Business-to-business exhibitions - why face-to-face networking is vital for SMEs

Business-to-business exhibitions - why face-to-face networking is vital for SMEs

Why are business exhibitions still a good idea?

Exhibitions may seem like an unnecessary activity now that interaction with clients and business contacts are managed through social media such as Twitter and LinkedIn. However, face-to-face networking and raising your profile through exhibiting can have an impact and help you grow your business. Often businesses never meet their clients in person. Investing time interacting with the local business community can build long-term relationships and open doors that may not be achievable without attending such an event.

Transactional marketing is no longer enough, and organisations in all sorts of industries are geared more towards relationship marketing. Companies are looking for added value — not just a one-off transaction. A business-to-business exhibition is the catalyst for building and maintaining long-term relationships with clients.

Choose the right exhibition for you

Of course exhibiting at any old exhibition is not going to be something companies will do lightly in today’s economic climate. Businesses must be sure to attend events that will achieve their objectives and create a platform for new opportunities, not least to justify spending their marketing budget.

To ensure money is well invested and returns are gained, an organisation should research the show to understand if the objectives match that of their own goals. Being smart and researching extensively, you can make an informed decision to establish if the show is right for you. Some key things to ask yourself are:

• Will this reach the right target audience?

• How can I maximise my firm’s presence at the exhibition?

• What do I want to achieve by attending?

Get the most out of the show

Don’t just sit back and wait until the show to promote your business. Get on board with the exhibition organisers in advance and really maximise your experience at the show. This can be achieved through partnering and sponsoring an event or even just getting in contact with the marketing department and working with them on any promotional strategies. Be proactive! If you are investing money to attend then why not optimise the opportunity and take on promoting the event through your own organisation’s contacts, target audience and marketing activity? The more people you see on the day, the more contacts you make!

Achieving your objectives

To get the most out of exhibiting at a business-to-business exhibition you need to set out some key objectives and prepare! Get out there, get talking and build a rapport with other business people. Make your exhibit stand out and really show off your attributes — innovative ideas and interactive features are particularly attractive to visitors.

After show follow-up!

After the event has finished, it does not stop there. Relationship-building is a long term investment so make sure you record contact details so you can stay connected and follow up with conversations you have had on the day.

Melanie Shoesmith is PR and Content Co-ordinator at JobServe Events. Business South 2012 takes place on 22^nd and 23^rd of February at the Rose Bowl, Southampton.

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