How to Use A Marketing Calendar to Organize Trade Show Events

Trade shows give you opportunities to reach more people who are interested in your products or services. A marketing calendar can help you plan your trade show events for the year. This type of schedule displays your campaign start and end dates, critical marketing-related meetings, and marketing events such as trade shows. Use these tips to maximize your productivity and success at those events.

Set Your Goals

This initial step is vital for determining how many events to find and which ones to choose. Bigger trade shows may be harder to get into, and you may have limited time for attending them. Research shows as far in advance as possible to participate in the ones that you desire. First, set a rough goal of how many leads you hope to get from each event or how much of a sales boost you hope to see following the event. As you set goals, work on assigning responsibilities if multiple freelancers or employees will help with planning and execution.

Identify Peak Times

Many businesses have times when they are busier. For example, a company that sells outdoor gear is more likely to see sales boosts in the spring and summer. When you plan your calendar, use a color-coding system to identify peak times for sales. If your company is new, you can analyze the data of your market competitors to pinpoint increases or declines that are consistent among each of them. Otherwise, look at your sales history to identify trends. Plan most of your trade show appearances at those times.

Use Specific Categories

If your company sells more than one product or service, analyze your historical data or projections to identify areas and times that are ideal for specific items or services. For example, if you sell outdoor and farm items across the country, you may notice that horse supplies sell best in a particular area and during a specific season. If this is the case, you should plan to attend trade shows in that area during its peak sales time. Strategically choosing areas in addition to peak times, is crucial.

Plan Your Appearances

Not all companies need to attend trade shows every week. If you have a small business that sells merchandise only in your region, you may only participate in a few trade shows each year. However, if you own a large company that sells many types of products to people throughout the nation, you may want to have some designated representatives travel and attend trade shows regularly. In the first step, you researched potential shows in advance. In this step, you must finalize your plans and make reservations. A calendar will help you keep track of your events, and you can also use it to help measure success after the first year of events.

Measure Your Return on Investment

You must measure the effectiveness of each event. Compare the dates of the shows that you attended to your projections and compare them to your sales. If the ROI is suitable, you can plan to attend the same show the next year if it is an annual event. For a trade show that is not as profitable, consider choosing a different show or eliminating it from your schedule next year. In some cases, trade shows may not be highly publicized or marketed as well as they should be. However, you should always market your appearance at a trade show well in advance. Treat the show like it is your private promotional event.

Use the Right Template

Your calendar for marketing events is only as good as its design and details. Some people make the mistake of just penciling events on a regular timetable. Your notes become disorganized this way. There are plenty of templates with various designs depending on how detailed your schedule must be. You can find a 2019 marketing calendar template with color coding, reminders, and many other useful features online. When you keep your calendar online, it is easier to adjust and share with employees or agencies that may be helping with planning. For example, you can use a template to create a calendar with detailed notes and coded assignments for different departments or workers such as graphic designers, marketers, and others.

Be sure to follow these steps in the right order to minimize hassles. If you use a calendar for marketing events and analyze their impact, you can boost sales and strengthen your brand.