Trade shows are a proven platform for engaging directly with your target audience and developing relationships with buyers, media and investors. But standing out requires more than just showing up.
With hundreds of technology conferences every year, cutting through the noise and getting your brand seen requires a strategic multi-channel approach.
Here are five ways to make an impact before, during and after the show:
Start early: Use event channels to seed your message
Grabbing early opportunities will help you maximise your media presence and engagements. Check out what partnership opportunities you may have within your package to promote your attendance in advance and maximise your time at the event. This could be advertorial articles with media partners, blogs hosted on the event website, and social posts via the event’s platforms. Use these channels to seed messaging about what you want to talk about at the event, whether that’s a new product, partnership, or a campaign launch.
Pitch journalists with a clear story and spokesperson
The event you’re attending will likely have a set of publications acting as media partners whose job it is to publicise what’s going on at the exhibition and ramp up hype around it. Touching base with journalists from these partners will give you a chance to see what features they are planning and set up introductions and interviews for your key spokespeople during the event.
It is also worth reaching out to other journalists to see if they are attending and want to meet during the show. To stand out in their inbox, make sure your pitch outlines exactly why they should meet your spokesperson over anyone else. What’s the story? What’s their expertise? What do they have to say that’s different?
Use paid social to drive pre-event registrations and meetings
Of course, the main reason for exhibiting at trade shows is to meet prospects and fuel the sales funnel. The ideal situation before the event kicks off is to already have some of those meetings set up or people registered for after-hours socials to take the pressure off of generating those all-important leads.
Running paid ads on LinkedIn a few weeks before the event can help drum up interest and encourage delegates to register for meetings or your own side events in advance. We did this for AeroCloud at Passenger Terminal Expo and helped drive over 100 individuals to registration pages.
Time your news for maximum media impact
Launching news at the event will create a buzz around your brand and give people a reason to talk to you. But timing is critical. During the show itself, journalists are often on the move and tend not to be as available for news updates as they would normally be. The best way to gain traction is by sharing the news just before the event, then using on-site meetings with journalists and prospects alike to discuss its value in more depth.
Amplify coverage on social and keep the momentum going
Posting on your company’s social channels and via your teams’ networks in the run-up and during the event is essential. If you can, tag publications and journalists who covered your news to give them a shout-out in the social post. It’s a nice personal touch and helps to nurture the relationship between the journalist and the brand.
And be sure to continue this momentum post-event too. Just because the trade show has finished, doesn’t mean your campaign has to. Your sales team will have had conversations with customers and prospects, many of whom they’ll now be connected to on LinkedIn. And these soft touchpoints are great to keep your brand front of mind and spark a follow-up conversation.
Want to stand out at your next tech conference?
If you’d like to hear more about how we could help you stand out at a trade show, get in touch at [email protected]
Frequently Asked Questions
How can B2B companies stand out at a trade show?
B2B companies stand out at trade shows by starting early, using a multi‑channel strategy that combines media outreach, paid social, on‑site activity and post‑event follow‑up. Clear messaging, a compelling story and pre‑booked meetings help ensure your presence delivers measurable impact.
Is LinkedIn advertising effective for trade shows?
Yes. LinkedIn advertising is one of the most effective paid channels for trade shows, especially in B2B. It allows exhibitors to target delegates, decision‑makers and specific industries ahead of the event, helping to drive registrations, meeting bookings and attendance at side events.
When should you announce news if you’re attending a trade show?
The most effective time to announce news around a trade show is shortly before the event begins. This gives journalists time to cover the story while allowing your on‑site conversations to focus on the detail and value behind the announcement rather than breaking news during a busy show.
