Trade shows provide the best face-to-face marketing effort but shifts in economics and demographics are important to note.

MORE SHOWS
Globalization has opened the doors to new and expanded shows around the world. The greatest increases are in China, India and other parts of the Asian marketplace.

MORE COMPETITION
Time is short and trade shows face competition from corporate events, from golf events as association fund-raisers or just networking to anything else in the corporate incentive and consumer experiential marketing kit.

MORE CONSOLIDATION
Show organizers and owners are aging or changing focus. From major owners to small shows, show management firms are selling to larger firms or specialist organizers.

MORE OUTSOURCING
When owners and organizers realize they cant keep up with new technology, rapidly growing markets, or shifts in association demographics or industry economics, they increasingly look for outside experts to handle all or part of the trade show job.

MORE OPTIONS
Companies may opt to decrease space at big shows and spread the dollars among smaller regional or local shows, utilizing dealer, agent and representative networks to spread the word about the company

MORE EMPHASIS ON MARKETING
Thanks to technology, there are more outlets for marketing e-mail, blogs, iPods and RFID follow-through plus retro (but much appreciated) hand-written invitations. Smart exhibitors know their markets and how to reach them.

Julia O'Connor

In one way or another, Julia has always been in sales. From the time her mortified mother found out that, as an enterprising 5-year-old, she was peddling homemade pot holders to the neighbors, to her current expertise in trade show marketing, she has been interested in results. And in order to get the results she wants, she will guide, train and teach.

Her careers range from public and professional education design, to freelance advertising-public relations, to real estate investment portfolio management.

Since 1982, Julia has been working with clients in trade show marketing. And, when she asked clients, "why are you going to that show?", she found most did not know. Time to teach.

After years of informal instruction, Trade Show Training was incorporated to provide structured training ranging from trade show basics to the ergonomics of exhibit design. She designed Camp Sho-M-Sel-M to improve sales staff performance in the trade show environment.

She holds degrees from The University of Georgia in Advertising, an MA in Mass Communications from The University of Iowa, and an Indiana University MBA in Marketing. She is a frequent speaker on marketing, networking, entrepreneurship and trade shows.