Getting the right message for your tradeshow

It's vital to have a unique and easily identified message that guides your appearance at the event. A compelling message gives an identity to the booth, a purpose to the sales team and a proper direction for your efforts. It helps to communicate and differentiate YOUR show, helps you to catch the eye, draw attention and focus. You wouldn't launch a product without going through the positioning process and developing a sales pitch and applying the same method to the show can earn real benefits.

The message can come from several sources - a new mission statement, a change of strategy, a product launch, a brainstorming session with the sales and marketing team, all of these are a good place to start. Once you have the message pinned down, be sure to disseminate it internally and then prepare to use it as the basis for your pre-show planning, your attendance at the show and all that goes on in between.

Let's say you hit on the idea of promoting a range of low-power items and go with a "green" message for the show, what are some of the likely implications?
1. Pre-show - this is when you implant the message in the minds of your audience so every piece of outbound communications needs to be coordinated. All advertising, editorial and PR leading up to the show should be informed by the message.
2. Collateral - you'll be developing some form of show collateral so ensure that the green message pervades what you do. Highlight the green credentials of your products and go for a visual style that supports the message.
3. Product selection - make sure you select the products for the show in accord with the green message, showcase your green credentials carefully and make sure that individual product messaging supports the overall aim.
4. The booth - bring the message foremost in the booth design. If you have a custom booth you're free to create your own green jungle. If your funds are more limited, ensure you bring the message out unmistakably in your roll-ups and banners.
5. Booth activities - develop the theme in any freebies, competitions or demos you host. A contest to develop the greenest application perhaps?
6. Team training - ensure that all the staff who man the stand are conscious of the message and are able to articulate the value proposition. Make up a single sided crib sheet as you would with a new product to keep everyone on message.

Having a show message will inform everything you do. Once you've decided on a theme or focus for the event you'll find that it helps to define everything. Your message will give you a clearness and force to your efforts that helps make the show a triumph. Now you can proceed with developing the collateral for the show, the pre-show publicity, the stand itself, the demos, exhibitions and competitions you offer during the event and it should all hang together.