How to get the most out of trade show season

The next rush of trade shows is fast approaching, and brands around the world are preparing for events through the end of 2024 and beyond. Whether winter or summer, trade show season can feel daunting, especially if you’re new to in-person events. That’s why we’ve put together a guide to help make your brand more successful at any trade show. Whether you’re attending virtual trade shows like Faire Market or in-person events like TrendSet in Munich, Atlanta Market, Top Drawer London, Maison & Objet in Paris, NY NOW, or ASD Market Week in Las Vegas, the following tips should help you make the most of trade show season.

1. Prep your visual presence

Your website, catalog, and Faire shop should be ready to go by the start of trade show season. Start by adding any new products to your Faire shop that you want to be highlighted during trade shows. You can set up preorders—which buyers can place before a product is available with the understanding that it will be shipped later—through the Products tab in your Faire brand portal.

Curate collections for easy browsing

You can also create curated collections within your Faire shop to ease decision-making and increase sales. Simply head to the Collections tab in your brand portal and choose a theme such as bestsellers, new products, category-specific, audience-specific, seasonal, or holiday. A standout collection on Faire should include:

• A well-curated set of 10 to 12 products that you frequently have in stock.
• A compelling square image of the products together that looks different from their individual photos.
• A total price of under $300.

Please note: Collections auto-unpublish when a product goes out of stock. Be sure to keep an eye on collections and remove out-of-stock items to republish the collection. 

Up your product-display game with photography and video

It’s a good time to improve your product images and add videos to your website and shop page. Ensure you have the right equipment, a room with natural light, a seamless white background, a flat surface, a tripod for your camera or phone to shoot various perspectives, and photo editing software. Check out our tips on mastering product photography for additional guidance. 

Similar lighting and background techniques should be applied to videos. Consider ways to show how your products fit into customers’ lives such as a demo, tutorial, or explainer video. Remember to cater to your target audience, keep it short but informative, include different product views that show dimensions, tell your story (or let customers tell your story), share your unique personality, and include a call to action.

Booth presence 101

Of course, you’ll also need to plan an attractive trade show booth if you’re attending in-person events. First impressions are everything, so try to get a good location with plenty of foot traffic and design your booth to look approachable with friendly staff and room to move around or even a small meeting area with chairs. Locations near the entrance are usually best, but other high-traffic areas can be found near intersections, food vendors, and major sponsors. 

Trade show organizers often offer early-bird registration, so try to plan ahead if you want the best pick of booth locations. Also, use colors that attract people, lighting that shows off your products, signage that explains your unique value proposition in three seconds or less, and materials that match your aesthetic and brand identity. 

Don’t forget: load up your bag with business cards to help foster connections. Before you hit the trade show floor, ensure your brand’s first impression is memorable by utilizing an eye-catching template for business cards as part of your promotional merchandise.

2. Set your promotions

Everyone loves a good discount, so if you’re able, set and promote discounts widely before and during trade shows. On Faire, brands that send marketing campaigns to their customers starting a month or more before a trade show tend to drive higher sales during shows. If you’re able, you can also entice potential buyers to your trade show booth with promotions, such as a free prize drawing or raffle, and if you collect business cards, you can record contact information for everyone who enters. Just make certain the prize you offer is attractive to your target audience so potential buyers will be compelled to stop and check it out. Brands often give away one of their own products as a prize, but other popular options include consumer electronic devices, premium event tickets, gift cards, and swag bags. You can set up virtual promotions for online events as well. Faire’s discount-matching program during Faire Markets allows you to maximize the discounts you offer new buyers. During our most recent market, nearly 50,000 retailers participated and took advantage of brand discounts and Faire-funded promotion matching, ordering on average from five different brands.

3. Plan your marketing for before, during, and after the show 

Once your shop and promotions are ready, you can prepare your event marketing strategy. First, plan your social media campaigns, including what you’re going to say, when and how often you’re going to post, and which platforms to focus on. Virtual trade shows lend themselves particularly well to Instagram and other social media platforms where you can link directly to the event. We put together some suggestions on how to leverage social media during the holidays that can also apply to trade show season if you need more guidance.

Next, prepare your email strategy. You’ll need to consider:

• What to include in your messages.
• How you’re going to time the email series ahead of the event.
• Which audiences you’re targeting and whether to customize emails for different groups.
• How you’re going to automate email distribution. 

It’s easy to send marketing emails through Faire inviting customers to attend trade shows and to place orders before and during the event. 

It’s also wise to send another email after a trade show to convert prospects and connect with new customers. Check out our tips on creating an email campaign for more email marketing guidance. If you’re planning on attending in-person trade shows, be sure to download and print Faire Direct flyers and signage or create a digital QR code version of your Faire Direct link yourself, so buyers can easily shop commission-free with net terms via your Faire shop.

4. Close deals on-site and capture leads with new and improved Faire tools 

Write orders straight from the Faire mobile app

Writing orders is one of the most critical aspects of a trade show. It’s also one of the most time-consuming. To streamline that process and give you more time back to talk with customers, we’re adding a new order-writing tool to the Faire app for brands.

The new order-writing tool will let you enter orders straight from your phone for all of your wholesale customers—whether or not they’re using Faire. Finalize orders on the spot without pen and paper, and don’t worry about chasing down customer details later. While entering orders into the app, you’ll be able to quickly update items and quantities, apply show-specific promotions, include add-ons, and write order notes for your team. Look out for these features in the app by late December.

Keep in mind Faire does not match orders written from the Faire app (for example, Faire Markets promotion matches).

Capture leads with Faire Direct

There are many benefits to sharing your Faire Direct link when pitching to potential customers, as this link extends Faire’s benefits directly to existing retailers and new leads. With Faire Direct, you can grow sales and streamline your wholesale business. 

Now, when you meet a retailer at a show who hasn’t ordered from you through Faire, they can scan your Faire Direct QR code right from the Faire app on your phone and automatically qualify for 0% commission if they order from you within 12 months. You can also share your Faire Direct link from the app via text, email, direct messages on social media, and more.

Retailers who shop your line through your Faire Direct link benefit from 60-day payment terms (subject to eligibility), easy online ordering and payment processing, free returns on first orders, and one year of free shipping if they’re new to Faire. Plus, anyone who is new to Faire will also get additional incentives when they sign up through your link.

You’ll also appear at the top of search results for retailers who have ordered through your Faire Direct link. By sharing these benefits, you’re more likely to convert new leads or drive reorders from existing customers not on Faire.

Share your Faire Direct link in all online and in-person marketing efforts including flyers, social media posts, email campaigns, and on your website. Read more about Faire Direct in the help center.

Use our ready-made marketing materials

In preparation for the trade show season, enhancing your booth with digital elements like a QR code can significantly facilitate lead capture and engagement. By integrating a quality QR code generator, you can create customizable QR codes that lead to your digital catalog or specific promotions, streamlining the process for potential leads to connect with your brand instantly

We’ve created ready-to-print marketing displays and handout flyers featuring a QR code version of your link that you can use to easily capture and convert leads as commission-free customers. These have been particularly useful for retailers who are too busy to stop and write an order with you at the show. To view QR codes and marketing flyers, head to your brand portal and click on the In Person tab in the top navigation bar. 

5. Nurture customer relationships built at the show

You can now access and add to your CRM directly from the Faire app for brands. Easily add contact information for customers or leads you meet in person, so you can nurture those relationships after the show.

Build on in-person introductions

After an in-person trade show, remember to upload new prospects to your Faire Customers tab as soon as the event is over, using a separate customer list. This serves as a paper trail of in-person relationships with retailers, and on the off chance a retailer doesn’t use your Faire Direct link properly, you can request that the commission charges be removed. 

Send targeted emails to everyone you met at the event with a warm message explaining how you appreciate the new connection, how they can order from your line, and the benefits of ordering through Faire Direct. Just don’t wait too long to email new prospects, as memories fade quickly and you want to reach out while your products are still fresh in their mind. Two days after the end of the event is a safe bet. 

Follow up after a first order

For new customers who placed orders during a virtual trade show, follow up about two days after the event to personally thank them for their purchase. This friendly gesture and white-glove customer service can go a long way and encourage reorders. 

You can also request feedback, ask if they have any questions, provide product support, and politely ask if they can leave a positive review for your brand on Faire, your website, or social media. If you are genuine in your approach and customize the email for different customers, you will come across as authentic and nurture the kind of relationships that bring in revenues for years to come.