According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research in Chicago, 77 percent of executive decision-makers found at least one new supplier at the last trade show they attended.

Trade shows provide a prime opportunity to make sales, build relationships and collect qualified leads. Getting the best return on your investment in terms of time away from your business, materials and participation costs takes some planning.

To maximize the value of your next trade show, consider the following:

CHECKLIST: WHAT TO DO BEFORE YOU GO

Set Goals – Have a plan outlined – strategic and tactical – with measurable goals. Are you introducing a new product or prospecting for new business?

Develop a Follow-Up Plan – Have a “lead fulfillment” system in place. By preparing your materials before you leave, it will help to ensure timely follow up. Industry statistics reveal that 89 percent of exhibitors go with the intention of gathering leads, but only 21 percent of the leads are given proper follow up.

Identify Your Audience – Many trade shows are connected to annual meetings and conventions. Request the organizer’s mailing list, though it may be more extensive than you need. Narrow it to your target audience.

Build Pre-Show Interest – Create “buzz” in your participation prior to the show and target your pre-show mailing. For example, you could send red cards to customers and yellow to prospects and invite them to return the card at your booth for a special gift.

Choose Staff – Your staff should be readily identifiable through dress, presenting a professional, enthusiastic and unified image. Encourage personal goals and have rewards for a job well done.

Select Print Materials – Gauge quantities of business cards, brochures and flyers you want to have on hand. Set out flyers for general distribution; save your high-quality brochures that show off your capabilities for qualified leads. Build in a reason for further contact.

Pick Premiums – Your giveaways should be memorable and naturally complement your marketing message. It’s best if they are used as a thank-you for participating in a demonstration or survey. Avoid leaving them out on a table for anyone to take. You’re trying to reach customers and prospects, not the masses.

For a coordinated look in signs, banners, collateral and cards, consult Allegra Print & Imaging Hamilton before your next trade show. We produce and deliver trade show displays and trade show marketing materials in the Golden Horseshoe area including Hamilton, Burlington, Ancaster, Flamborough, Grimsby, Waterdown and Stoney Creek. Contact us today for a quotation on your next trade show project.

It’s time to take note: having multiple touch points is the best way to make contact and remain connected to your customers. When you are looking for cost-effective ways to heighten your visibility, promote your products and services, and build brand equity, consider custom imprinted calendars.

With custom calendars, your contact information is within the fingertips of your customers all year long. With endless themes and colorful styles, you are certain to find one that enhances your brand identity, “speaks” to your audience and leaves a memorable and lasting impression.

Affordable custom calendars come in a wide variety of styles, just right for every business or industry. Consider one of the following handy formats:

• Wall – The perfect choice for home or office.
• Desk – Always be in sight with endless varieties.
• Magnetic – Your name turns up just about anywhere – and sticks.
• Planners – Be the one to keep them on track everyday.
• Desk pads – Add form to function.
• Wallet – Choose a portable and handy reminder.

IDENTIFY PROSPECTS

When your marketing budget is being stretched further than ever, it’s time to get more strategic with your dollars. For successful lead generation, target marketing delivers results. By using a focused distribution of a promotional product like a calendar, you can pinpoint a select group, and use your marketing resources in a concentrated way rather than scattered over a broad campaign.

The most important piece to any direct marketing program is the list. A “targeted” list goes a step further and needs to be more specific and focused to deliver the best return on your marketing investment.

Let’s stick with calendars as we begin to build your campaign basics. Your target marketing package can be as simple as a personalized cover letter and a custom calendar. Your industry and your target audience (health care, financial or even nonprofit, for example) will determine the images you choose for your calendar to make it a great “fit.”

If your prospecting strategy is designed for a broader reach, just tweak the concept to be a direct mail campaign to a more extensive list and include a special offer.

Let’s say you own an art supplies store. Your offer might be: “Get a FREE 2009 Modern Art Movement calendar, featuring great works of the 20th century – just for returning this brief survey.” Then wait for your surveys (and leads) to come in.

NOTE: For either strategy to work, be sure to have a solid plan in place to follow up on any and all leads.
Having your contact information handy at every turn is a surefire and easy way to bring in new business – and keep them coming back for more.

For many great ideas on how to promote your business or cause with custom calendars, see your Allegra Print & Imaging Hamilton professionals today.

Who among us hasn’t been asked to be more efficient, do more with less and make every cent count? When it comes to cutting costs, no doubt you’ve been searching every nook and cranny for opportunities to save – both time and money. Today’s technology gives you the edge for a lean, efficient print communications program.

Whatever your business, you can rest assured that new product numbers, pricing updates or personnel changes will create an “opportunity” for your printed materials to be revised. To keep your costs in check, wouldn’t it be great to always have the right amount in inventory? Buried by too many printed pieces or caught short with too few can be unsettling – not to mention, expensive. Thankfully, digital “on demand” printing has taken the guesswork out of managing your print communications.

Whether you have multiple offices or simply produce a lot of printed documents – forms, price sheets or sales literature – having a lean, efficient and cost-effective print communications program has never been simpler. With today’s technological advancements in printing, your options have evolved into simple, convenient and affordable ways to have what you need – precisely when you need it. It’s all a matter of proper print management.

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING?

Have you ever been left with an inventory of sales brochures, catalogs or direct mail promotional cards that come off the shelf only to go directly into the trash or recycle bin? Who hasn’t stocked up a little too aggressively in anticipation of a need that never materializes?

There’s no need to toss outdated documents – and your money – in the trash. With digital printing, you can produce smaller quantities of what you need, when you need it and at a fraction of the cost. Print as many or as few as you want with shorter turnaround time than traditional printing.

Having a print communications partner who can monitor your needs, track your schedule and produce the right quantities can be a huge relief. By eliminating waste, you can put your dollars to work for you exploring new avenues of marketing.

COMING UP SHORT

Who hasn’t felt a wave of panic when an unplanned mailing means an additional print run? Or, have you felt exposed when an impromptu meeting is called and you’re just a few or a few hundred copies short of presentation materials? Again, thanks to digital printing, you have the convenience of fast turnaround, making last-minute panic a distant memory. Leave print excess (and shortfalls) in the past. See the pros at Allegra Print & Imaging Hamilton for print management solutions.

At Allegra, our commitment to quality printing and unparalleled service includes respect for the environment. As an earth friendly printer, we strive to minimize waste and reduce any harmful impact to our earth by recycling toner cartridges and offcut paper, and using FSC certified stock whenever possible.

So if you are looking for marketing or advertising materials such as flyers, brochures, posters or even business cards that reflect your eco-friendly nature - look no further. Allegra Print & Imaging Hamilton will design a solution for you, while caring for the earth.

A greener, healthier future – it’s in our hands.

For the past four years Allegra Print and Imaging Hamilton has been providing  mounting and laminating services to customers in the Golden Horseshoe area. To compete in today’s marketplace we offer wide range of materials and services, but most of all, we have the knowledgeable and experienced staff ready to take the time to help you select the most suitable mounting and laminating process to meet your requirements. From business cards, library cards, photos and POP displays to posters, courtroom displays, signs, and banners, we handle it all!

Laminating provides an additional layer of protection from harmful UV rays, moisture, fading, fingerprints, scratching, dust and other external elements. It also enhances image color and clarity. Laminating options include pressure sensitive and heat sensitive laminates of varying thicknesses in either gloss, satin or matte, as well as textured and dry-erase specialty laminates. Most popular mounting media types include Fome-Core^®, Gatorboard^®, Sintra^®, Coraplast^TM, Lexan^® or MDF. We offer mounting and laminating materials up to 4 x 8 feet in size, and can also produce paneled sections to accommodate larger projects. Plaquing for posters, prints and photos on standard or custom size plaques is also available.  Contact Allegra Print & Imaging Hamilton today for a quote on your next project. We are serving clients from Hamilton, Burlington, Ancaster, Stoney Creek, Brantford, Waterdown and area from our two convenient Downtown Hamilton locations. Click here for contact information and driving directions.