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PR · Trade shows

Trade show marketing for manufacturers: before, at and after the booth

Trade show marketing for manufacturers is mostly what happens around the booth. A conversation at the show is a start. We build the pages that turn it into an RFQ: an event page before the show, a booth page people scan at it, and follow-up that points each visitor at the capability they asked about. It's part of our industrial PR.

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SHT 407, Released for Distribution: a new capability page filed in a drawer, then releasedTwo-panel engineering drawing, illustration with an invented coatings shop. Left panel, REV A as said: Thursday at 2:00 PM the shop's new HVOF thermal spray page, drawn as a wireframe with the spray booth, the coatings, parts and thickness it holds, lies in an open flat-file drawer marked filed. Its approval box is blank and its distribution reads none. The customer's buyer still files the shop under paint and powder with HVOF not on file, the distribution list of customers, suppliers, alumni and association peers is faint and not sent, and the next wear-coating job goes to a shop the buyer already knew. Right panel, REV F released: the same page carries a gold RELEASED stamp, the owner's signature in the approval box and a distribution stamp reading customers, suppliers, alumni, association peers. Beside it the owner's post shows a photo of the masking fixture, one sentence on why an even coat inside a bore is hard, and the link. A quality manager at a current customer comments; on Friday her buyer sees it and the page is forwarded to the engineer with the wear job.coatshop.test/hvof-thermal-sprayHVOF thermal sprayCOATINGSPARTSTHICKNESS665544332211DDCCBBAAREV A · AS SAIDTHU 2:00 PMREV F · RELEASEDTHU 2:00 PM, THEN FRIcoatshop.test/hvof-thermal-sprayHVOF thermal sprayCOATINGSPARTSTHICKNESSAPPROVED(BLANK)DISTRIBUTIONNONEDRAWER 3FILEDBUYER'S SUPPLIER FILESHOPCOATINGS SHOPFILED UNDERPAINT, POWDERHVOFNOT ON FILEUPDATED BEFORE THE BOOTHDISTRIBUTION LISTNOT SENTCUSTOMERSSUPPLIERSALUMNIASSOCIATION PEERSNEXT WEAR-COATING JOB GOES TO A SHOP THE BUYER ALREADY KNEWcoatshop.test/hvof-thermal-sprayHVOF thermal sprayCOATINGSPARTSTHICKNESSAPPROVEDOWNERRELEASEDTHU 2:00 PMRELEASEDDISTRIBUTIONCUSTOMERS · SUPPLIERS ·ALUMNI · ASSOCIATION PEERSTHE OWNERCOATINGS SHOP · THU 2:05 PMPHOTO · MASKING FIXTUREAn even coat inside a bore is thehard part. This fixture holds it.coatshop.test/hvof-thermal-sprayQUALITY MANAGER, CUSTOMER: COMMENTEDFRI · HER BUYER SEES ITON THE QUALITY MANAGER'S COMMENTPAGE FORWARDEDTO THE ENGINEER WITH THE WEAR JOBILLUSTRATION · NO REACH PROMISEDThursday, 2:00 PM: the new page goes live. Nobody is told.One photo, one sentence, one link, in the owner's voice.INDUSTRIAL MARKETINGAS BUILT · SHEET CARDTITLEReleased for DistributionSHEET407REVA · FDRAWN FORSOCIAL MEDIANOTEILLUSTRATION

Released for Distribution

Why the booth needs pages

Most booth conversations end with a card and a promise to send something. By the time the follow-up goes out, the visitor has walked the whole floor and can't remember which booth had the part they picked up.

The follow-up that works links straight to the page for what they asked about: the alloy, the envelope, the cleanroom class, the connector series. A brochure PDF asks them to find it themselves. A page named for their question answers it, and has a way to send a drawing on it.

Before, at and after

Four pieces of work around one show.

  1. OP 10

    Before

    An event page with the booth number, what you'll show and who'll be there. Invites to customers and target accounts a few weeks out, each linking to the event page.

  2. OP 20

    At the booth: a QR page

    One scan opens a short page for the show: the parts on the table, each linked to its capability page, and a way to send a drawing.

  3. OP 30

    Follow-up

    Your team's booth notes become emails that link the page for what each visitor asked about, sent the week after the show.

  4. OP 40

    After

    SiteSonar shows which companies read the show pages in the weeks that follow, always on. Visits from phones on mobile networks often can't be named.

Same booth, different shows

Made-up companies and generic show names, to show the idea.

  • Fabrication show

    A fabricator brings a weldment. The QR page links the welding certifications and the large-part envelope.

  • Defense show

    A machine shop's QR page leads with AS9100, ITAR registration and the CAGE code. No controlled parts in photos.

  • Medical device expo

    A contract manufacturer's page shows the cleanroom and the validation process.

  • Connector and electronics show

    A connector maker's QR page links each custom contact on the table to its spec page.

  • Distributor open house

    A distributor's QR page links each product line on the counter to its stock and branch page.

Questions about trade show marketing for manufacturers

Do you staff or build the booth?

We build the pages and the follow-up around the booth. The stand, the shipping and the staffing stay with you and your exhibit house.

What about badge scans?

Your team's scans and notes drive the follow-up. SiteSonar is separate: it names companies that read your site.

Can SiteSonar tell us who scanned the QR code?

No. It names companies. Scans at the booth usually come from phones on mobile networks, which often can't be named at all. It's more useful in the weeks after, when visitors read the show pages from their office networks.

How early should we start?

Early enough to have the event page live before the invites go out. We set the dates with you once the show is booked.

Next show on the calendar?

Tell us which one and what you're bringing. We'll plan the pages around it.

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