It is no secret that trade shows have become an excellent way for businesses to expand and meet their potential clients face to face. It is really the only marketing method that allows them such a great opportunity and businesses who know this are eager to sink more money into their trade show budget. Staying within that budget is often the key to having a successful presence at the trade show. Here are a few ways the top performing businesses are making their budgets and staying within them.
Are You Making A List?
Lists are great for keeping everything nice and organized including expenses related to the next big trade show. You need to list things like:
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all of your travel related expenses
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the cost of your giveaways
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the costs of promotions
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any pre-show advertising you may be doing
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trade show booth and space
Keep in mind, most businesses are using approximately 40% of their entire trade show budget on the amount of space they have on the trade show floor and their trade show booth.
Don’t Go Overboard
It can be all too easy to want the largest booth on the trade show floor and have the most elaborate overall set-up, but make sure you only have what you really need to outshine the ocean of competition you will be facing on the trade show floor. Keeping your costs to a minimum will always leave more room for higher profits.
Don’t Be Afraid to Cut Corners
There is nothing wrong with trying to keep your budget low and there are several great ways to do this. No one said you had to go out and buy a trade show booth. You can always rent one to keep costs lower. In fact, renting a trade show booth might be the single best way to keep your trade show costs down.
Don’t Max Out Your Budget
It is a good idea to stay within the 60-70% range of your budget. There will always be extra expenses that no one planned for. This is just a fact of the trade show world. Giving yourself that little extra cushion gives you room for those extra unplanned expenses that will pop up.
Planning is always the single best way to make sure the next big trade show works perfectly in your favor.
