How to prepare for that all-important tradeshow

By Melanie Johnson, Account Director – Eskenzi PR

With RSA 2019 just around the corner, 4^th– 8^thMarch in fact, most companies will have already planned product launches, news announcements and what they will be showcasing. However, with so many other announcements, news and demos going on at the same time in such a tight timeframe, will your presence simply get lost in all the noise? How do you overcome this?

Tradeshows are a great opportunity to get noticed. Your target audience will be attending the show, the world’s press will be descending on the event and your company bigwigs will no doubt be there in force too. In reality though, successfully launching a product or making an important announcement at a major tradeshow will go almost unnoticed if you’re not prepared and do some ground work prior to the event.

PR activity around a tradeshow should be looked at months before the event takes place. Below are some of our top tips to get the most from your presence prior to these shows:

What are you talking about?

At Eskenzi we always talk about how important content is, and this is very true when planning tradeshow activity. To be able to gain maximum exposure really take time to plan what messages you want to portray at the show. Think about the challenges around the product you’re launching or showcasing, the customers that could talk on your behalf about an amazing project or some ‘ground-breaking’ research. Once planned, you’ll have a great base to start your PR tradeshow campaign.

Secure a speaker slot

Months before most tradeshows happen, the event organisers will send out a ‘Call for Papers’ request asking for themes and content for the show’s presentation/conference programme. Sometimes there might also be an opportunity to pitch for a key note spot for one of your spokespeople. To secure these opportunities you must start planning early and engaging with the organisers. Make sure you identify interesting fresh topics that would be of interest to the audience. These could include new research, customer case studies or that state of the industry. Use bold language to describe what the session/presentation will focus on.

Make sure you read your exhibitor pack

As a paying exhibitor there will be some exposure opportunities you can take advantage of. These can range from a simple 100-word profile in the show catalogue to taking part in media partner previews and editorial opportunities. All of these opportunities should be taken. No matter how small, if you have your content ready it can be adapted easily to each opportunity and maximum exposure can be achieved.

Social media

Constantly promote your attendance at the tradeshow via all your social media channels. Invite people to visit the company stand, give sneak peeks at what you’ll be showcasing or talking about. Offer VIP visits to the stand with one-to-one meetings.

Distribute the press release under embargo

With so many companies traditionally making announcements and launching products on the first day of an event, why not distribute an approved release early with an embargo date to the registered press list as well as journalists that are not attending? Remember not to make the journalists hold the news for too long, so maybe distribute a week prior to the show.

Preview tour/calls

If you have a product to launch or need to announce ground breaking company news, then consider a press tour or calls before the event. Most tier one journalists will be extremely busy at tradeshow and trying to secure their time is nearly impossible due to a tight itinerary. So, why not organise a NDA press tour prior to the event? This will give the company an opportunity to preview news on a one-to-one basis with key media. Journalists will appreciate being thought of first and will encourage them to write an article in preparation for when the embargo is lifted, and it gives them time to write a news piece prior to the madness of the show.

 Tradeshows are a great opportunity to gain substantial visibility for your company, but to be able to really stand out from the crowd a little work in the run-up is incredibly beneficial.

If you’re attending RSA 2019 and want to discuss the best strategy for tradeshow activity, or even PR activity as a whole, why not get in contact with us on +44 (0)20 7183 2849 and we can discuss your best approach.