Are you prepared for your next trade show? This checklist is a how-to guide that will tell you how to gain marketing intelligence that could make you more strategic the rest of the year.

1. The Official Checklist for Trade
Show Research

3. A quick to-do list before you go undercover:
 Identify your top two or three competitors to scope out at the show.
 Gather intel on your competitor’s public relations efforts and be
sure to take notes on any special events, product launches or new
initiatives they plan to unveil.
 Check out which competitors are doing the most pre-show publicity.
(What products are they talking about? How are they talking about
their products?)
 Use your resources! Trade show programs offer all kinds of
valuable insights. Look to find out if your competitors are
sponsoring any special events or seminars. Are they speaking at
any panel discussions or keynote addresses? This allows you to
identify which brands are asserting themselves as leaders or
authorities in your industry.

5. Questions to keep in mind during your
covert operation …
 What is the primary message of their booth/products?
 What benefits and features are they touting?
 What are their biggest product launches?
 Are they doing anything new or interesting to launch their
product(s)?
 How are they engaging customers to learn about their products
(one-on-one conversations, graphics, interactive kiosks, apps, new
content channels or mediums, etc.)?
 What are they saying to differentiate from your company?

6. Get the collateral!
 Take photos/videos of competitors’ booths and cool, unusual and
interesting marketing examples.
 Take photos/videos of special events, like product launches, news
events, celebrity events.
 Collect show programs and competitors’ brochures, catalogs,
newsletters, magazines, freebie promotional items (like bags,
memory sticks, squishy toys), etc.

8. If you’re reading this ... your mission was a
success! Now take some time to reflect with
these questions:
 What company/product received the most attention?
 Which competitor seemed to be the most popular? Whose booth was the
busiest? Why?
 Which launches attracted the most attention from attendees?
 What questions did you hear attendees ask at your trade show booth?
 Which of your company’s products were attendees interested in?
 What were the biggest content themes at the show?
 What are some of the biggest challenges for this industry?
 Did you see any interactive technology, like touch screens or simulators?
How were they being used?
 Were there any TV/movie celebrities at the show? Who brought them?
 Did you see any interesting games, giveaways or contests?
 Was anyone publicizing a new app or apps for their customers?