Are you a contractor, landscape designer or gardener? An architectural firm or interior design business? Renovator, roofer, or decorative concrete installer? Then you don’t want to miss the chance to exhibit at the Calgary & Edmonton Home + Garden Shows in 2016!
Selecting the right trade shows to exhibit in is a big part of your marketing plan and trade show strategy. And even if you’ve been exhibiting for years this is something you need to consider on an annual basis. Shows change, grow, and disappear, and new ones crop up all the time.The first question you’ve (probably) already asked yourself, is whether or not you should include one or both of these shows in your 2016 exhibiting schedule. When choosing a show, you want to look at four key metrics: attendance, timing, history, and location.
To help you make your decision about the Calgary and Edmonton Home and Garden Shows, we’ve broken down the statistics on both shows into those four key metrics. We’ve also included some tips on how to make these metrics work to your advantage at one or both of these shows, should you decide to exhibit!
Trade show attendance
Calgary Home & Garden Show 2015
Edmonton Home & Garden Show 2015
Audience considerations
Catching your audience’s attention is the most important aspect of any display; knowing who visits the show provides an opportunity to update or change your message to reach them specifically.
Consider the message on your display, and your audience. You many want to think about changing your graphics, or adding a banner stand, that includes a message that speaks to this audience. For example, a lot of homeowners and couples will be attending. Can you add to or update your graphics with a message that will resonate with them?
Think about this audience’s experience. What kind of activities, demonstrations, and handouts will recommend you to them, to make their experience in your booth space a positive one? If you’re a contractor specializing in renovations, do you have a whiteboard graphic for brainstorming, for collecting ideas, or for visitors to draw their own ideas onto? What about a digital portfolio on an iPad Stand? Or a video wall showcasing your past projects? Start thinking about your business, and how this show’s audience can positively interact with you outside of the standard meet-and-greet.
Trade show timing
Both of these shows happen while spring is in the air, and visitors are planning ahead for summer and fall projects. Think about adding a promotional display (like a banner stand or sandwich board) that projects that message. How will your product or service help them this summer? Get that message out loud and clear.
Do you have a new product or advertising campaign launching in the spring? Plan to promote it at these shows. Think about ordering a display, hanging sign, or banner stand that specifically advertises your new product, or that mirrors your new advertising campaign.
If you’ve already booked your space at a different show happening around the same time, consider your options. If the timing is too tight, you might find shipping costs from one show to the next to be exorbitant—and simply not worth it. Consider renting a display for one of the shows, or if you think you’ll find yourself double-booked again down the road, look at the purchase cost for a second display. Take the opportunity to look at your options with a different display system, alternate message for different audiences, and how the two displays could be used in conjunction for a larger event.
Trade show HISTORY
Calgary Home & Garden Show 2015 exhibitors
Edmonton Home & Garden Show 2015 exhibitors
Exhibitor considerations
Do you have a different message for visitors in Calgary or Edmonton? There is a strong local audience at both of these shows, so adding a message or display to your booth that speaks directly to Calgary and/or to Edmonton visitors will help you really catch the attention their attention. Think about offering special pricing or a promotion specific to each location—make them feel like they’ll gain something by visiting your booth at this specific show. This doesn’t have to mean a complete overhaul of your display—add an X-Stand, or a Magnet-Ready banner stand with a Magnet-On graphic message you can change between shows.
FINAL WORD OF ADVICE
If you decide not to exhibit at one or both of these shows this year, at least attend as a visitor. You can see who’s there, who’s not, where the best booth spaces are and what really stands out at each show. That way, if you decide to exhibit next year, you’ll be armed with all the knowledge you need to exhibit with success!
Are you ready to exhibit at the Edmonton and Calgary Home + Garden Shows? If you need anything — ideas, displays, or exhibit services — we can help.