HOW WE DO IT: Getting the Most Out of Trade Shows

Trade shows can be fun and exciting ways to showcase your products and services in front of other local businesses and homeowners, both of whom may be potential clients. As an irrigation company, Daily Rain, Ann Arbor, Mich., takes part in the local Home Builder’s Association (HBA) Home Improvement Show, which was a big success this year. More than 200 exhibitors took part in the March 2005 show, which attracted 6,000 attendees.

This year, we were positioned among some of the area’s best landscape contractors whose booths consisted of beautiful brick patios, wood decks, hot tubs and even 10-foot waterfalls. While they were all attractive, these displays took lots of material and time to build and were expensive to set up. With a little creativity, we found that it’s possible to build a great trade show booth that will not break the bank. At Daily Rain, we took our marketing motto, “Fun, Cheap & Different,” and created a booth that showed exactly who we are and demonstrated precisely what we do.

Daily Rain met with the HBA three months prior to the show to discuss booth space and location. Our booth was 16 by 25 feet and, because of our previous involvement with HBA, we were able to choose a prime space just off the center aisle where traffic was high. We spent a week before the show procuring materials and setting up the booth. The “landscape barn” where we were situated had a dirt floor, which allowed us to dig trenches and build a working irrigation system complete with landscaping. The show floor was open to exhibitors three days before the show, which gave us time to make our design concept a reality by trenching, building displays, installing plant material, painting and creating our slide show.

We developed our design when we first decided to have our own booth at the show. In past years, we shared a booth with a local landscape contractor by setting up some landscape lights and a few small irrigation displays, which primarily accented the landscape contractor’s work. This year, we decided to spend the $1,000 for our own booth. In order to offset other display costs, we used materials from around the shop and enlisted the help of a local nursery to donate plant materials. In return, our display and slide show told attendees “Landscape materials were provided by Lodi Farms.” Overall, we spent a total of just $250 on accessories and our booth space was as creative and eye-catching as those of the contractors who spent thousands of dollars on displays. Moreover, many exhibitors had to pay their staff members for time and labor in order to get their booths built in time for the show. Because two salaried Daily Rain employees took care of our company’s display, the extra expense was averted.

Our trade show experience taught us that thinking creatively can really help you stand apart from other companies trying to attract business – and it doesn’t have to cost a lot. The Daily Rain booth displayed an underground, indoor sprinkler system – real sprinkler heads, real water and a great sound of spraying water that echoed throughout the entire landscape display barn. We projected pictures of past jobs onto a 16-by-12-foot screen. Our logo was displayed as part of the slide show and was also painted on the floor for branding. We used yard signs to pull people into the booth and present our marketing materials. Thinking like a potential client also will help you generate an idea that is sure to make a lasting impression on them when they are ready to make a decision regarding your services.

Some companies believe trade shows are a waste of time and money, but in reality these shows help build your business. They put your name and image in front of thousands of potential clients and they’re a great way to network with other local businesses. Over the three-day event, Daily Rain built relationships with many local builders and landscapers who will likely utilize our services as an irrigation company. Keeping our name and faces in front of these potential clients has proven that when it’s time for them to make a decision on a subcontractor, they will choose Daily Rain for their irrigation projects.

Additionally, trade shows have created a long list of clients who hire us for installation and service and, better yet, refer us to their neighbors, family and friends, generating great word-of-mouth marketing for us.

From this year’s show, Daily Rain was able to sell a dozen new installations and gain roughly the same number of service clients – all in a long weekend and for less than $300. In fact, we’re still getting calls from attendees who saw us at the show and are finally getting around to irrigation system installation after finishing up other home-improvement jobs. Generally, we’d be hard-pressed to sell two or three jobs in the same time period.

The opportunity to participate in trade shows is one of many benefits of being a member of a green industry or related association. As a member of the HBA, we were informed of the trade show early on and we receive similar updates from other industry associations, such as the Irrigation Association and Professional Landcare Network. With information about upcoming shows and a little creativity and time, we’re able to create a lasting brand for our company. – David Price

The author is director of business development and installation manager for Daily Rain, Ann Arbor, Mich., and can be reached at 734/302-7246.