On Monday of this week, Sarah Needleman from the Wall Street Journal wrote an article about trade shows and the small businesses that frequent them. Her subtitle is great:
Trade shows can be worth the sometimes-high expense. If, that is, you’re smart about them.
It is nice to have some positive press about our industry. In the article, she interviews several small businesses who use this reliable marketing function to attract and maintain clients.
Ms. Needleman starts the article out by saying:
“For small-business owners trying to navigate the economic downturn, spending money on trade and consumer shows might seem like a luxury better reserved for more prosperous times.
Not so, say many experts, who believe that exhibiting at-or at the very least attending-these events is one of the smartest things that a small-business owner can do, regardless of the state of the economy. Not only do exhibitions provide critical exposure to potential buyers, they also are essential for learning about unfamiliar markets, building personal relationships and getting an up-close look at the competition.”
We feel this piece should be shared with our exhibitor community. Let’s continue to show the positive results which can be gained by participating in a trade show.
For the full article, please click here.
One final word about this article: Ms. Needleman is a respected journalist and most likely does not know about “suitcasing”. She mentions it towards the end of the article. In the industry, suitcasing is not allowed. Walking up and down the aisles soliciting your business is not fair play among the exhibitors who have paid to be there. And if the suitcasing attendee is caught, they can be shown to the door.
We appreciate the efforts of Ms. Needleman and look forward to seeing additional positive press on the success trade shows are having on business.
