InterGlobal Exhibits

Blog

The
latest

Follow us on Facebook

Trade Show Tips and Tricks from IGE Group —

Make the Most of Your Trade Show Attendees List

empty meeting room

How can you best leverage your trade show attendees list? The time spent at a trade show feels long, but in reality, you have just hours to do a lot of networking. With this in mind, you want to put your time to good use. An attendee list is a great way to identify people attending the event. By knowing who you want to shake hands with, you can set yourself apart from other companies and use your time wisely.

There are some third party software programs that will provide you with an attendee list, but we recommend going directly to the source: the event organizer. Once you have an attendee list in hand, here are a few effective ways to utilize it.

Check it Against Your CRM

Compare the attendee list against the contacts in your customer relationship management (CRM) system. This will help you identify top tier prospects and leads to reach out to before the event. You can also make strategic decisions when it comes to your booth staff. Which sales employees will be most helpful to the attendees? What other technology or gadgets can be used to share your message (i.e., kiosks, tablets, virtual reality).

Reach Out to Attendees

The next step is to reach out to attendees and let them know that you’ll be attending the event as well. The best way to do this is by sending a personalized email. Remind them of your product or service and how it can relieve their pain points. Personalized emails work best for people you already have a connection with.

Other ideas for reaching out to attendees include:

  • Drip email campaign
  • Paid advertising
  • Phone calls
  • LinkedIn
  • Direct messages on social media

No matter how you reach out, don’t forget to let the person know of your booth number so they can find you easily!

Launch Digital Ads

Running digital ads is a great option for generating awareness and sharing an enticing offer. For example, are you giving out a free pass to the event? Are you guest speaking at the event?

Run ads that are targeted at your trade show attendees list to get them excited for the event. Regardless of where you run the ads – AdWords, Facebook – be sure to follow the best practices. You want to put your budget to good use and reach the right people in the right moment.

  • Use location-based targeting
  • Target the ideal age of your attendees
  • Target specific interests
  • Include event-based keywords
  • Show the ads early to be competitive
  • Launch ads closer to the event – usually 2 to 3 weeks before

Build a Twitter List

This is easy to do and it’s a huge help! Add all of your top prospects to a Twitter list that’s locked and private. As you get closer to the event, start engaging with these people more on Twitter. Like their posts, send them a tweet or comment on their content. These small interactions build rapport with prospects.

These are just a few of the ways that you can leverage your attendee list. By coming prepared to your next trade show event, you can put your time to good use and develop stronger, meaningful relationships with top tier prospects.

Are you planning for your next event? Contact IGE and let’s build something amazing!