Industry Trade Events: Worth the Investment?

June 1, 2011 by Frank Peditto

While it seems as though our business in the relocation and moving industry is certainly coming back in 2011, there are still many questions regarding the economy, housing market and unemployment, leaving many small business owners, such as myself, with a lingering reticence on spending. Of course, everyone knows that you have to spend money to make money, but, as a small business, the ongoing challenge is where to make those investments. There are so many marketing options available today: online/web, social, print, and trade events to name just a few, and each have sub-elements as well.

While online, web and social have measurable returns or at least quantifiable ones, I have always questioned the value of trade shows, especially over the past five years. My past experience with trade shows has been that you ‘have to be there’ because if you’re not, your industry often thinks you are out of business, and that most are filled with competitors and not real business opportunities. With that said, being a non-asset based management company, I also understand the value of our partnerships, so this past month we packed up and headed for the American Moving and Storage (AMSA) in Jacksonville, FL. With a new booth, some great giveaways and an open mind, we set up shop and began to network with the 680 other industry professionals in attendance. The sessions were informative and we did so much networking. I was amazed at how many people came over to visit, say ‘Hi’, gather information and see what ReloTrans is all about. I was even more surprised at how many peers had seen our social media efforts on Twitter and Facebook, and our blogs re-packaged on industry LinkedIn groups. I left that show with a fresh perspective and a clearer understanding that, with marketing, you can’t do just one thing or even a few, that everything needs to work together.