Bridal Show Pictures

2009-04-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

Other Tools Available Include

2009-03-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

In order to assist you in making an informed decision, please consider utilizing some of the following tools:

An Application for Booth Reservation
A Guest Pass for you to redeem at the registration desk of our next event: This is a great option for those of you who have not yet been to a Bridal Event and would like to get ideas on how to prepare for this type of investment. A guest pass will allow you to attend one of our events as a potential vendor at NO CHARGE!
Pictures of Booth Set Up: Another great option for those of you who are looking for ideas on how you could set up your display.
Payment Plan Options: In certain businesses cash flow is slow at certain times of the year making it difficult to pay large chunks of money at any given time. We will work on you to create a payment plan that makes this investment much easier on the check book.
A contact list of vendors who have experience with many local Bridal Events: Sometimes it helps to get feedback from other exhibitors in your industry that have found success with this type of investment.

Please contact me at 602-292-3823 and I will be happy to send you any of the above tools for free!

Maximizing Your Bridal Show Investment

2009-03-05T12:54:00.000-08:00

STEP 1: CHOOSE THE RIGHT BRIDAL SHOW COMPANY TO WORK WITH

-Find out how much experience each of the companies in your area has in trade show promotion.

-Find out the specifics on what types of advertising is in place to promote the event. It's important to get the details on how much exposure the event will get. (If you don't have experience in media purchasing enlist the help of someone who does to analyze the show promoters marketing plan).

-What will attract brides to this event? (fashion shows, prizes, contests etc)

-What comes with your booth package? Are you going to have to pay extra for the basics? You should automatically be listed in the event's program schedule and on the event website as part of your investment. Make sure that you will receive a list of the brides that register at the event. You can best use this tool if it's emailed to you electronically in a spreadsheet with plenty of information that you can manipulate to best suit your purposes. Your list should include wedding dates, email addresses, mailing addresses, phone numbers and a list of services the bride is looking for.

-Will there be category limitations to ensure that everyone has a fair opportunity to book business. The number should be relative to the percentage of brides that allocate money to that particular category. Example: 10 Photographers and 2 Event planners because more brides allocate money to photographers then to event planners.

STEP 2: TAKE THE TIME TO PROPERLY PREPARE FOR SUCCESS

-Set your target number: Do you need to talk to 10 brides or 100 brides in order to get a return on investment? You'll answer that question by figuring out your AVERAGE TICKET SALE (The amount of money that your AVERAGE bride spends) and you’re CLOSING RATIO (if you feel like 3 out of 10 brides will enlist your services, then your closing ratio is 30%). If your goal is to create $2,000 in income from the show, and your average ticket sale is worth $200.00 to you then you will need to book 10 weddings to reach your goal. If your closing ratio is 30% then your goal is to book 35 consultations. Having that magic number will help you in determining how aggressive you need to be in order to make this a worth-while venture for you.

-If time and budget permits, you should have a 10x3 vinyl sign with grommet wholes at the top. You should be able to get a decent for about $200.00.

-Consider upgrading your booth to a corner for maximum exposure. This is more important if your business has a lot of product to display or if you will have a lot of activity in your booth such as serving food or offering spa services in your booth. It’s also worth it to upgrade if it’s a busier show with lots of foot traffic.

-Be aware of exactly how much space you will have at the event and tape out the dimensions on your living room floor ahead of time to ensure that there are no unexpected space issues on the day of the event.

-Table placement-I usually recommend that you place your table to the side or back for your booth and stand in front of it so that you are not creating a division between yourself and potential customers. At a busy show it's also beneficial to create a place inside your booth where brides can stand out of the way of traffic to talk with you comfortably.

-If you want to bring chairs to offer a seat to a bride, that's one thing, but please don't sit down in your booth. This is your chance to connect with potential customers, you have to stand up and make eye contact to make them believe that you are someone they can trust to take care of them on the most important day of their lives!

- When enlisting help on the day of the show it's important to recruit motivated and passionate people to help you engage the brides. If there is any lazy or negative energy in your booth, no one will be drawn to you and you won’t even have an opportunity to tell them about your products or services.

- Have signup sheets and or prizes to attract more people and generate more leads.

STEP 3: FOLLOW UP IN A TIMELY AND EFFECTIVE MANNER

-Plan a party or event at your business a few weeks after the bridal show. This way when you follow up with the brides from the show you have a reason to call and generate interest.

-Prioritize your list. For example if you are a "higher end" photographer, sort your list by brides that need a photographer and live in high income areas such as Granite Bay or Folsom. This way you can target the brides that are most likely to book with you.

-Use multiple forms of communication: Pick up the phone if they are a good prospect and send out email blasts and mailers to everyone. The more ways they hear from you the better.

- Follow up several times before the wedding: Just because they don't return your call or email once doesn't mean they aren't interested, it could just mean they weren't ready yet. Contact them several times in a tactful non-evasive manner.

I hope that this information will help you to get the most BANG FOR YOUR BUCK at the next Bridal Show that you invest with. In the mean time, if you have any questions please feel free to contact me directly.

Sincerely,
Rachel Gularte
602-292-3823

Bridal Shows and More

Bridal Show Pictures

Other Tools Available Include

Maximizing Your Bridal Show Investment