8 Reader Tips on Picking Shows to Save Money

Show Selection Drives Your Budget

Picking shows is the keystone of your trade show program. Not only are booth space fees about a third of your trade show budget, the shows you choose drive other expenses, from travel and entertainment to shipping and drayage. Here are 8 great budget-stretching tips from readers related to show selection:

Continually evaluate show performance and reduce or increase booth space to match need.
— Diane Knight

Alternate exhibiting years at meetings with the same group of attendees.
— Denice Posey

Set measurable goals for shows. If a show doesn’t meet the goals, we free up that money for pre-show marketing and promotions for a show that did work for us.
— Frank Raposa

We look for trade shows in areas that are close to our offices, reducing T&E costs.
—Michelle Ison

We attend more independent corporate conferences than in the past, which we find to be cost-effective and better targeted to our primary business environment.
— Ann Train, CrossCheck, Inc.

We try to define our shows by our yearly objectives — what are we trying to accomplish as a company as a whole.
— Name withheld by request.

Do one big show instead of a lot of little ones. If you’re going to do it, do it right within your budget. — Name withheld by request.

Select smaller vertical market shows with specific audiences.
— Name withheld by request.

Used by permission of Skyline Exhibits.

www.skyline.com