and even competitors. Who knows how many collaborations can start from a little chat? Do not lose out on a chance to connect!
Luxury Trade Shows: 11 factors you should consider before, during, and after your event. Our experience: the boating sector!
When dealing with luxury goods, the complexity of the event increases significantly. From our experience in event organization for the boating industry, we created a brief but rich list that we want to share with you.
- Bear the sector in mind
Every sector has different dynamics and target audiences. Especially in the luxury industry, it is essential to identify your target and address them, designing your event accordingly.
- Do not forget about logistics
If you think, for example, about the transportation and mooring of a boat, it appears clear that, in boating, logistics costs are usually substantial and absorb a considerable part of the event budget.
Do not underestimate them or consider them only later in the planning.
- Competition is tough: do your best to stand out!
In most sectors, particularly the luxury industry, competition is sky-high. Boating shows, for instance, are not many and group a great deal of shipyards in a few days. Such a competitive environment requires a company to stand out in terms of effective communication: well-designed booths, social media content, impressive catering, and lots of creative and original ideas.
- Plan everything and identify the best strategy
Planning, planning, and more planning! That is a fundamental ingredient for any agency—and not only for them—and needs to be done working closely with the clients to supervise the days before, during, and after the event. Only with a solid plan can you turn your trade show into an effective marketing tool.
- Create communication content for later
Trade fairs are the perfect moment to create photographic and video content, which is useful when reporting the event or for the editorial plan of the following months. Seize the moment and take advantage of the exposition, the latest model on display, and all the participants and staff members who partook in the event.
- Visually appealing display: ask for planimetry and discuss with the exhibitors
The display is an essential element of any show but needs planning. Develop your visual communication based on the venue's blueprints to adapt your ideas site-specifically and make the best of the location. Do not forget to talk with the exhibitors to promote coordination.
- Press office: a must
A press office is an integral part of a trade show for media coverage and to support journalists. It will help you interact with the press and share all your materials with them.
- Do not underestimate live content
One may think, "If you have it, use it," but that would be wrong. Nowadays, social media are unavoidable but require correct usage. Live streaming, press meetings, dealer meetings, and many other tools can help you reach out who could not partake in person.
- Take care of your sponsors and partners
If they attend your trade show, remember to take good care of them, providing all necessary materials and cosseting them.
- Do not forget about what comes after the event
Sometimes, one might forget about what is next. Do not put off what needs to be done right after the event. Not only is it the time to take stock of your achievements, but you also need to decide how to share them and show memories, stories, and details.
There are various ways to do that: creating a video, updating your website, posting on social media, thanking everyone via e-mail...
What counts is avoiding wasting time and acting straight away.
- Final reports: quantifying impacts
After any event, you should produce a report evaluating how it went, its outcomes, and what changes are needed for potential future editions.
The points to keep in mind are numerous; that's why it is better to rely on event marketing professionals. Make sure everything works and get the best out of your event!
