HALO_TradeshowPlanner

Copyright 2012 Newton Manufacturing CompanyCopyright 2016 HALO Branded Solutions
Trade shows and exhibitions provide businesses and organizations with
a unique opportunity to see a large number of people, face-to-face in a
short amount of time. Customers, prospects and the public can interact
with your brand in a personal way. This human element allows marketers
to use a variety of sales tools – personal interaction, demonstration,
sampling, etc. – to deliver the brand message, promote their cause and
attain valuable leads.
Whether it’s an expo, trade show or career fair, attendees visit these
events to hear what you have to say. Over the past few years, reports
from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) state that
attendees come to these events intending to buy. The CEIR found that
91% of visitors feel that they get their most useful buying information by
attending a show and that 75% buy as result of the information gathered
at a show.
While those numbers are enticing to any business, exhibiting at a show
is a very large investment and just showing up and setting up a booth
won’t cut it. To get any return from exhibiting at an event, a well-
executed and integrated marketing strategy must be implemented. That
means determining your objectives, creating a strategy to achieve those
objectives, formulating tactics to carry out the strategy and evaluating the
results to measure your return on investment.
HOW TO BUILD AN
AWESOME EVENT
MARKETING PLAN
a. Objective: Why are you
exhibiting? What’s the
point? p.2
b. Strategy: Achieving the
objective p.3
c. Tactics: Let’s do this! p.4
• Pre-Show p.4
• At-Show p.5
• Post-Show p.8
d. Evaluation: How’d we do? p.9
e. That’s a wrap p.9
*Need more statistics on exibits?
Visit CIER at: www.ceir.org
SIMPLY
SHOWING UP
WON’T CUT
IT. YOU NEED
A PLAN
• couple
• of
• bullets
message overall theme!
LARGE!
Attention
Getting Graphic
LOGO
PERFECT!
traffic driving
giveaway
Tuesday 5/22
mail invitations
send e-vites
blog-it
refine
after-show
follow up plan
staff:
- polos, lanyard’s,
namebadges
- update script
BOOTH! There It Is

WHY ARE YOU
EXHIBITING?
Simple or complex, your answer
to this question will be the key to
building a cohesive marketing
strategy.
HOW TO BUILD AN AWESOME EVENT MARKETING PLAN
a. Objective: Why are you exhibiting? What’s the point?
Your objective for exhibiting at an event needs to be specific and
measurable. The particulars of the show will help shape your objective.
Order-writing shows, like boat shows, home shows, etc., are events
that exhibitors are expecting to sell their products and services. On the
other hand, missionary shows like career fairs, health fairs, etc. focus on
educating, informing and building relationships with attendees.
Attendee demographics also play a role in determining achievable
objectives. An event that is open to the public makes it more difficult to
identify prospects prior to the doors opening. For open shows, objectives
would place a stronger emphasis on at-show tactics. Closed shows
for a specific industry or membership group have audiences who are
more focused and prospects who are easier to identify. For these shows,
objectives can focus more on gathering leads and moving prospects down
the sales funnel.
The overarching goal of any exhibition is to build your brand, but that
alone won’t translate into a return on your investment. Consider the
show type and audience demographics to determine what a successful
show looks like. For an order taking show the objective may be the
number of leads generated or converted to sales. For shows that are
towards education and relationship building, objectives would revolve
around booth visits, collateral distribution, business cards collected or
list sign-ups. Once defined, these objectives will drive your strategic
development.
2
Copyright 2016 HALO Branded Solutions

b. Strategy: Achieving the objective.
Now that you’ve determined your purpose for exhibiting at an event, the
next step is to develop the strategy to guide your marketing activities
before, during and after the show. In determining the objective, always
take the audience into consideration. The audience needs to be narrowed
and segmented to be sure your marketing activities are attracting the
right attendees to your booth. Attendees fall into one of two categories
– customers and prospects. Each has a different reason for attending the
event, so each will require a different marketing strategy.
Customers, as you might imagine, are those who are currently using your
products and services or have in the past. When engaging this group, the
goal is to continue building the relationship to keep them as a customer.
Your marketing should treat them as honored guests with exclusive
activities designed just for them. When they visit the booth, address any
concerns, as well as find additional business opportunities and any other
information that will lead them to continue a profitable relationship.
Prospects at the show can be divided into two subgroups – identified
and unidentified. The identified prospects are those you have engaged
previously or are specifically targeting and would like to use the show
to push them closer to a sale. Unidentified prospects are those who stop
by your booth and are interested, but haven’t been targeted. For either
group, keep in mind the event and your presence could be their first
impression of your brand.
The second component to the marketing strategy is your brand message.
Since, again, the overarching objective of any exhibition is to build
your brand, your booth should be an extension of your marketing
communications plan. The message should be aligned with your show
objectives, i.e. are you rolling out a new product, bringing awareness to a
cause or increasing your marketing share? Since you will be side-by-side
with your competitors, your value statement and points of differentiation
need to be well-rehearsed by staff and clearly and creatively displayed on
signage, collateral, samples and giveaways.
HOW TO BUILD AN AWESOME EVENT MARKETING PLAN 3
IT’S ALL
ABOUT THE
AUDIENCE
STAY ON BRAND
Your company’s current
branding and marketing
collateral are great resources for
your exhibits’ design.

The final step is to decide what information needs to be collected to
determine if you have achieved your objectives. Will you measure
visits, leads, conversions, etc.? Outline benchmarks that will be used
to identify qualified leads, so as staff engage visitors, they know what
questions to ask. Consider incorporating a survey or other attendee
feedback mechanism to help evaluate your exhibition’s performance from
a qualitative standpoint. Once you’ve finalized the strategy, it’s time to
outline the steps for executing that strategy.
c. Tactics: Let’s do this!
Pre-Show
You’ve outlined your marketing strategy, now it’s time to put actions to it.
Your marketing strategy needs to be executed long before the event date.
Why? According to the CEIR, 76% of attendees plan their booth visits in
advance. Likewise, the CEIR also found that pre-show promotions have
proven to increase booth traffic by 30%. Convinced to do a pre-show
promotion yet? Thought so.
The minimum pre-show marketing that you should conduct is to invite
attendees to visit your booth. Attendees won’t know you are going to be
at the show unless you tell them. Use multiple channels and touches like
a pre-show mailing and e-vites. Add a message to your email signature
lines. Use your social media accounts (personal and/or corporate) and
your website to give them a tease of what they will see at your booth.
For a more targeted approach, consider direct mail. If a list of registered
attendees is available, you can simply invite everyone on the list. Or
identify customers or high value prospects and send them a special
invite with an exclusive offer. Regardless of whom it is going to, the
piece should always include the event date, booth number, contact
information, marketing message and a call to action. With either a
general or more targeted approach, including a promotional product
boosts open rates and retention.
DATA
COLLECTION
&
EVALUATION
76% OF
VISITORS
PLAN THEIR
VISITS IN
ADVANCE
ALL MAILERS AREN’T
CREATED EQUAL
A 2004 study by the Direct
Marketing Association found that
dimensional or lumpy mail elicits
a response rate that is 50%
better than traditional flat mail.

INCENTIVES
GET
VISITORS
MOTIVATED
CREATE A SOCIAL
MEDIA EVENT
Creating an event on Facebook
or LinkedIn is a good way to
measure interest.
Invitations are great, but to take it a step further and drive traffic to your
booth, consider an incentive. These can be structured several ways, but
the goal is to motivate the attendee to take action. If your objective is to
get as many people as possible to your booth, including a simple card to
redeem at the booth for a drawing or gift will suffice. If you are taking a
more targeted approach and want to move prospects closer to a sale, have
them earn the redemption item by listening to a presentation or watching
a demonstration.
Another incentive is the companion gift. In this case, send out one
promotional item and invite the attendee to pick up the companion item
at your booth. An example could be sending a coaster and having the
attendee bring it to your booth to pick up the accompanying mug. As this
tactic can have a higher price tag, it should be reserved for high-value
prospects or customers. Also, don’t just giveaway the companion piece,
encourage the attendee to have a conversation with you first.
In addition to being great motivators and traffic builders, redemptions
are also an easy way to track the effectiveness of pre-show marketing
efforts. Keep in mind that a giveaway’s perceived value must match the
attendee’s perceived cost in obtaining it. If it doesn’t, your offer will be
ignored. Likewise, the cost of the giveaway must match the value of the
intended prospect’s activity. If it doesn’t, you are throwing money away.
Remember that pre-show mailings and invites should be sent out no later
than 2-3 weeks prior to the actual event.
At-Show
Now that you’ve got attendees excited and motivated to see you at the
event, the next step in carrying out your show marketing strategy is
your activity at the show itself. The hub of your activity will be in your
exhibition space or booth. It will most likely be the first impression
attendees, particularly prospects, will have of your brand. The layout of
your space should be inviting and give a visitor the ability to maneuver
through it with ease.

THE
DECISION
TO STOP
IS MADE IN
SECONDS.
Left Banner:
This banner has a simple, main
focal point that is recognizable
from a distance. Curiosity draws
the viewer closer to see the
branding and message.
Right Banner:
This banner leaves the viewer
unsure of where to look. Large
blocks of text overwhelm the
viewer with information and are
often ignored.
* 2010 ASI Global Advertising
Specialties Impressions Study,
Advertising Specialty Institute,
©2010, All Rights Reserved.
You have only a few moments
to grab the attention of and
leave an impression with
attendees, even ones that you
have invited and incented.
They will be pre-qualifying
you and making decisions
about your brand from
15-20 feet away. Creative,
innovative graphics should
tell attendees quickly who
you are and what your value
proposition is. Simple is better
as displays with too much
information often overwhelm
and turn away visitors. Since you are literally competing side-by-side
with your competitors, solid design is critical.
Staff at the show are the face of your company and could be the first
personal interaction that a visitor has with your brand. They should be
well-versed in your messaging and know how to guide attendees to the
next step. Communicate clearly with your staff about the information
needed for follow-up after the show. They should have a cohesive,
brand conscious, professional look and should be easily identified even
if they are not at your booth. The type of apparel worn by staff leaves
an impression. A t-shirt says something completely different than a
performance polo or dress shirt.
Giveaways, usually a sample or a promotional item, are almost expected
at a trade show. A promotional product that is relevant, unique and fun
can create a buzz around your booth. The right item can create envy
among other attendees and become a viral, word-of-mouth component
to your event marketing plan. Your promotional items should reflect
your brand and have value so attendees will keep it. Since the average
promotional product is kept for 5.5 months*, choosing the right one will
carry your message long after the event.

Another traffic-building idea is to hold a drawing or drawings. The
prize could be retail merchandise or your premium product or service.
The merchandise may grab the attention of the general attendee, but
using your own products or services creates interest and customers for
your offerings that are more profitable. To get the most traffic possible,
hold the final drawing during the show and, of course, the winners
must be present to win.
When deciding giveaways and the allotted budget for them, consider
the audience segments that you outlined in your strategy. Higher value
giveaways or gift for high-value targets make a stronger statement and
move those prospects closer to a sale. While the cost may be more than
your generic giveaway, the likelihood of a return is also greater. Whether
you have a drawing or giveaway, make the visitor do something which
directly contributes to your exhibition goals, to receive it. Have them talk
to staff, watch a demonstration or at the very least, complete their contact
information on an entry card.
Use social media to drive traffic and enhance your presence at the event.
Live updates from the show remind people to stop by your booth. To get
attendees to pay attention to your social media activity, hold social media-
only discounts or giveaways within a specified time frame. Find relevant
hashtags on Twitter and participate in discussions to share your expertise
and draw attendees to your booth. Post pictures or video from activities at
the event so those who could not attend can still experience it.
Many exhibitions or shows have more going on than what’s happening
on the show floor. Get involved in education sessions, socials, special
presentations, etc. This may include participating, hosting a session or
sponsoring an event. These are great opportunities for you to interact
with industry influencers, show your thought leadership or simply share
your passion. It’s one more way to build your brand at the show.
GIVEAWAY DESIGN:
While your signage needs to
stay on brand, giveaways are
where you can have some fun.
The giveaway that has a clever
and thoughtful design will have
a far greater impact than just
your contact information.
DON’T JUST
GIVE IT AWAY

Post-Show
After the event is where the money is made and, according to the CEIR,
80% of exhibitors do nothing. After investing in driving traffic to your
booth and connecting with attendees, it would be a tragedy to waste that
effort by simply packing up and going home. Follow up on those leads
and contacts you made.
At the very least, send a thank you note to whom you and your staff
spoke. If possible, personalize the note by mentioning something
that was discussed at the booth. This will help them remember your
conversation better. This extra step requires excellent note taking at the
booth and should be part of your staff’s information collection training.
Your follow up correspondence should start one or two weeks after the
event. It’s a short enough time frame so the information is still fresh, but
long enough that your messages aren’t lost in their post-show catch up. If
part of your objective was to gather leads, start qualifying them as soon
as possible. Follow up with those who are most qualified first, to strike
while the iron is hot. Post-show communication can also be another
qualifier. Their response to your follow-up can help you frame up your
pursuit of their business.
After the show and your follow up, it is important to measure your results
to determine the success of your exhibition. Measurements should be
based on the objective that you previously outlined. Take a look at booth
visits, presentations or demonstrations conducted and literature given, to
determine the interest you were able to create for your brand or cause. If
your goals were related to sales, track the leads that were generated and
how many were converted. This information is very important for the
final step in the marketing plan – evaluation.
80% OF
EXHIBITORS
DO NOTHING
AFTER THE
EVENT

d. Evaluation: How’d we do?
The final step of any marketing plan is to evaluate the results of the
campaign. Start by reviewing the performance of the marketing plan
itself. Determine if the pre-show marketing drove the desired amount of
traffic and if it was the right traffic. Of those visitors, how many turned
into leads? Track post-show communication to determine the quality
of those leads. And finally, look at the sales conversions to ultimately
determine the return on investment.
Next, you will want to evaluate the show experience itself. This requires
talking to booth staff about their observations regarding the booth, visitor
feedback, industry trends, how well the branding and promotions were
received and thoughts on the competition. Ask staff what they would do
differently at the next show. Taking their experience into account for future
show planning will help your exhibition perform better.
Take the qualitative and quantitative information to determine the
effectiveness of your plan and if your presence at the event was
worthwhile. Also keep in mind outside factors such as the weather, can
affect the performance of your exhibition. This information will help you
improve your marketing plans and choose which events you will exhibit
at in the future.
e. That’s a wrap.
A trade show or exhibition is an excellent opportunity to present your
brand and message in a personal way to a large audience. While much of
the information and examples mentioned in this white paper are geared
more toward trade shows and a for-profit business perspective, the same
principles apply toward any situation that involves exhibiting. Objectives
and a strategic marketing plan before, during and after the show must be
carefully considered and measurable. Strong visuals must grab attention
and creatively and clearly state your message. And, of course, you should
always be building your brand.
STAFF
FEEDBACK
WILL HELP
SHAPE
FUTURE
EVENTS

About HALO Branded Solutions
Headquartered in Sterling, Illinois, HALO Branded Solutions is centrally
located in order to support a national client base. In addition to our
100,000 square foot, state-of-the-art distribution and processing center,
we maintain regional sales offices in key corporate markets.
HALO employs 300 corporate service team members with decades
of knowledge and experience who support the over 900 creative
and resourceful Account Executives across the nation who focus on
implementing effective marketing solutions for over 40,000 satisfied
clients each year.
HALO is a global leader of promotional solutions, combining creativity,
innovation and the most sophisticated technology for dynamic results.
As a "full-service" promotional products distributor, we offer:
• Company stores and fulfillment services.
• Industry-leading customer service from over 900 Account Executives
throughout the United States and a support staff of over 300.
• Competitive pricing, including our popular Best Sellers and HOT 100
merchandise programs.
• Secure Source, HALO's comprehensive product safety and social
compliance program.
• Award winning marketing support for your internal and external
branding campaigns.
• Brand management expertise to create consistency in logo use
throughout your organization.
With top-quality products, over six decades of branding expertise and
efficient operational processes, HALO offers unmatched reliability and
unique solutions for every client, on every project.

event mar ke ting organize r
PREPLAN AT POST
event
PLANNING
OBJECTIVES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
EVENT MESSAGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
INFORMATION COLLECTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
PRE-SHOW
AWARENESS CAMPAIGN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
INCENTIVES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
AT-SHOW
SIGNAGE & DISPLAYS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
GIVEAWAYS AND PRIZES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
STAFF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
POST-SHOW
FOLLOW UP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
EVALUATE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Trade shows and exhibitions
provide business and
organizations with a unique
opportunity to see a large
number of people, face-to-face
in a short amount of time.
Whether it’s an expo, trade show
or career fair, attendees visit
these events to hear what you
have to say. Over the past few
years, reports from the Center
for Exhibition Industry Research
(CEIR) state attendees come
to these events intending to
buy. The CEIR found that 91%
of visitors feel they get their
most useful buying information
by attending a show and 75%
buy as result of the information
gathered at a show.

EVENT MARKETING ORGANIZER2 PLANNING
PLAN OBJECTIVES
Your objective for exhibiting at an event needs to be specific and
measurable. The particulars of the show will help shape your objective.
What do you hope to achieve? _________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Who is your target audience? __________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
What constitutes a successful event? (product sold, education, brand awareness)_
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
PLAN EVENT MESSAGE
Now that your objectives are identified, use them to determine your
marketing message. The message should be aligned with your show
objectives, i.e. are you rolling out a new product, bringing awareness to a
cause or increasing your marketing share?
Things to keep in mind when deciding your message:
Is there any current branding/marketing collateral to build from?
Will it follow corporate guidelines?
Does it support your event objectives?
Is it the right message for your target audience?
EVENT INFO:
Event Name:_______________
_________________________
_________________________
Event Location: _____________
_________________________
_________________________
Event Date(s): ______________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
DESIGN NOTE:
It is important to have a well
thought, out cohesive theme
displayed through out your
materials. Mismatching graphics
and contradicting messages will
have a negative impact on your
audience’s view of your brand.

EVENT MARKETING ORGANIZER 3PLANNING
Event Message:_____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
PLAN INFORMATION COLLECTION
Finally, decide what information needs to be collected to determine if you
have achieved your objectives. Outlining benchmarks will help measure
your overall success.
What benchmarks will you measure?
 Visits
 Leads
 Conversions
 Redemptions
 Other: _________________________________________________
How will you measure these benchmarks?________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Planning notes:_____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
DESIGN NOTE:
Since you will be side-by-
side with your competitors,
your message and points of
differentiation need to be well
rehearsed by staff and clearly
and creatively displayed on
signage, collateral, samples and
giveaways.
STRATEGY:
An engaging staff is key in
information collection. Well
rehearsed questions and
answers will allow them to
gather the information needed
to qualify leads.

EVENT MARKETING ORGANIZER
4 PRE-EVENT
PRE AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
Attendees won’t know you are going to be at an event unless you tell
them. 76% of attendees plan their booth visits in advance. Likewise
pre-event promotions have proven to increase booth traffic by 30%*.
Awareness Campaign:
 E-vite:_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
 Direct Mail:_____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
 Press Release:____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
 Social Media Event:_______________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
 Mobile Marketing:________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
 Billboard:_______________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
 Other:_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
TIME LINE:
Pre-event preparations should be
started three to four months prior
to the event. That doesn't mean
you should send everything all at
once. A well-timed, multi-touch
campaign will ensure plenty of
traffic at your event.
DESIGN NOTE:
Design a direct mail piece that
stands out. A 2004 study by the
Direct Marketing Association
found that dimensional or
lumpy mail elicits a response
rate that is 50% better than
traditional flat mail.
STRATEGIES:
EVENT
REGISTRATION LIST
If a list of registered attendees
is available, you can simply
invite everyone on the list. Or,
identify customers or high-value
prospects and send them a
special invite with an exclusive
offer.
CREATE A SOCIAL
MEDIA EVENT
Creating an event on Facebook
or LinkedIn is a good way to
measure interest.
*CIER Center for Exhibition
Industry Research www.ceir.org

5PRE-EVENT
PRE INCENTIVES
Incentives can be added to your awareness campaign effectively driving
traffic to your event with a call to action. These can be structured in
several ways:
 Redemption. Attendees redeem a simple card for a gift.__________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
 Drawing. Attendees can exchange contact info to be entered into
a raffle.___________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
 Companion Gift. Send out one item and invite the attendee to pick
up the companion item at your event.____________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Pre-event notes:_____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
STRATEGIES:
THE RIGHT INCENTIVE
An incentives perceived value
must match the attendee’s
perceived cost in obtaining
it. Likewise, the cost of the
giveaway must match value of
the intended prospect activity.
If it doesn’t, you are simply
throwing money away.
DRAWING CUSTOMERS
Using your own products or
services as prizes creates
interest and more customers
for your offerings that are more
profitable.
TIME LINE:
Send invitations and incentives
no later than three weeks prior
to the event.

AT-EVENT6
AT SIGNAGE & DISPLAYS
This will most likely be the first impression attendees, particularly
prospects, will have of your brand. The layout of your space should be
inviting and give a visitor the ability to maneuver through it with ease.
 Floor Displays: ___________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
 Table Top Displays: _______________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
 Retractors/Banners/Flags:__________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
 Table Covers:____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
 Podiums/Tables:__________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
 Tents: __________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
 Other: _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
TIME LINE:
Anything that will need to be
at the event should be ordered
about two months prior to the
event to cover production and
transportation times. This does
not include design and proofing
of products which ideally should
be started three months prior to
the event.
DESIGN NOTES:
SIGNAGE & DISPLAYS
Your display needs to grab
attention and identify your brand
in just a few seconds, from a
distance of 15-20 feet.
Simple design is usually
better. A large, well-designed
graphic, with your message
and logo work best. Displays
with too much information
often overwhelm the audience,
turning them away.
KNOW YOUR LIMITS
Physically taping off the
dimensions of your exhibiting
space will help you plan how to
position your displays and move
attendees through your exhibit.

AT-EVENT 7
AT GIVEAWAYS AND PRIZES
A promotional product that is relevant, unique and fun can create a
buzz around your booth. The right item can create envy among other
attendees and become a viral, word-of-mouth component to your event
marketing plan.
Things to keep in mind when deciding on your giveaways:
Is this product appropriate for my target audience?
Is it a convenient size? Is it travel friendly?
Is the product cost equal to the return?
If someone gave this to you would You keep it?
Giveaway Ideas:_____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Prize Ideas:________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
LASTING MESSAGE
The average promotional
product is kept for 5.5 months.
Choosing the right one will
carry your message long
after the event. 2010 ASI
Global Advertising Specialties
Impressions Study, Advertising
Specialty Institute, © 2010, All
Rights Reserved.
STRATEGIES:
GET SOMETHING BACK
If you are taking a more targeted
approach and want to move
prospects closer to a sale, make
them earn the redemption item
by listening to a presentation or
watching a demonstration.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Use social media to drive traffic
and enhance your presence at
the event. You can use:
Live updates from the show
remind people to stop by your
booth.
Find relevant hashtags on
Twitter and participate in
discussions to share your
expertise and draw attendees to
your booth.
Post pictures or video from
activities at the event so that
those who could not attend can
still experience it.

8 AT-EVENT
AT STAFF
Staff at the show are the face of your company and could be the first
personal interaction that a visitor has with your brand. They should have
a cohesive, on-brand and professional look and should be easy to identify
even if they are not at your booth.
 Apparel: ________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
 Name Tags/Lanyards/etc.: __________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
 Other: _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
At-event notes:_____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
DESIGN NOTE:
LOOK THE PART
The type of apparel your staff
wears leaves an impression on
your audience. A t-shirt says
something completely different
than a performance polo or
dress shirt.
STRATEGY:
GET INVOLVED
Many exhibitions or shows
have more going on than
what’s happening on the show
floor. Get involved in education
sessions, socials, special
presentations, etc. This may
include participating or hosting a
session or sponsoring an event.
These are great opportunities
for you to interact with industry
influencers, show your thought
leadership or simply share your
passion. It’s one more way to
build your brand at the show.

9POST-EVENT
POST FOLLOW UP
After the event is where the money is made and, according to the CEIR,
80% of exhibitors do nothing. After investing in driving traffic to your
booth and connecting with attendees, it would be a tragedy to waste that
effort by simply packing up and going home. Follow up on those leads
and contacts that you made.
 Thank You note: __________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
 Personal communication: __________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
 Product information packets: _______________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
POST EVALUATE
The final step of any marketing plan is to evaluate the results of the
campaign. Start by reviewing the performance of the marketing plan
itself. Determine if the pre-show marketing drove the desired amount of
traffic and if it was the right traffic. Of those visitors, how many turned
into leads? Track post-show communication to determine the quality
of those leads. And finally, look at the sales conversions to ultimately
determine the return on investment.
TIME LINE:
Your follow-up correspondence
should start one or two weeks
after the event. It’s a short
enough time frame so the
information is still fresh, but long
enough your messages aren’t
lost in their post-show catch up.
STRATEGIES:
THANK YOU
If possible, personalize your
thank you by mentioning
something that was discussed
at the booth. This will help them
remember your conversation
better.
STAFF FEEDBACK
Talk to booth staff about
their observations regarding
the booth, visitor feedback,
industry trends, how well the
branding and promotions were
received and thoughts on the
competition. Ask staff what they
would do differently at the next
show. Taking their experience
into account for future show
planning will help your exhibition
perform better.

10 NOTES
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

11SKETCHES

12
About HALO Branded Solutions
Headquartered in Sterling, Illinois, HALO Branded Solutions is centrally
located in order to support a national client base. In addition to our
100,000 square foot, state-of-the-art distribution and processing center,
we maintain regional sales offices in key corporate markets.
HALO employs 300 corporate service team members with decades
of knowledge and experience who support the over 900 creative
and resourceful Account Executives across the nation who focus on
implementing effective marketing solutions for over 40,000 satisfied
clients each year.
HALO is a global leader of promotional solutions, combining creativity,
innovation and the most sophisticated technology for dynamic results.
As a "full-service" promotional products distributor, we offer:
• Company stores and fulfillment services.
• Industry-leading customer service from over 900 Account Executives
throughout the United States and a support staff of over 300.
• Competitive pricing, including our popular Best Sellers and HOT 100
merchandise programs.
• Secure Source, HALO's comprehensive product safety and social
compliance program.
• Award winning marketing support for your internal and external
branding campaigns.
• Brand management expertise to create consistency in logo use
throughout your organization.
With top-quality products, over six decades of branding expertise and
efficient operational processes, HALO offers unmatched reliability and
unique solutions for every client, on every project.

HALO_TradeshowPlanner

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