Exhibitor Marketing Webinar Overview

• Introduction• Brian D. Casey President & CEO,

High Point Market Authority• If you have not already received your

exhibitor promotion kit, request a copy via e-mail to shannon@highpointmarket.org

– Provides basic promotional guidelines to help you get your message out

Agenda

1. Exhibitor Marketing Webinar Overview

2. Preparing for Market – Market Plan Development

3. Low Cost Tactics

4. Additional Marketing Tactics

5. Post-Market Follow-up with Your Showroom Visitors

6. Q & A Session

Preparing for Market- Marketing Activities

Develop a Specific Marketing Plan for Market

• Doesn't need to be elaborate but provides a plan for you to follow

• Outline for considerationI. Situational analysis

II. Clear objectives and goals

III. Target Audience

IV. Tactics

V. Budgeting

VI. Measurement

Preparing for Market - Marketing Activities

Situational Analysis

• Specific to your respective business• Provides a micro/macro as well as external view • Helps to articulate the opportunities as well as

challenges you face in your business• Provides a good base in moving forward with a

strategic thought process for your trade show marketing efforts

Preparing for Market - Marketing Activities

Preparing for Market - Marketing Activities

Formulate Specific Goals and Objectives for Each Market

• Define your target audience – (profile your most important customers)

• There are more than 45,000 buyers that register for market. You can’t see them all but you can work to attract those that are most important to your respective business

I. By type - large, medium, small, designers, traditional furniture stores, big box retailers, international etc.

II. Category and sales volume

III. Identify secondary market as well

Preparing for Market - Marketing Activities

Prospect Data Base Strategy Affordable Data Management Tools

• ACT or Goldmine (single-user or multi-user license)• Online Tools – Salesforce.com, Salesnet.com

I. Full contact information and demographic information

II. Email address

III. Current customers

IV. Prospect list purchase

V. Market Authority Buyers List

Preparing for Market - Marketing Activities

Formulate a Tactical Plan toAttract These Customers

• Direct mail• Advertising• E-marketing• Web development• Telemarketing• Reps (encourage your reps to convince

target buyers to attend)• Market Authority promotional piggy backing• Special promotions• PR• Special events

Preparing for Market - Marketing Activities

Create a Budget to Support Your Tactics

Helps focus spending on most important and cost effective

communications vehicles

Suggested Low Cost Tactics

Suggested Low Cost Tactics

Low Cost Tactics Through Market Authority Communications

• Use our exhibitor promotion kit for a guide• Email Newsletter/High Point Market Live

– Distributed Monthly to Market Prospects and attendees

• Trends, new products, business advice, market developments & events

I. Provide input & tell us what is going on

1. New product introductions relevant to trends

2. Celebrity in your showroom

3. Something new and different that is of newsworthiness

II. Format delivered in both written and video

Suggested Low Cost Tactics

The High Point Market Media Center Gets Your Message to the Press

• Free press kit distribution to all trade and consumer media

• The Media Center issues press passes for at least 200 different publications each Market

• Press kits for all participating exhibitors are displayed in alphabetical order

Suggested Low Cost Tactics

The High Point Market Media Center Gets Your Message to the Press

• Typical market attracts about 400 media representatives - efforts are underway to grow this

I. Trade

II. Consumer

III. Broadcast

IV. Internet publications

V. Newspapers

• Use our press room servicesI. Special Market events, showroom openings or expansions or

any other news that affects the shape and scope of Market

Suggested Low Cost Tactics

The High Point Market Media Center Gets Your Message to the Press

• Creating a press releaseI. Newsworthy (new products, sustainability initiatives,

appearances by leading designers or celebrities, etc)

II. Brief (500 words or less)

III. Written in the third person

IV. Place the date, a contact name and phone number at the top

V. Be sure to mention your showroom address

VI. Include a brief background paragraph about your company

Suggested Low Cost Tactics

The High Point Market Media Center Gets Your Message to the Press

• The Market Authority may feature or include your company in an official Market Authority press release

• Posted on our website• Sent to all major industry publications• It’s like getting your own PR service – for free!

Suggested Low Cost Tactics

The High Point Market Media Center Gets Your Message to the Press

• Creating your press kit I. A package of information, assembled to make it easy for

reporters and editors to cover your news

II. Easy to create

1. Simple, two-pocket folder with your company name and picture of your product

2. Include your company brochure, a company fact sheet, press releases, plus slides, photographs or digital images of newsworthy products

3. Be sure to identify each slide or photograph

Suggested Low Cost Tactics

The High Point Market Media Center Gets Your Message to the Press

• Recommended kit quantitiesI. 50 – 75 kits recommended for smaller companies

II. 100 – 150 kits for larger firms

• Media Center hours of operationI. Press kits accepted from Monday, October 13 until Saturday,

October 18 at 5:00 p.m.

1. Ship to:

The Media Center

High Point Theater

220 East Commerce Avenue

High Point, NC 27260

Suggested Low Cost Tactics

The High Point Market Media Center Gets Your Message to the Press

• Late Press Kits may be delivered to the Media Center in person between noon and 6 p.m. October 19, or from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. October 20-21.

• Open to the press at noon Sunday, October 19.• Enclose a packing slip with your kit. If sending

materials for more than one company, division or product line, note this information on the packing slip.

Suggested Low Cost Tactics

Official Market Directories

• Basic directory listing available at no charge• Product previews in the Market Preview Guide series

available to every exhibitor• Note whether you are open to designers and/or small

independent retailers. • Extended listings and advertising space may be

purchased for an additional fee. • Contact Lee Kemp at (336) 888.3759 to make sure

your showroom is listed correctly and inquire about advertising opportunities.

Suggested Low Cost Tactics

Co-Branding with the High Point Market

• Place the official High Point Market logo on your Market-related communications to let your customers know that this is information they can use when planning their Market visit.

• The Market Authority makes our official logo available to you in print and digital form via the Exhibitor Marketing Kit

Additional Marketing Tactics

Consider Your Advertising Strategy

• Excellent means of promoting new products• Requires a fairly substantial budget• Numerous industry publications available; see your

Exhibitor Marketing Kit for a complete listing• Contact publishers to find the best vehicle for

your message• Market Preview issues are very popular with buyers• Special Market Daily issues distributed only at Market

Additional Marketing Tactics

Additional Marketing Tactics

Consider Using Promotions/Give-Aways to Stimulate Attendance to

Your Showroom

Additional Marketing Tactics

Consider Using Cost-Effective E-Marketing Tactics

• Make sure your website is up-to-date (or create one if you don’t have one)

I. Your Web address (URL) should be listed in all of your communications

• Send emails (newsletter, product announcements) to your customer and prospect lists

I. Start collecting email addresses if you haven’t already.

II. Be careful with frequency and ensure messaging is of value to your customers

Post-Market Follow-up with Your Showroom Visitors

Post-Market Follow-Up

• Call and/or mail your key visitors and thank them for stopping by your showroom

• Update your prospect database with your new contacts

• Review performance against objectives• Determine how new prospects heard of you• Follow up to determine why key targets missed you

and what it would take to capture them next time

Q & A Session