1. 10Tips brought to you by www.tigercomm.us forMaximizing TradeShowROI

2. MATCH YOUR AUDIENCE TO YOUR BUSINESS GOALS Venture Capitalists Finance Investment Banking Target Audience TargetTrade Show If the goal is to raise venture capital, target finance and investment conferences. If you are trying to highlight your technologys proof of concept, a show that is targeted towards engineers might be most appropriate. Solar Industry Leaders 1. 3. If youre focused on a particular regional market, conferences in that area are easier for your potential customers to attend. Likewise, leverage your own local assets. LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION 2. Venture Capitalists Solar Industry Leaders 4. Show off products Showcase brand Highlight leadership Interact with customers There are numerous ways in which companies can participate in conferences and trade shows. Depending on your budget and the importance of the show, any combination will do. Booth, SPonsor Speak or ATTEND3. 5. Identify the top five or ten companies and people you want to talk to. Then make sure to do your research so you can talk to them knowledgeably about how your value proposition applies specifically to them. TARGET YOUR POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS4. 6. 10:00 AM Speaker, Room 1 11:00 AM Supervise Booth 12:00 PM Lunch with Team 1:00 PM Meet with NYT 2:00 PM Roaming Floor 3:00 PM Meet with Reuters If you have a booth, make sure everyone knows who is working the booth, roaming the floor or in meetings - and when. BE CLEAR ABOUT SCHEDULES5. 7. Reach out to the conference organizers ahead of time to ask for the press list. Also reach out to key industry reporters to ask if theyre planning to go. BUILD AND STRENGTHEN REPORTER RELATIONSHIPS6. 8. Many conferences use social media platforms to keep attendees updated or provide special notification for their followers. Use those platforms to interact with your customers and reporters. PLUG INTO SOCIAL MEDIA7. 9. Bring comfortable shoes, lots of business cards, snacks and water. If you can, have an extra shirt or tie available in case someone from the booth with the espresso machine spills coffee on you. BRING A FULLY STOCKED CONFERENCE SURVIVAL KIT8. 10. MAKE TIME TO EAT9. Avoid the junk food thats around. As tempting as the candy dishes and cookies can be, youll be more on your game for that important customer meeting or reporter interview if youre fueled up the right way. 11. Often, the more relaxed setting enables better connections. And, after a long day of getting the most out of your conference investment, you deserve a free beer or glass of wine. SCOPE OUT THE GOOD PARTIES10. 12. Tigercomm is a full-service public relations firm that specializes in tailoring strategies and media channel selection to meet each client's needs. The firm's three core competencies of attention generation, marketing and communications are specifically targeted to help cleantech players increase sales, build brands and secure the fair policies that build markets. The author, Brian Mahar, is a Senior Vice President at Tigercomm, where he develops and executes strategic communications and marketing plans for clean economy businesses and organizations. For more information, please contact him at bmahar@tigercomm.us. www.tigercomm.us