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| Effective marketing |
THE FAIRS
Effective marketing tool
Fairs are one of the tools of the market economy infrastructure that is used in direct marketing. As a forum for direct meetings, fairs are the best way to reach numerous customers in the same place and at the same time. They help focus the attention of customers, trade partners and media on a given company and its products. They are an excellent opportunity to achieve objectives related to all the aspects of the marketing mix.
Face-to-face
Direct contacts with customers are the essence of modern business. The business of the 21st century uses direct marketing. And direct marketing has no better form than that of trade fairs which create unique opportunities for face-to-face contacts.
Is direct communication important?
87% of marketing professionals polled believe that direct communication, that is face-to-face contact, with customers, co-operating parties and the media is needed as the best corporate marketing strategy.
Simultaneously, only 10% of respondents gave a negative answer.
(Source:
Association of Exhibition Organisers, Benchmark Research)
Interactive nature
The power of the trade shows results from their interactive nature. It is the only communication strategy that allows to use all five senses in a direct interaction. Trade fairs create an opportunity for dialogues and exchanging opinions. The customer has as much to say about the product as the seller.
Who can you meet at the fairs?
New customers - at the fair you will establish contacts with top decision-makers in your branch of industry. Nowhere else will you find as many potential clients gathered at one time and in one place.
Existing customers - trade fairs make it possible to revive contacts and to hold a conversation with customers during face-to-face meetings.
Old customers - at the fair you can renew business contacts with old customers and you will find the opportunity to convince them about your business potential.
Synergy effect
The source of trade fairs´ attractiveness is their added value, that is, the combined effect of all the trade fair´s events. In this way you achieve the effect of synergy by utilizing many different services simultaneously.
The fair provides you with the opportunity to:
procure new customers,
compile data bases of new customers,
strengthen relations with customers,
launch new products and services,
demonstrate and promote products,
sell your products,
create corporate image,
build and strengthen brand names,
generate media interest.
Moreover, the fair is an excellent place for:
finding out about customers´ expectations,
getting on-the-spot feedback about the company´s products,
recruiting local agents and product distributors,
product presentations addressed to the five senses.
Appropriate place
Modern trade fairs are multifunctional and allow both exhibitors and visitors to realise many objectives at one time and in one place. It is a place where supply meets demand. Participation in trade fairs and exhibitions helps companies in implementing their marketing strategy and achieving sales objectives.
However, the trade fair is something more than just a marketing tool. The source of trade fairs´ attractiveness is their added value, that is, the combined effect of all the trade fair´s events over and above standard trade fair participation. In this way you achieve the effect of synergy by utilizing many different services simultaneously.
The fair provides you with the opportunity to:
procure new customers,
compile data bases of new customers,
strengthen relations with customers,
launch new products and services,
demonstrate and promote products,
sell your products,
create corporate image,
build and strengthen brand names,
generate media interest.
Moreover, the fair is an excellent place for:
finding out about customers´´expectations,
getting on-the-spot feedback about the company´s products,
recruiting local agents and product distributors,
product presentations addressed to the five senses.
NEW ECONOMY -
NEW TRADE FAIRS
Trade fairs of the 21st century
Trade fairs of the 21st century are used in direct marketing and in communication between market participants. This is the only place of multidirectional communication. They are also multifunctional. It is confirmed by the nature of the trade fair:
trade fair "with extras" - the exposition is balanced with sideline events directed at the qualified, i.e. the most promising-type of audience,
business to business - specialists for specialists; specialized trade fair dedicated and aimed at professionals,
business-to-customer - special exhibitions, shows and competitions endow the fairs with more dynamics, generate media interest and attract visitors,
vertical organisation - product presentation in thematic sectors makes it easier for the exhibitors to reach professional audiences and for the visitors to learn about offers interesting to them,
on-line trade fair - a year round extension of real time trade fairs on the global network.
Trade shows and the Internet
The marketing of the 21st century means face-to-face meetings at the fairs plus a constant contact via the Internet. The world trade fair industry is undergoing systematic development, adapting state of the art technologies, including IT, for the purposes of exhibitors, visitors and trade fair organizers. The most far reaching changes have already occurred at the birth place of the Internet, that is on the US market.
Thanks to the integration between the global network and the fair industry, a new type of year round on-line trade fair has come into being.
In the opinion of 91% of 250 chief executive officers of US corporations, the Internet will NOT replace real trade fairs for the following reasons:
personal contact is indispensable (55%),
the product needs to be seen and discussed (35%),
questions asked during the fair receive more complete
answers (10%).
(Source: International Association for Exhibition Management)
The fair as a place for face-to-face meetings and the Internet as a source of information during the period preceding the fair make for a perfect combination.
The Internet at the fair
The world trade fair industry is undergoing systematic development, adapting state of the art technologies, including IT, for the purposes of exhibitors, visitors and trade fair organizers. The most far reaching changes have already occurred at the birth place of the Internet, that is on the US market. Thanks to the integration between the global network and the fair industry, a new type of year round on-line trade fair has come into being.
In the opinion of 91% of 250 chief executive officers of US corporations, the Internet will NOT replace real trade fairs for the following reasons:
personal contact is indispensable (55%),
the product needs to be seen and discussed (35%),
questions asked during the fair receive more complete
answers (10%).
(Source: International Association for Exhibition Management)
The fair as a place for face-to-face meetings and the Internet as a source of information during the period preceding the fair make for a perfect combination.
WHY IS IT WORTH IT?
Exhibitors´ opinions
Pentor carried out research of the Polish trade fair market. The results were announced in the report entitled: "Anticipated Trade Fair Participation of Polish Exhibitors".
According to exhibitors, the fair is the most effective marketing instrument in achieving the following exhibitors´'' objectives:
to demonstrate the company´s presence on the market
(according to 83% of respondents),
to present new products (79%),
to strengthen relations with existing customers (78%),
to exchange and obtain information (78%),
to procure new customers (77.6%),
to increase awareness about the company and to improve the corporate image (76%),
to increase awareness about new products (75%),
to recognize customers´ wishes (70%),
to conclude sales contracts (64%),
to influence customers´ decisions (63%).
Australian exhibitors name ten reasons as to why trade fair participation is important to them. The reasons include:
meeting new customers and procuring high quality data bases,
developing personal and direct relations with customers,
presenting a complete assortment of products on offer "live"
instead of in the catalogue,
the ability to present advantages of a product to the customer
by appealing to his five senses,
instantaneous feedback about the product range,
overcoming barriers to facilitate the sale,
product sales during the fair,
strengthening brand name and company image,
recruiting new agents and product distributors,
launching new products and generating media interest.
(Source: Exhibition & Event Association of Australia)
Visitors´ opinions
Visitors also benefit from trade fairs. The most important are the following:
complete, synthetic and neutral information,
ability to better compare products,
high degree of objectivity.
Visitors, like exhibitors, achieve their objectives during trade fairs. According to the visitors, the fairs are effective for the following reasons:
54% of visitors come to see a new product or service,
48% of attendees look for information,
40% of them want to be up to date with new technologies,
15% of guests visit fairs to establish business contacts.
(Source: Exhibition & Event Association of Australia)
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