Posts Tagged ‘trade show’

What Not To Do At a Trade Show (or Why To Exhibit At a Virtual Show)

Friday, June 17th, 2011

Let me preface this post by saying I read an article in an old issue of GQ that listed some things never to do with an expense report so I asked some of my wild buddies for their suggestions and they came up with some doozies.   So I am passing these lists to you because it seems like a great opportunity to list reasons why a Virtual Trade show is cool.

First up 10 Things not to do with an expense report (or reasons why to try a Virtual Trade Show)

10. Never turn in anything that say’s Tiki, Hookah, or Drunken Monkey

9. Never play credit card roulette with a corporate card

8. Never expense beer pong, limos, or “prescription’ meds

7. Your spa day is also not expansible

6. Neither are your shoes

5. Never let your customer pick his “favorite” bottle of vino

4. No political donations to the prime minister of Canada

3. Corporate cards are not for buying the bar a round

2. I know you were thirsty but the $30 bottle of water in your room is not to be expensed

1. No corporate cards in the champagne room

I know none of you have had these situations in your life, but if you have, then consider a virtual trade show.  With the expense of attending a real trade show looming over your head and technologies quick evolution, the virtual trade show has become a wonderful and affordable resource.  Here are 10 reasons to exhibit and attend a virtual trade show.

10. These virtual events can be designed to look like a convention center, your favorite city, or anything you can imagine.

9.  As for booth placement, you’ll drive more attendees if you pay for prime real estate in the virtual exhibit hall, but the traffic these show can generate is in the high hundreds to thousands.

8. The savings is amazing – just think how much $$$$ it would take to send your entire sales and marketing team to Orlando or Vegas.  Now every person in your company can visit a virtual trade show for free.

7.  When you host a Virtual trade show booth both email and contact info is a breeze to capture making follow-up on those leads a cake walk.

6.   Education is usually available on demand so you can share it with people who did not attend and learn at your convenience.

5. Because your booth is online so are the people visiting.  Showcase your business and products with video, links to your website, product catalogs, instant chatting, VOIP, Skype.  Use really anything that is available online.

4. Networking is actually quite easy – think of the Virtual Trade Show as just another Social Media where you have multiple ways of sharing interests, ideas, likes and heck most Virtual Trade Shows connect to Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In.

3.  Talk about affordable- The Virtual Trade Show average for a booth is around three thousand dollars.  Depending on the show if there is an average of 15 trade show booths and an average of 1500 attendees, each booth gets an average of nine hundred visitors.  You’re paying roughly three dollars per qualified lead.

2. Since you attend from your desk and computer you can multitask and still go to meetings, take phone calls and be able to get the kids at soccer practice after work and sleep at home in your own bed.

1. Did I mention the savings?  Not only financial savings, but the time you save is incredible.  I don’t know about you but, I really dislike my experiences in airports.  Food for thought…

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