Maximize your investment: Have you asked for a list of media registered to attend the event, which is often made available to exhibitors? We help our clients schedule interviews and background briefings at trade shows; these briefings are an important part of the relationship building process with key editors, reporters and analysts. We also support any announcements being released prior to or during a show, the development of media kits, and as Kelly has described, execution of trade show social media strategies. Remember that your competitors will also be racing to make noise with their news during the show, so take the time to craft a communications strategy that will rise above this chatter to deliver the greatest impact for your organization.

We recently wrapped up HIMSS, the major health care IT conference of the year hosted by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, with one of our clients. Check out this video from ABC News Channel 8 in D.C. as Dr. Val Jones, their health correspondent and founder of GetBetter Health.com, reports on what she considers some of the key developments that can impact consumers to come out of the show. Listen for her mention of our client RadarFind and Teletracking and their sensor -network tracking system. This coverage was the result of an interview we secured during the show, and the story lives on long after the exhibits have been packed away.

What have you found to be the greatest communications challenges related to trade shows, or your greatest successes? We would love to hear your thoughts.