If you want to attract only people who are qualified, then offer a free sample of your product, or a discount, or if it’s an expensive product, a chance to win one. Then only you target market will enter the contest.

Just like with marriage, the myth of trade shows that you may be referring to is that once you are in it, you are set for life. But like in a marriage, the reality of trade shows is that it requires work. You have to dig to find the right shows where your target audience gathers, reach out before the show and give your prospects a compelling reason to visit you, distill your marketing message and make it immediately explicit on your exhibit, find and train motivated staffer willing to engage attendees, and then persistently follow up with your leads after the show.

So I agree with you that meeting people in and of itself doesn’t help your the bottom line. But it does if at trade shows you make sure you do meet the right people, and that you further develop those relationships after the show. Again, like marriage, trade shows require effort, not wishful thinking that all you need to do is just show up.

Thanks for sharing your veteran perspective. I think trade show organizers are shaking out into camps. There are some that are aware of the shifting ground of customer expectations and new media opportunities. They are taking steps to ensure they thrive.

About your mailer example — I came back from the TS2 Show last week, only to find some pre-show promotions that arrived on my desk after I left for the show. I think many trade show marketers could solve that problem themselves by ponying up for First Class (old school term) postage on their promotions, to ensure they don’t sit in post office warehouses for a week or two, or even more. And show producers can help by also providing emails, or even access to attendees’ emails, so there is a quicker way to reach them.

Amazing coincidence, but your question, “how well do trade shows work compared to …” was the subject of my post from just yesterday. Here’s the link: http://www.skylinetradeshowtips.com/trade-shows-are-hard-but-what-marketing-isnt/ . And as a custom modular exhibit and portable display builder, we know how important the issue of costs is, so it’s in our DNA to deliver exhibits that lower exhibitor’s total operating costs, while helping them achieve their marketing goals.

I agree that trade shows have become expensive. It was only during the downturn that show producers made price concessions on space or added value for exhibitors to keep them returning. However, show producers will continue to charge what they do to maximize their own revenue because they know that trade shows deliver so many valuable face-to-face connections in such a short time.

As an exhibitor, be sure to join your show’s Exhibitor Advisory Committee and let them know how you are comparing the overall value of exhibiting to other b2b marketing media. Ask for concessions and extras before you sign your booth space contract. I attended a class at Exhibitor 2010 where one exhibitor with a lot of equipment said they negotiated their drayage bill from $800,000 down to $50,000!

The real problem does not exist with exhibitors but with the organizations and associations that run the trade shows. For example, direct mail pieces often arrive late as names and addresses are provided too late.

Trade show organizers — not attendees or exhibitors — are the ones that need to adapt to the new economy. It’s not solely a cost issue but the manner in which they that requires major overhauling.

Tradeshow organizers are living in a different universe wrt cost. Tradeshow equipment manufacturers are also living in that alternate universe.

It’s not clear that either understand their competition.

On your website you list your show schedule, and without a doubt you have the most international schedule of any exhibitor I have ever seen! I think that alone introduces greater obstacles for follow up. You have the issues of time zone differences, language barriers, and just the big difference of distance — do people who you meet in their country want to do business with you once they absorb just how far away you are? One way around that is to have key staffers plan to stay in the show country for a week or two after the show ends, and then set follow up appointments right at the show. So instead of trying to get a reply to an email to advance the next step after the show, your team is in the lead’s office talking to them.

Beyond the international aspect, you can get better follow up on your leads with two more things. First, take more time to qualify your leads in the booth. Go ahead and bring up what the most common objections people have with your company and see who really is still interested. Then you should have higher quality leads more likely to respond. Second, take more detailed notes about what each booth visitor’s situation and challenges are, and what your booth staffer discussed with the visitor about how your company’s products and services can solve those problems. Then share that specific info in your follow up emails and calls, giving your leads more reasons to reply to your post-show messages.

Hopefully the shows in your industry will pick up soon. There have been a lot of shows reporting growth in attendance in 2010, but your construction industry is still very hard hit. I wish you the best of luck.