Car tradeshows are incredibly popular, both with manufacturers and with the general public. If you're going to participate in a high-profile auto trade show, start off by evaluating the amount of space you need for your auto trade show display. Basic spaces are usually about 10 feet square, but larger sizes are certainly available. In addition to your square footage requirements and location preferences within the auto tradeshow space, ask about access to electricity, broadband and water as your needs require.

Secondly, set up your auto trade show display so you're newest and most eye-catching products are highlighted to drive traffic to your booth. Place your new innovations at eye level so they are seen immediately by everyone who enters into or walks by your area. And don't forget fliers and handouts to get the word around. Finally, ask for car trade show advice from colleagues who are experienced in the field.

1. Rent trade show equipment for your auto trade show.

2. Purchase a professional-looking auto trade show booth.

3. Hire professional car trade show services.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Rent your auto tradeshows equipment if you won't attend many shows

You can rent anything from a full pop-up trade show booth to video displays to showcase your products. Choose rental agencies that have a solid professional reputation and experience in the trade show industry. If you don't plan on going to many shows, attend the big ones to get the most bang for your buck.

I recommend: Professional Exhibits & Graphics rents full exhibits in many common sizes as well as hanging signs, kiosks, plasma stands and literature racks. Rentfusion offers video and computer displays for rent to bring the latest information to your trade show exhibit. The SEMA Show, an annual automotive specialty products show, isn't open to the public but attracts many industry insiders.

Purchase high quality auto trade show equipment

Weigh the costs and benefits of purchasing the equipment you need to attend auto trade shows across the country. From full trade show booths to panels, purchasing the stands and equipment you need -- rather than renting them for each trade show -- may save you money in the long run.

I recommend: If you have the budget, and it's appropriate for your business, consider a rotating auto display from Car-O-Sell. On the other end of the spectrum, ePromos has dozens of auto-related promotional items suitable as giveaways. More broadly, San Diego Sign Company can provide you with everything you need to create a professional trade show booth including pop-up displays and display panels. Camelback Displays can provide you with everything you need to create a professional trade show booth, including pop-up displays and display panels in a variety of sizes and materials.

Find a tradeshow or let professionals handle your car trade shows planning

One way to avoid the time and stress of planning your trade show is to hire a reputable trade show planner to guide you through the process. A qualified professional will pull everything together in a professional manner so you can focus on selling instead of designing and setting up your car tradeshow exhibit.

I recommend: Find an auto tradeshow at Allworld Automotive (click on the appropriate sub-category), or BizTradeShows.com. If you'd rather someone else do the work, Freeman is a full-service event planning company that handles everything from corporate events to trade shows, making it the perfect partner to help you with your trade show preparation. Exhibe is a full-service trade show company that will handle everything from trade show paperwork and designing your exhibit to the installation and dismantling of your exhibit when the show is over.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Start a notebook to collect information about your auto trade show. Keep price lists, contracts and schedules in the book so all of your auto trade show information is in one location, essentially creating your own auto trade show directory.