EVENT PUBLICITY

There’s no better
way to build a relationship than
being face-to-face.

Once you get beyond designing the layout of your booth and creating the graphics that follow, there’s a whole boatload of other ways to enhance, increase and embellish your presence at a tradeshow or live event.

For starters, did you know there’s an entire subculture of attendees who bounce from booth to booth looking for news-worthy announcements that will keep those unfortunate non-attendees informed and up to speed on the latest and greatest industry developments? It’s the industry editors.

EDITORIAL OUTREACH TO INCREASE SHOW SUCCESS

Like any attendee, an editor’s time is precious, and their dance cards fill up quick, so making sure you prepare them well enough in advance of the show is just as important as letting attendees and customers know what to expect. A coordinated editorial outreach starts several months before the show and continues well past the show’s end date to ensure you stay top of mind with all interested parties.

A few months before the show, target pre-show coverage in attending publications, especially product round ups to highlight what you’ll be exhibiting. Ask the show for the registered press list so you can offer them interviews, quotes and industry data to support preliminary coverage.

When sending emails announcing what you’ll be exhibiting to prospects, attendees and customers, think about informing the editors, too. The style and tone may be a little different, but the message should still be the same.

Getting appointments with editors during the show will give you a solid platform to explain the true nature of your company and what you bring to the table. Make sure you know the types of news each editor looks for, so you’re prepared with the right information, and have it in an easily portable format, like an electronic press kit. This bit of organized content helps to enhance the relationships with the editors by providing them with useful information upfront.

And even if they can’t stop by, be sure to keep them in the loop with a post-show note highlighting an interesting fact or accomplishment you learned about the industry.

PUBLICITY BEYOND THE BOOTH

Another point of outreach in your publicity strategy at events should be social posts that build momentum. These can be done weekly starting a month or so from the show date as well as ‘from the floor’ during the event and then rounded out with a few noteworthy highlights in the weeks following the show.

Make sure all posts are relevant and related—you are building anticipation beforehand, excitement during and a sense of accomplishment afterwards.

If there’s something truly revolutionary to announce, think about a press conference or special event at the venue that will draw a crowd and give you the opportunity to engage an enthusiastic audience. If a new CEO will be on hand, a meet and greet at the booth may suffice. Save the big rollout for the game-changers, like a significant product introduction or business achievement.

Be sure to have the proper support team on hand as well. If your audience is mainly technical folks, they’re going to ask technical questions that your marketing and sales staff may not be able to answer. Make the investment in the people as well as the booth to put your best foot forward.

CREATE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE YOUR AUDIENCE

Trade shows are a gold mine of publicity opportunities and are still a useful networking event to connect with not just your customers, but also the editorial community. Nowhere else do so many key editors from major industry publications gather in one spot looking for news. Face-to-face interactions still hold significant influence for many people, and are a great way for editors to get to know your company and people, up close and personal, which will help plant you in their minds as an expert in your field.