5 Things I have Learned from Trade Shows | Chilliwack Newborn Baby Photographer

As every good pro knows, running a Photography Business is way more than just taking beautiful pictures. In fact, taking pictures is actually a very small part of what we do. A LOT more of our time is spent on far more mundane duties like marketing.

Well, one way of marketing your business is at trade shows. I have both worked and shot at many trade shows... in fact, last month I was shooting at 2 shows in Vancouver, a week ago I was an exhibitor at the popular Fraser Valley Women's Expo and last weekend I was official shooter for the BC Boat & Sportsmen's Show!!

Here are a few things I have learned over the years and even last week (yes, the learning never stops!)...

1. Pick the show based on audience.
Just booking any and every show you see is probably a waste of money. You need to remember who your target market is, and whether they would be attending these. If your target audience isn't likely to be there (or only be there in small numbers), it probably isn't the show for you.

2. Think carefully about the whole look of the booth.
This is particularly important if your business is supposed to a creative one! Your booth should grab the attention of people passing by, and should reflect your brand. If your photography is bright and colourful, your booth should be bright and colourful. If your photography is simple and classy, then so should your booth be. Oh yes... and for displaying prints at a show, bigger is better... oh, and glass gives off too much glare under most events' lighting!

3. Know your budget - can you afford this show?
Some events, like smaller community markets, are quite affordable to get into, so they are lower risk - less of a decision as to whether or not you should do them. However, the larger weekend trade shows can be expensive - anywhere from $400-$1200+ - and that is BEFORE you have even put anything into the space! Before you decide to do a show, remember to add the cost of setting up your booth (carpet, table, display prints, furniture, handouts, draw forms, pens, booth or door prize, candy to hand out etc) onto the booth rental fee, to work out what the total cost will be....then work out how may bookings you need to get, to at least cover that cost.

4. You don't have to spend a fortune!
Yes, you want your booth to look great, but you can find plenty of ways to do that AND save some money.
For example...

• when looking for a carpet for my last booth, I set a $50 budget. The best area rug option at any local store was too short and still cost over $80! I drove around and got exactly what I wanted, and on budget, by going into a regular carpet store and asking the owner if they had any end-of-roll cuts they wanted to get rid of. 
• to display my largest prints, I saved the $200+ for 2 display easels by just using a light stand from my studio, with a sandbag and make-shift prop to keep the print steady! 

Shop around and be resourceful!

5. Think about how to get the most out of your time there.
Just sitting at a booth, waiting for people to talk to you, is not the best use of your time there. You want to at least make back your investment, so you need to attract as many people as you can to your booth and to your business!

• People attending these shows are often looking for a "show bonus", so you can offer a special deal or bonus gift if they book from the show. 
• To get info for later, the best and most-commonly-used idea is a simple prize draw! Pick a great (but budget-friendly) prize, add some draw forms and a box, and you have a great lead generator. 
• Some photographers also like to add a photo booth. A great idea, but bear in mind that you may need extra staff for this one - you'd hate to be busy shooting some folks while others wanted to ask info about booking a bigger session later.
• Don't forget about the other vendors! If you can get someone to cover your booth for an hour, walk around the show and do some networking.

Trade shows are a lot of work... a lot of hours... but they are GREAT fun and you meet some wonderful and fascinating people. I think I will leave you with one more extra bonus tip, before I sign off, but it is probably the best piece of advice I could give anyone going to a trade show... and that is wear comfortable shoes!!