Family tradeshows (also known as children and family trade shows) provide the opportunity for you to meet new people within your industry and make potential clients and investors aware of the products and services you provide. By attending family trade shows, you can expand your product/service visibility, establish your brand name, promote your business, create leads and increase sales.

An added bonus of trade show participation is the opportunity to examine what the competition is doing in the industry. Such insight allows you to make adjustments to your own business strategies as family trade shows reveal market trends. For the best results from family trade show services, implement the following:

1. Use a family trade show guide to find and attend the best trade shows with the largest response from your target market.

2. Plan your family trade show attendance for the year and map out what you hope to achieve.

3. A successful family trade show experience depends upon your creativity and the effective presentation of your products or services.

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

Use a family trade show directory to find tradeshows

As you start to involve your business in trade shows, note the most popular show locations. The more people that attend the shows, the more recognition your business will receive. Maintaining a booth in too many trade shows may overwhelm your business, however, so take care to spread out the events.

I recommend: ExpoCentral.com lists available trade shows in the children and family industry, including wedding trade shows and toy and game trade shows. Simply click on the category you have interest in and scroll to the bottom of the page for upcoming events. Visit TSNN.com for a list of upcoming events in family related industries, such as the MConnect Mid-Atlantic Multi Family Conference and Expo held in May of each year at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Plan your family trade show strategy and attend big events

Once you pick the events you will participate in as a vendor and rent your booth space, then you need to establish a list of your objectives. Set goals for the number of leads you'll obtain, the products you'll sell and so forth. Gather family trade show information, determine your spending budget and map out how you'll use those funds. Like any other advertising, you will also need a sales pitch and a marketing plan. If you can only visit a few tradeshows, make sure they're the best ones for your business.

I recommend: Consider the yearly ABC Kids Expo, one of the largest juvenile products tradeshows in the US, or BabyTime Expo if your business is baby-oriented. Go to Fast Signs for a trade show planning calendar that breaks down recommended planning strategies from more than a year in advance to the day of the show.

Present your products/service effectively at family tradeshows

At trade shows, appearance is everything. The more appealing your booth display, the more likely people are to stop and ask questions. Put significant time and effort into your presentation. Rent or purchase products, depending on your budget, that reflect the image you want onlookers to have of your business. Be creative and different so that your booth stands out within the crowd, but avoid going over the top. It's also a great idea to have promotional items available for individuals to keep, because it will help them to remember your business after the trade show is over.

I recommend: Consider hiring Family Marketing to help with your overall, and tradeshow, marketing. Internet providers, such as Smash Hit Displays and ExhibitDeal, offer hundreds of options for your family trade show display needs. If your products are geared toward children, Mannequinland carries a variety of child mannequins.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  There are two types of family tradeshows. A public trade show is open to anyone and typically draws the attention of potential customers and investors. A trade-only show is only open to company representatives within the industry and the press. Depending upon the goals for your business, attend the type of trade show that appeals most to your target audience.