Marketing Preparation Timeline
You want key buyers to visit your booth at IBEX. Communicating with them repeatedly and early will allow those buyers time to commit to attending, register for the show, and make appropriate travel plans.
A good rule of thumb is to mail or deploy marketing materials so that they are received by customers approximately six weeks before the show.
International mailings will take much longer, so plan accordingly.
June 2016
· Develop literature for distribution at IBEX.
· Design advertisements for trade publications.
· Run ads in appropriate trade publications; add an IBEX tag line announcing your booth number.
· Put an IBEX message on your e-mail signature.
July 2016
· Reserve ad space in the IBEX Official Show Directory, deadline is July 29, 2016.
· Create an e-mail or tweak the e-mail sample in this toolkit.
· Post IBEX web ad on company website, email newsletters, and social media pages.
· Send a letter, announcement, invitation, or pre-show promotional literature to customer and prospect lists.
· Begin adding promotional copy to newsletters and social media pages - continue to do so through October 4th.
· Run ads in appropriate trade publications.
· Begin phone calls to your top prospects.
· Contact IBEX’s PR/Media Relations Manager to discuss the new products you’ll launch at IBEX and any on-site press coverage you’d like.
· Enter the IBEX Innovation Awards – deadline is August 26, 2016.
August 2016
· Create a custom invite and download it from the marketing toolkit
· Continue sending e-mail announcements with interesting content.
· Run ads in appropriate trade publications.
· Develop a program of competitions or prize drawings for your booth.
· Innovation Awards entry deadline is August 26, 2016.
September 2016
· Send last chance invites to your customers and prospects.
· Call your prospect list and personally invite them to attend.
· Send press releases to trade publications announcing any new products or services you will be introducing at the show.
· Finalize the details for any hospitality functions you’re hosting.
· Contact IBEX’s PR/Media Relations Manager to discuss any on-site events, product demos, or other press coverage you’d like.
October 2016
· Call your top customers, prospects, and leads you received at the show.