Exhibiting at trade shows can be one of the profitable and cost-effective ways for a small business to market its products or services. But in order to take full advantage of their benefits and best leverage your investment, you need to do some upfront planning and marketing legwork. By doing so, you'll:

1. Determine exactly what you want to accomplish from your trade show participation.
2. Ensure that your investment and show experience pays off with solid customer relationships and profitable sales leads.
3. Iron out all the details so your event goes smoothly.

Follow these steps before hitting the trade-show circuit:

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

Set clear goals and make a trade-show plan

Make sure your time is well spent by knowing exactly what you want to accomplish at the show and by having a detailed plan of action. Set specific goals with quantifiable objectives, and measure your performance against your targets post-show to make sure the investment was sound.

I recommend: Marketing Acumen's $119 trade show and event toolkit, which includes project plans and budget templates, is billed as a step-by-step guide to trade-show planning, from advanced preparation to measuring ROI. For one-on-one guidance on planning an effective trade-show program, see The Tradeshow Coach.

Give your target audience a peek into your trade show plans

Don't wait until the show to contact targets or alert industry media. Send direct mail to potential attendees and tempt them with a special offer to get them to stop by your booth. Consider hiring a PR firm to help you promote your products or services well before the event and even coordinate a press conference at the show.

I recommend: See a directory of PR agencies at O'Dwyer PR. Praxis Communications Inc., InteractiveParty and ExpoMarketing are just a few of many companies that specialize in trade show marketing, direct mail and public relations services. If you're hosting a trade show, consider adding EventMingle, an online social networking application designed to allow trade-show participants and exhibitors to share information, perform pre-show registration tasks and interact prior to the show.

Do your research and pick a show

There is an abundance of trade shows and exhibitions in every state, for every industry, covering every conceivable topic. As a small business, you can't afford to attend them all and you can't risk what is generally a sizable investment by making an uninformed choice. To achieve the greatest ROI, you need to pick the shows that are the right fit for your target audience.

I recommend: To find relevant shows for your industry or in your locale, try searching the directories at BizTradeShows or Tsnn.com, which list trade shows, fairs and exhibitions.

Line up a standout booth

Curb appeal is important in trade show booth styling, but so are practical matters like durability and portability. You want a flexible setup that will travel well without wear and tear and that will have plenty of room to display literature, visuals of your product and room for meetings with prospects. To keep costs down, you can also rent trade show booths.

I recommend: TradeShowJoe sells and rents new and used trade-show displays, while Trade Show Direct is an online resource that sells everything from booths to graphics to carrying cases.

Don't forget to order the giveaways

Deciding what freebie to offer will depend first on your budget. It also will vary based on whether you want to enhance a specific theme, for example, or use it as a tool to educate your audience.

I recommend: Check out Branders.com, Pinnaclepromotions.com, Empire Promos or A Better Idea to get ideas or to purchase giveaway items.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When investigating trade-show possibilities, be sure to canvass the event's objectives and evaluate its audience.
• •  Make sure to research exactly where your space is located on the floor along with what kind of exhibits will surround it.
• •  Look into potential opportunities to serve as a speaker or panelist at the event. Doing so will be sure to increase your credibility.
• •  Get advance copies of exhibition handbooks if possible. They are a rich source of information and will help you target prospects for meetings prior to the show.
• •  Train your booth personnel prior to the event to make sure that everyone understands how to interact with attendees. Make sure there are standard procedures for collecting business cards from visitors, for example, and that everyone is fully knowledgeable on the products and services you want to promote at the event.