Leveraging Industry Events and Trade Shows for Maximum PR Impact

If you want to build your brand, create a network with key stakeholders and generate a great buzz for your business, industry events and trade shows are valuable platforms. Events like these gather together an audience of industry leaders, customers, competitors and the media, which offers a great opportunity to position your company in the spotlight.  They are also a great way of maximising your PR impact if you have a great combination of strategic planning, storytelling and follow-ups.

Below, we outline strategies to ensure your presence at these events drives meaningful results.

Begin with Clear Objectives

As with any kind of PR, before participating in any events, you need to make sure you know what your goals are. Whether your goal is to launch a product, attract new clients, enhance your brand awareness or position your team as thought leaders in the field, clear objectives will make sure your efforts are focused on the results you need.

For example, if we at Peppermint Soda were heading off to a marketing Expo or industry event, we would want to showcase our innovative campaigns, highlight client success stories, and network with prospective partners. We’d want to make sure all our activities matched up with these objectives and ensure our efforts had a purpose.

Pre-Event Publicity

If you are heading to an event you will want to let people know that you are going to be attending. A lot of event success starts before you even arrive, so you want to make sure you embark on some pre-event publicity to help build anticipation and drive traffic to your website before the event itself.

• Leverage Social Media: Create excitement by sharing updates, teasers, and behind-the-scenes content about your participation. Use event hashtags, tag organisers, and share your excitement to generate visibility.
• Media Outreach: Notify industry journalists and influencers about your participation, offering exclusive insights or interview opportunities. A press release highlighting what to expect from your booth, any product launches, or speaker sessions can generate coverage in advance.
• Direct Invitations: Reach out to key stakeholders, clients, and prospects with personalised invitations to visit your booth or attend your presentation.

By making an investment in pre-event outreach, you will know that the audience you gain at the event will want to be there, know it is worth their time and already know what you are offering.

Create a Memorable Stand Experience

If you are heading to a trade show and you get to have an area of the show specific to your brand, you need to maximise your PR presence by creating a visually striking and engaging stand.

You can do this by including:

• Interactive Elements: Incorporate interactive technologies like touchscreens or demos to draw attendees in and keep them engaged.
• Live Demonstrations: Showcase your offerings with live demos, case studies, or creative displays.
• Branded Giveaways: Offer high-quality, memorable branded items that attendees will take with them, ensuring your brand stays in their minds long after the event ends.

Your goal is not only to attract visitors but also to leave a long-lasting impression that people will associate with your brand.

Utilise Thought Leadership Opportunities

While you are at an event, speaking engagements, panel discussions, and workshops are really great platforms for positioning your business as an authority in the field and your people as thought leaders in the industry.

Your talks might involve presenting a case study, showing a new product or talking about industry trends. If you are taking part in any of these sessions, make sure to promote them on social media and your email marketing to ensure maximum attendance.

After the event, it’s always a good idea to share a recording of the session or key takeaways in a blog post to extend the reach of your thought leadership.

Maximise Media Opportunities on The Ground

Trade shows attract industry journalists, bloggers, and influencers, making them ideal for PR opportunities. Make sure you are prepared and consider the following:

• Press Kits: Prepare digital and physical press kits with company information, product details, key messaging, and contact details. Make it easy for journalists to write about your business.
• Media Briefings: Schedule one-on-one meetings with journalists and editors to discuss your latest offerings or insights. A quiet meeting space or a coffee at the event café can yield valuable press coverage.
• Live Updates: Share live updates from the event on social media, including key moments, product launches, or notable visitors to your stand. Consider live-streaming demonstrations or interviews to engage your broader audience.

Building relationships with the press at events not only secures immediate coverage but also lays the groundwork for long-term media collaborations.

Embrace Digital Amplification

While trade shows are overall physical and in-person experiences, digital amplification is critical for extending reach beyond the event venue.

• Content Creation: Use the event as an opportunity to create high-quality content, such as videos, interviews, or photo stories, that can be shared across social media and blogs.
• Event Hashtags: Participate actively in event-related online conversations using the official hashtags. Respond to other attendees’ posts and share your insights to position your brand as an engaged participant.
• Email Marketing: After the event, send a follow-up email to your contacts, summarising highlights and including calls to action for further engagement.

By integrating on-site activities with a digital strategy, you can multiply the PR impact of your event presence.

Network Strategically

Trade shows and events are prime opportunities for networking, but impactful connections require a strategic approach. Consider the below:

• Identify Key Targets: Use the attendee list or event app to identify the people you most want to meet, whether they’re potential clients, partners, or influencers.
• Elevator Pitch: Ensure your team has polished, concise pitches that communicate your value proposition effectively.
• Business Cards and Follow-Ups: Collect contact information and follow up promptly after the event with personalised messages referencing your conversation to keep the relationship warm.

Strong networking can lead to collaborations, partnerships, and client acquisitions that multiply the ROI of your event participation.

Post-Event PR: Turning Momentum into Results

The PR impact of an industry event doesn’t end when the event shuts its doors. Post-event activities can sustain momentum and convert leads into opportunities. Consider the following post-event activities:

• Content Recap: Publish a blog post, video, or social media carousel summarising your experience, key takeaways, and highlights from the event.
• Media Coverage: Track and share any media coverage resulting from the event, tagging relevant journalists and publications.
• Lead Nurturing: Follow up with leads and contacts you met at the event, offering value-added resources such as whitepapers, case studies, or exclusive consultations.

By continuing to engage with people that you met at the event, you ensure that their time and resources invested in you are more likely to impact long-term results.

Our final thoughts

Industry events and trade shows are amazing opportunities to showcase your brand, engage with your target audience, and generate valuable PR. The key to success lies in a lot of good planning, creative execution, and relentless follow-up. By combining traditional PR tactics with modern digital strategies, you can ensure any event participation not only meets but exceeds objectives, leaving a lasting impact on attendees and the broader industry.

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