How to Introduce Your Invention at a Trade Show

After countless months of research and development, are you finally ready to show your invention to the world? Why not schedule its grand debut for an upcoming trade show? Trade shows bring together thousands of wholesale distributors, retail buyers, and potential customers who may be interested in learning more about your invention and eventually doing business. But, to achieve the outcome you desire, you have to nail your first impression. Here are tips for introducing your invention at a trade show:

{Don Debelak’s new book, Turning Your Invention into Cash is now available on Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Your-Invention-into-Cash-ebook/dp/B07N8JSQJW   for $3.49. From the author of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Bringing Your Product to Market.}

Train your team.

Everyone who is working your trade show booth with you should be adequately trained on your invention’s features, benefits, and price. There should be enough people working your booth to attend to every guest who walks by and asks a question or lingers around to look at your product. Team members should immediately engage with guests who stop by and introduce them to the invention before they brush you off and walk away. You may not have anyone else working for you—especially if this is your first invention—so just grab a few friends and ask if they can help you for the afternoon.

Host a live demo.

If your invention is unlike anything on the market, it’s best to do a product demo once for guests who stop by your booth. This is also important if your product is similar to something else on the market, but has key advantages over the competitors. Letting guests look at the product without explaining what it does or how it is different from competitors is not an effective way to get picked up by retailers or drum up interest in your brand.

Preplan.

If you’re worried your booth will go unnoticed next to big name brands at the trade show, spend time reaching out to the media and industry influencers prior to the event. Send along your personal contact information as well as a press kit and invite them to stop by your booth for a personal demonstration of the product. The press kit should include product shots, a press release announcing the launch of your invention, and advertising brochures. Hopefully, this will pique the influencers’ and media members’ interest prior to the event so they pencil a stop by your booth into their busy schedule.

Provide background information.

Because trade show attendees will be completely unfamiliar with your brand and new invention, try to get them to connect with you by providing them with background information. How did you come up with the idea for the invention? What unique problem does it solve? How is it made? Answer these questions for your audience by setting up iPads with informational videos in your booth or handing out pamphlets. The more guests learn about your brand, the more engaged they will be.

Finally introducing your invention to the world can be nerve wracking, especially if you choose to do it at a trade show surrounded by your peers and potential customers. But, keep these tips handy and your first trade show will go off without a hitch.