The document provides 10 tips for maximizing return on investment from trade shows: 1) Match your audience and business goals; 2) Consider location and regional markets; 3) Decide how to participate through booths, sponsorships, speaking, or attending; 4) Target potential customers to discuss value propositions; 5) Be clear about schedules for booths, roaming the floor, and meetings; 6) Build and strengthen relationships with reporters; 7) Plug into social media platforms; 8) Bring a fully stocked conference survival kit; 9) Make time to eat properly to stay energized; 10) Scope out good industry parties for networking.

1. 10Tips
brought to you by
www.tigercomm.us
forMaximizing
TradeShowROI

2. MATCH YOUR AUDIENCE
TO YOUR BUSINESS GOALS
Venture
Capitalists
Finance
Investment
Banking
Target Audience TargetTrade Show
If the goal is to raise venture capital, target finance and investment conferences.
If you are trying to highlight your technology’s proof of concept, a show that is
targeted towards engineers might be most appropriate.
Solar
Industry
Leaders
1.

3. If you’re focused on a particular regional market,
conferences in that area are easier for your
potential customers to attend. Likewise, leverage
your own local assets.
LOCATION
LOCATION
LOCATION
2.
Venture
Capitalists
Solar
Industry
Leaders

4. Show off products
Showcase brand
Highlight leadership
Interact with customers
There are numerous ways in which companies can participate in
conferences and trade shows. Depending on your budget and the
importance of the show, any combination will do.
Booth, SPonsor
Speak or ATTEND3.

5. Identify the top five or ten companies and people you want to
talk to. Then make sure to do your research so you can talk to
them knowledgeably about how your value proposition applies
specifically to them.
TARGET YOUR POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS4.

6. 10:00 AM Speaker, Room 1
11:00 AM Supervise Booth
12:00 PM Lunch with Team
1:00 PM Meet with NYT
2:00 PM Roaming Floor
3:00 PM Meet with Reuters
If you have a booth, make
sure everyone knows who
is working the booth,
roaming the floor or in
meetings - and when.
BE CLEAR ABOUT SCHEDULES5.

7. Reach out to the conference
organizers ahead of time to ask for
the press list. Also reach out to key
industry reporters to ask if they’re
planning to go.
BUILD AND STRENGTHEN
REPORTER RELATIONSHIPS6.

8. Many conferences use social media platforms to keep attendees
updated or provide special notification for their followers. Use
those platforms to interact with your customers and reporters.
PLUG INTO SOCIAL MEDIA7.

9. Bring comfortable shoes, lots of business cards, snacks and water.
If you can, have an extra shirt or tie available in case someone
from the booth with the espresso machine spills coffee on you.
BRING A FULLY STOCKED
CONFERENCE SURVIVAL KIT8.

10. MAKE TIME TO EAT9. Avoid the junk food that’s around. As tempting as the candy dishes
and cookies can be, you’ll be more on your game for that
important customer meeting or reporter interview if you’re fueled
up the right way.

11. Often, the more relaxed setting enables better connections.
And, after a long day of getting the most out of your conference
investment, you deserve a free beer or glass of wine.
SCOPE OUT THE GOOD PARTIES10.

12. Tigercomm is a full-service public relations firm that specializes in
tailoring strategies and media channel selection to meet each client's
needs. The firm's three core competencies of attention generation,
marketing and communications are specifically targeted to help
cleantech players increase sales, build brands and secure the fair
policies that build markets.
The author, Brian Mahar, is a Senior Vice President at Tigercomm,
where he develops and executes strategic communications and
marketing plans for clean economy businesses and organizations. For
more information, please contact him at bmahar@tigercomm.us.
www.tigercomm.us