The Trade Show Marketing Playbook
How we help increase sales with a custom to your brand marketing strategy at local trade shows.
Missed You At The Show!
What's your trade show marketing strategy going to be this year?
- "Check out my new booth!"
- "Show up and BLOW UP!!!!!!!!"
- "Start excited… get side-eyed by passersby… lose hope… take a seat… and end up staring at your phone as people walk by." (see the picture above)
- "When does the comped bar open?"
- "This time we will follow up!"
Regardless of your strategy, YOU CAN ENGINEER OUTSTANDING ROI FROM A TRADE SHOW!
First, let's acknowledge the real issues:
1. Trade show success is predicated on people who need what you sell to magically spot your booth and strike up a conversation.
But let’s be real: many of the best targets have no clue you exist, and that’s assuming they’re not distracted by free swag or nachos.
2. Attendees have no idea who you are or how you can help, and they’re too polite to ask.
They wander past your booth with a glazed-over look, avoid your gaze, unsure if you’re selling software, sandwiches, or salvation.
3. Others think they already know what you offer—and it’s definitely not for them.
“Oh, you’re those guys who do that thing.” (Spoiler: they’re wrong. Very wrong.) But they’ll walk on by anyway.
4. After-show follow-up failings... It’s a circus.
Everyone’s inbox is a war zone, and your beautifully crafted email gets buried under a pile of “Missed you at the show!” messages. Meanwhile, they’re just trying to get through Monday without a meltdown.
5. Your sales team is playing catch-up, and it’s not pretty.
They’re still recovering from the show (and maybe the after-parties), so follow-up becomes more of a “we’ll get to it... eventually” situation.
6. Everyone leaves the show remembering ONE big interaction... and it might not be yours.
Turns out, they’ve fallen head over heels for that booth down the hall with the flashing lights and free espresso. Sadly, you’ve been relegated to the “nice to meet you” pile. Tragic, really.
It Is Way Too Easy to Mess Up Trade Show Marketing So Many Companies Do...
Take my friend in the picture above sitting in front of a 10x20 end cap booth. This was his position for 2 out of 5 hours on the floor. I bet his boss thinks trade show marketing does not work. All it takes is one bored associate staring at his phone to turn you into a trade show hater instead of a trade show believer.
Or the not so effective displays....
What We Do: Sales Enablement at Trade Shows
Trade shows are all about creating connections that turn into sales. But making that happen requires more than just showing up and hoping for the best. Notice U Marketing is here to help you not only attract visitors to your booth but also convert that traffic into valuable leads—even if you, your marketing team, and your salespeople aren’t leading the charge.
Here’s how we improve your trade show success:
The Trade Show Marketing Playbook
On-Site Content Creation
Trade shows are prime opportunities to create fresh, engaging content. We’ll capture videos, photos, and live streams on-site, giving you assets for post-show follow-up and ongoing marketing campaigns.
After-care: Post-Show Follow-Up & Lead Management
When the show ends, the real work begins. We’ll help you organize and segment your leads, ensuring every contact gets the right follow-up at the right time. Our automated email series delivers personalized, relevant messages that resonate with your prospects and drive action—whether it’s setting a meeting or making a purchase.
Did we mention custom landing pages?
Throw in a tailored landing page with a dash of SEO magic, and suddenly, you’re 100 times more relevant to attendees searching for solutions before and after the show.
Fun fact: your sales team will get less than 1% of an attendee’s total time at the show. Yep, just a sliver! That means 99% of your influence happens off the floor—often in the vast wilderness of the world wide web. So, why not make sure those digital touch points are doing the heavy lifting for you?
Pre-Show Recon & Planning
We strategically select your booth space to maximize traffic, analyze your surrounding exhibitors, and evaluate key event locations. This way, we ensure your position at the show works to your advantage. We even analyze attendance trends to forecast potential ROI.
Digital Pre-Sell & Engagement
We create buzz around your appearance by “digitally surrounding” your audience before, during and after the show. Well-timed ads targeting attendees’ mobile devices can make your brand a familiar presence, increasing the chances they’ll visit your booth. In fact, studies show that seeing a brand 13 or more times in rapid succession makes people more comfortable with engaging in person—even if they haven’t clicked on the ad.
Show-Stopping Booth Design
Your booth should communicate what you offer in 3-5 seconds—because that’s how long it takes to catch (or lose) a prospect’s attention. We design inviting, visually compelling booths that spark curiosity and make visitors ask, “Hey, what’s that?” The only way to find out is to come closer and engage.
Pre-Show Email Campaigns
We work with your CRM (HubSpot, Constant Contact, etc.) to send out purpose-built, often automated, emails that energize your contact list. These emails set the stage for the show, encourage appointment bookings, and fill your sales team’s calendar before Day
Hold On... Here's The Pitch...
By partnering with Notice U, you can maximize the value of every trade show you attend, from strategic planning and booth design to follow-up that turns interactions into opportunities.
Here's the Close... A Consultation is FREE.
Steal our playbook (not just the summary above). Please.
We welcome the opportunity to talk with you. We will look at what you have going on, your trade shows, your competitors, give you some solid advice, provide a written recommendation, etc. We will invest as many as 10 hours on your behalf and the only cost to you is some low-pressure persuading in hopes to earn your business.