Initial Trade Show Numbers are Way Down!

The initial burst of frenetic activity in 2009 has now finally given way to action after so much preparation and we are off to San Diego for our first event of the year. After Christmas and New Year holidays coupled with the general high energy levels required to kick start the new year I am looking forward to getting away from the base and enjoying the trade show event.

For me this is one of the high points of the year because it really starts the marketing season as far as my own diary is concerned and selling feels like it has started for real.  The trade press is full of stories of this company going under or that company gone into Chapter 11 bankruptcy and I note that this applies equally abroad as at home but I am sticking to what has worked in the past and I have no doubt will work in the future and more importantly, right now – increasing my efforts in times of recession puts us into a far better position when recession ends and the recovery arrives.

In the interim, I am enjoying the fruits of recession – our pre-event marketing and communications have already generated several good inquiries and sales meetings to take place at the event next week including a major prospect who a competitor has been supplying for the last five years or so; now they are looking at us and guess why – our competition is doing the same old thing everyone else is doing and cutting back to save cost and leaving their customers high and dry for me.

Recessions are great if you are prepared to go the extra mile and increase your effort levels because everyone else is leaving the playing field precisely because they think that they are saving money – they are not – what they are doing is cutting back on profits!

Trade show numbers may be way down in terms of exhibitors and trade show displays,  but attendees do not have the same obstacles to overcome if they wish to attend – it’s as simple as this – the zebras are still flocking around but there are not so many lions hunting them.