Owning a Tourism Business is awesome

1 Aug 2007

Tim Warren's Ten Commandments of Travel Trade Show Success

Ask yourself these important travel trade show marketing questions.
  1. Are you considering marketing with a trade show?

  2. Have you spent more then $1,000 in travel trade show exhibiting?

  3. You have exhibited less than 5 times?

  4. Did you arrive at the trade show just in time to set up?

  5. Were you under staffed in your booth?

  6. Were your sales results less then you expected

  7. Did you leave the show tired and exhausted?

  8. Are you questioning whether you will ever exhibit again?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, you need to read these top 10 strategies to increase your travel trade show marketing success.


No matter if you are a seasoned travel trade show exhibitor or a newcomer, do not consider exhibiting until you read and apply these valuable tips. These quick tips and training resources will save you an aching back, wasted money and increase your tourism sales – guaranteed!


FACT:

The majority of travel companies and destinations I see exhibiting at travel trade shows do a terrible job. Theses same poor-performing companies then complain to show management that it was managements fault.


Usually these same poor promoters wonder why their sales stink, … and it’s usually not just at the trade shows.

Travel trade show marketing done properly can be not only fun, but highly profitable! There are few tourism marketing venues where you can have lots of personal conversations with qualified prospects – looking for what you are promoting. That is if you follow these tips.


If you choose not to follow these 10 trade show tips and training resources, I’ll bet you answered “yes to at least 6 of the 8 questions above.

Apply these simple, yet critic travel trade show marketing tips and prosper. Also be sure to check out the 1-hour travel trade show audio seminar you can download to advance your knowledge and profits.


Ten Commandments of Travel Trade Show Success

1) Have beginner's mind. Seek out expert advice and information before you exhibit. Take workshops and read all you can on trade show marketing.

2) Establish team-created objectives. Incorporate your most friendly, motivated, and knowledgeable staff. Role-play and practiced boothmanship before show.

3) Pre-show mailings and phone invitations to customers and prospects can triple booth attendance. Multiple personalized letters and postcards promoting special offers redeemable only at your booth works great. Start four - five months before show.

4) Arrive before show. Meet with media, establish sales representation, and network with fellow travel professionals. When the show starts you'll be better prepared and rested then most.

5) Show management is an asset. Work with them on providing value to attendees through your travel presentations, workshops, sport simulator and fascinating attractions.

6) Invest in quality. Use exhibit with easy-to-read graphics and bold benefit-oriented copy. Use "defining statement" headline graphics. (See the guide Tourism Marketing Success for help) Prospect should quickly understand what types of activities you offer, where you go and level of adventure, i.e. soft, moderate, high risk.

7) Smile. Don't pounce on prospects. Establish rapport before qualifying prospects. Ask open-ended questions, "What do you think about foreign travel and river rafting?" Use breath mints.

8) Use brochures as a disengagement tool. Use "no's or not interested" as an opportunity to move on to another prospects who's interested in your type of trip or destination.

9) Take care of yourself. Schedule your staff so that everyone is well rested. Drink plenty of water. Eat well-balanced meals. Avoid alcohol at all times during show. Wear comfortable shoes. Stretch your muscles while checking out other exhibits.

10) Follow-up. Contact key prospects immediately after show with letters, calls and brochures. Multiple mailings and contacts increases chances of sales 65%.

Successful Tourism Trade Show

Exhibiting “Audio-Seminar"

If you do any travel show exhibiting or are considering travel trade show exhibiting, then this 1-hour recorded seminar will help you get more qualified prospects and convert them into paying customers and destination visitors. By investing 1 hour of your time and very little money, you can radically improve your results -- guaranteed!

This fun and interactive, seminar you can be download direct into your computer to re-play as often as you like and share with associates. The seminar also includes guidance and training to help you be more successful before, during, and after the show, as well as articles, tips, and answers to your most frequently asked questions.

More info on Tourism Trade Show Exhibiting Success Downloadable Seminar.


Tim Warren and Adventure Business Consultants, has helped dozen's of travel business just like you create travel trade show and tourism marketing strategies that help you standout from the crowd and get more customers!

Tim specializing in increasing arrivals, reducing expenses, increasing profits and creating effective action plans for tourism professionals. Tim has helped well over 50 tourism companies and agencies promoting tourism through his consulting, trainings, executive coaching and tourism professional development products. His expertise is in sales, marketing, E-marketing, publicity, operations and strategic planning for tourism professionals and the tourism industry.

1 comment:

Tim and Sabrina said...

THanks for posting my article on travel trade show marketing.