Companies that are consistently evaluating their place in the market, their target customers, their operating budgets, and how to stand out from the noise are those that are most successful. Your company's involvement in trade shows should follow those same guidelines.

Do Your Research

Many companies fall into the "same old routine" trap when it comes to trade shows. If someone asks you why you do a particular show each year and your response is, "We've just always done it", you might need to re-evaluate things! It may very well be the right show to attend, but your reasons for exhibiting should be concrete and the results quantifiable.

If you haven't done so in a while, take a fresh look at the shows that you do each year. Do they still hit your target? Are they still financially feasible? Do we continue to see tangible results after the show is done? If the answers to any of those questions is "no", you need to re-think your involvement there.

New trade shows, conferences, and industry organizations are being added annually. Take some time to do some research to determine if there are other shows out there that hit your target. And when you find them, don't be afraid to call some of the exhibitors from the previous year and ask them about the results of their involvement.

Once you have determined a list of potential shows, give them a final litmus test