Bull's-Eye!
Trade Shows
MBS launched its major marketing campaign at the 1996 Action
Sports Retailer Trade Show and at the Snowsports Industry Trade
Show. These shows allowed MBS to build its distribution network of
specialty snowboard, surfer and skateboard retail shops. What did
the shops like about the pair? They gave them what they
wanted—products for their adrenaline—junkie
customers. Specialty shops offered another major advantage to MBS. Knowing
their target customers like to try out products before buying them,
the shops were willing to rent out the MountainBoards—and
that willingness was a huge contributor to MBS' early sales
success. Hold Your Horses Content Continues Below
Trade shows are an effective tool for introducing a product to
retailers, but they're also expensive, notes Douglas L. Ducate,
president and CEO of the Center for Exhibition Industry Research or www.gotoexhibitions.com, 312-808-2347), a nonprofit
group that offers helpful "how-to" packages for
first-time exhibitors. Even a plain exhibit costs $2,000, and that
doesn't include your travel expenses, shipping costs and
promotional materials. Often, your expenses will run $5,000 to
$10,000, which is not necessarily a bad investment, as 75 percent
of attendees typically leave a show with at least one purchase, and
85 percent either decide what to buy or will be influenced in a
purchase decision. Many inventors attend trade shows too early,
before they're ready to ship products. All that does is turn
buyers off because they're at the show intending to buy. Jason
Lee and Patrick McConnell made the right choice. They waited three
years before attending a show—with ready supply.
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