Any trade show or expo that you attend should be geared toward your target market. Make sure that you plan for the show. Know what you want to accomplish and why you’re going. You could attend trade shows to sell, or you might want to generate leads, network, find partners, spot trends and give or attend educational sessions.

If you’re going to market, make sure you understand your theme and your message. Work to get publicity, and use a press release to highlight the newsworthiness of the event and your attendance thereat.

Motivating people to stop by your booth is the biggest challenge you may face. Many booths use free candies and giveaways, usually with a logo and web address on them. A contest will allow you to collect people’s contact information. A free gift can do the same thing if they have to register to get it. Meet a celebrity or get a picture with something interesting can also get people to come by your booth.

Whatever you choose to do, you want your booth to be unique. You can use some shows to build business relationships. Make it a goal to contact everyone within a week of the show.

Adapted from “Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days (affiliate link).”