Good bridal show producers take very seriously their responsibility in bringing in show traffic. However, your chances of success increase if you share in the responsibility. You also need to invite your target attendees. Existing customers, hot prospects, prospects who you have met with but not closed and leads you have not met with yet should all be on your invite list to the Las Vegas bridal shows you participate in.
When you connect with the brides before the show, the chances of getting on their list of wedding professionals to see increases. Pre-show promotion is essential. Many vendors spend time worrying about sales literature, brochures, and give-a-way items for their booth, but a better investment of your time is to do things to build traffic to your booth before you even get there.
Here are some effective ways to build up traffic to your bridal show booth by pre-show promotion:
- Mail or give out invitations or post cards supplied by Show management. Put your name and booth number on them so the bride can find you at the show.
- Create and mail your own invitation or e-mail to the brides asking them to visit your booth.
- Give your prospects a phone call or test message telling them to come see you at the show, leave a message on their voice mail with your booth #.
- Tell all your customers coming into your shop about the event and make sure your staff is also. Brides love attending bridal shows and if you are the one who invites them, they will love you for it.
- Put a message on your answering machine letting the brides know the show is coming and that you will be there.
- Facebook and Twitter that you will be at the bridal show.
- Post a link or banner on your website letting the brides know they can meet you in person at the show.
- If you have something new to brag about, do a press release and mention you will be at the upcoming bridal show.
- Blog about the upcoming show, what you will be doing there and invite them to attend. Post a link to the ticket page to make it easy for them to buy tickets.
- If the show has a coupon, or promo code share it with your brides and save them money.
- Try an interactive promotion where you mail or e-mail them part of something they have to match up at your booth for a prize opportunity or discount off your service. If you only send these to brides in your target market you are also pre-qualifying the brides before they come to your booth.