Exhibitor Toolkit

Use These Tools to Promote Your Booth

Now that you’ve reserved your booth space, let your clients and future contacts know how important it is that they be there, too. The staff at the American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) wants your exhibit experience to be successful. With that goal in mind, we have created this toolkit to help you increase visibility, awareness, traffic, leads, and sales before, during, and after the show.

This exhibitor toolkit will help you promote your presence at Gear Expo 2011. It’s loaded with everything you need to spread the word, including promotional copy, print and banner ads, fliers, example tweets, e-mails, press releases, and more. AGMA will also be implementing a comprehensive marketing campaign to increase attendance at the Expo.

 

Feel free to download the entire toolkit (PDF 581 KB) or select various parts of it. There are links below to the resources available.

 

What’s in the toolkit?

 

Checklist and Calendar

  • Use the checklist maximize your marketing
  • Use the calendar to plan your marketing for better impact

 

Pre-show Marketing

  • Print ad (quarter page)
  • Banner ads (125 x 125 square button and 120 x 240 vertical banner.)
  • Promotional copy for newsletters, blogs, social media pages, and an e-mail signature.
  • Phone script
  • Gear Expo 2011 logos
  • Sample e-mail copy
  • Sample press release
  • Sample letter
  • Sales sheet—offering design and printing options for ads, flyers and more
  • Mailing list rental form
  • Tips and advice for additional promotions

 

Onsite Marketing

  • Sponsorships
  • Ads in show program
  • Booth tips
  • Greeting attendees
  • Attracting visitors

 

Post-show Marketing

  • Follow up
  • Mailing list

 

 

Attendee profiles

  • Study the demographic information on the Gear Expo attendee audience to help you market to your potential customers

 

Pre-show Marketing

 

Many attendees come to trade shows with pre-determined agendas and knowing which exhibits they plan to visit. Your goal is to be one of the companies on their must-see list. In order to secure a position on this must-see list, let buyers know in advance who you are and what you will offer at the show.

 

Pre-show promotion has a positive, direct and measurable effect on your bottom line because it:

  • Keeps your current clients, as well as potential customers, abreast of your latest developments,

 

  • Increases your booth's traffic, and

 

  • Provides an opportunity for attendees to preview products and/or services, and is a helpful tool to receive the ultimate return on your investment.

 

Reports consistently show that invitations from exhibitors are one of the most important reasons buyers attend shows and visit certain exhibits. The best way to build on-site excitement is to send a direct mail piece to potential customers inviting them to stop by your booth. To conduct a more productive on-site meeting, make them aware of your products in advance.

 

Additionally, initial contact with attendees provides you with an opportunity to pre-qualify leads. It allows you to discover your customer’s goals, the types of products that interest them and any purchasing constraints they face. Establishing contact in advance of the show builds excitement for your exhibit and showcases how you can meet your buyers’ needs.

 

A strong direct mail approach incorporates both creativity and repetition. A series of mailings is always more effective than a single mailing. An integrated promotional campaign ties together your pre-show mailings, advertising, the exhibit design, presentation or demonstration content, on-site promotional materials and the product itself.

 

Note: If you plan to target the international market, be sure to select themes that are universally recognized, understood and appreciated in all countries.

 

There are a number of tactics that can be implemented pre-show. Feel free to download any or all of these samples, templates, ads, and copy. Customize it as appropriate and add them to your own marketing tactics.

 

Exhibitor logo black

 - Exhibitor logo white

 

 

 

Tips and options for additional pre-show promotions

 

Become a Sponsor

One of the best ways to attract the attention of Expo attendees is through a sponsorship. Extending the visibility of your company will increase qualified traffic to your booth and leave a lasting impression even after the show is over.

 

Buy a sponsorship package, sponsor an activity, put your logo on a giveaway…or do it all! Get your company’s name out there, and you’ll have a great way to start a conversation with this highly-specialized field of gear professionals.

 

More than 3,000 highly qualified professionals from all segments of the marketplace gather together at Gear Expo. This opportunity only comes once every two years. Get their attention while you can!

 

Download a sponsorship flyer or contact a sales representative at 703-647-2627 or AGMA This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

 

Use Social Networks

Post copy on your company’s social network pages about your participation in Gear Expo. Post your own Gear Expo event and invite your customers to attend. Download sample copy to use for social networking sites, e-mails, and more.

 

Send flyers and post ads

A great way to advertise your participation in the Expo and invite your customers to your booth is by designing and inserting a flyer with your invoices, letters or correspondence you send out to prospects. You can also place ads in trade publications and on your Web site. Gear Expo’s creative agency, CSG Creative, can handle all the logistics of design, copy, and printing if you need help. Contact Dawn Crowe at 703-706-8243 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information or download a sales sheet.

 

Purchase an Attendee Mailing List

Attendees are eager to visit the show floor. Make it easier for them to remember you by sending them information on your company before the show starts. Download an order form to purchase a pre-registered attendee list.

 

Review Tips to Enhance Your Marketing Campaign

 

 

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On-Site Marketing

 

Show Program Advertising

“Come See Us” Ads: These ads are very powerful because they have high reader impact and they give potential customers a good reason why they should visit your exhibit. This type of ad should always offer the visitor something exciting at the booth—a new product, a new technology, a new way to solve an old problem. The best “Come See Us” ads motivate the attendee to take action.

 

In addition, with new technology such as QR codes, you can embed a code into your ad. Attendees with Smartphones can scan the code and be directed to your Web site or a special offer from your company. This is an excellent way to drive traffic to your booth.

 

Contact a sales representative at 703-647-2627 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for information on purchasing ad space in the show program.

 

 

Become a Sponsor

One of the best ways to attract the attention of Expo attendees is through a sponsorship. Extending the visibility of your company will increase qualified traffic to your booth and leave a lasting impression even after the show is over.

 

Buy a sponsorship package, sponsor an activity, put your logo on a giveaway…or do it all! Get your company’s name out there, and you’ll have a great way to start a conversation with this highly-specialized field of gear professionals.

 

More than 3,000 highly qualified professionals from all segments of the marketplace gather together at Gear Expo. This opportunity only comes once every two years. Get their attention while you can!

 

Download a sponsorship flyer or contact a sales representative at 703-647-2627 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

 

Download Some Tips to Make the Most of Your Exhibiting Experience

 

 

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Post-Show Marketing

 

Purchase an attendee Mailing List

In the days following Gear Expo, attendees feel reenergized and the events of the Expo are fresh in their minds. Take advantage of this time and make sure to connect with all the attendees—regardless if you met them or not. Some may not have had time to visit your booth or talk to your staff but are still good prospects for your company. Download an order form to purchase an attendee list. And for those who did visit your booth, send thank you notes, especially to VIPs, prospects and media.

 

In addition to the direct mail follow up, remember to:

  • Reserve your space for 2013 during the 2011 onsite booth selection process.

 

  • Have a post show meeting when everyone is back in the office. Have key staff write up a post show summary.

 

  • Send all leads to sales staff for follow up.

 

  • Follow up with new media contacts. Supply them with any supplemental material that may assist with a story.

 

  • Recognize staff members who did an excellent job at the show.

 

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