During the past year, I have attended several trade shows and markets at the Denver Merchandise Mart. Those experiences have resulted in the following observations. Trade shows let people know who you are and what you do. A lively trade show exhibit can quickly build excitement about your product or service.
Trade shows allow small companies to look bigger and give the appearance of doing more business.
A strong presence at trade shows opens doors to contacts. That presence also allows for checking out the competition by visiting their exhibits. Manufacturers usually attend trade shows, looking for new distributors. According to Tradeshow Week's Databook, trade shows are the second-most popular form of marketing. The rankings of how marketing dollars are spent may surprise you.