• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

Investing In the Right Trade Show

June 6, 2010 by Sandy Abrams Leave a Comment

There are so many tradeshows in every single industry. How do you know which trade show will be worth the investment? These days trade shows cost in the ballpark of $3000-5000 just to exhibit at your booth and that doesn’t include the cost to ship your goods, renting some accessories for your booth, travel, hotel, food, etc. So, here are some tips on how to find the right shows for your product debut:
1. Go to a search engine and find out which shows are within your industry. For example for Moisture Jamzz, I would search beauty trade shows. Then for each show that you find, go to their website and they usually always have a list of exhibitors. See if this lists the companies that you fit in with and whose products are sold in the stores where you hope to sell your products.

2. You could reach out to a non-competing small biz owner listed on the exhibitor list to ask about the show. Just call or email the company saying that you are considering exhibiting at the show and you wanted to hear their experience with the show. Many times people are happy to talk about shows, as long as you are not a competitor.

3. Ask local store owners (the kind that would carry your product) which shows they attend to find new products.

4. Sometimes the trade show website will list the buyers that attend the show, if you see all of the chain store names that you have been dreaming of, this may be a good choice. There are no guarantees though, that the buyer will stop at your booth. You could also call the buyers of choice and ask if they will be attending that show this season and set an appointment.

5. Stop by your local Merchandie Mart building, the ones that have the permanent showrooms. Visit www.merchandiemartproperties.com 

You can also ask to “walk” a show befor eyou exhibit. For example, as you are just starting out and not ready for a show yet, that’s a good time to “walk” a show to get a sense of how the shows work.
Shows can be unbelievably wonderful or an unbelievable drain. But if your product fills a void in the marketplace and you’ve done your research about the show and protected your intellectual property interests before exhibiting, they are a great way to introudce your line to the marketplace. 

Seventeen years after my first trade show, I still love exhibiting at them. I’ve made terrific friends from the shows over the years and I’ve gotten incredible clients, I’ve also wasted some money. But overall, if you pick the show that’s specifically geared toward your audience (i.e the specialty foods show for your new organic, gourmet chocolate line), you will likely be making a smart investment.

Enjoy the show!

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Uncategorized

About Sandy Abrams

Sandy Abrams made her dream come true when she had an Ah-ha moment & turned it into a multi-million dollar biz (www.moisturejamzz.com). A self-taught entrepreneur, Sandy had the passion & persistence to roll up her sleeves & learn on the fly. After years of sweat equity, she turned her naivite into success and savvy.

Her signature product, Moisture Jamzz Moisture Gloves quickly became a top-selling accessory in the beauty/spa industry, sold in Bed, Bath & Beyond, LinensNThings, QVC, Bloomingdales and private labeled for some of the biggest names in beauty: Estee Lauder, Bath & Body Works, H2O PLUS, Crabtree & Evelyn, Bare Escentuals.

To help others turn their ideas into reality, Sandy published, Your Idea, Inc. (www.yourideainc.com) and put her inspirational, motivational advice & anecdotes into this entrepreneurial guide book. Her casual, conversational tone feels like a best friend who has been there, done that & is now sharing her wisdomand her mistakes!
Sandy is a mom to two teenage boys.

Sandy Abrams

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Search

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

Kissing Kids on the Lips: Fine or Not?

I recently read an article that says that parents should not … [Read More...] about Kissing Kids on the Lips: Fine or Not?

Must Have

STEM-related Toys to Include in Your Child’s Easter Basket This Year 

April has arrived which means it’s time to pull out the food … [Read More...] about STEM-related Toys to Include in Your Child’s Easter Basket This Year 

Did you know?

Signs You're Having a Miscarriage

Signs You’re Having a Miscarriage

10 foods to improve sperm count and quality

10 Foods to Improve Sperm Count and Quality

abdominal discomfort during first trimester of pregnancy

Abdominal Discomfort During First Trimester of Pregnancy

Emotional Development of Adolescents

average breast size of a woman

The Average Breast Size of a Woman

pregnancy & tooth pain

Pregnancy & Tooth Pain

what causes baby hiccups

What Causes Baby Hiccups?

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2023 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.