What is the purpose of a business expo, you may ask, and why should my business have a presence there? A business expo provides an excellent networking opportunity, along with learning opportunities. Expos generate new contacts, sales leads and give an overview of others doing business in the area. You'll meet new clients, business people; you may even find a coach or non-competing business owner you can learn from. 

Expos attract two kinds of participants. The first kind of participant is a company. A company is there to market and generate sales leads for services and products. The other type of participant is the attendee, looking at the services and products on offer.  

1. Besides the fact that expos are entertaining and can attract many visitors, most companies understand an exhibition to be an excellent opportunity to shape the brand profile and display their best image to the public. An expo is a centralized, efficient, visual, and vibrant marketing and communication strategy.

2. Through the exhibition, you can find the channels and connect to the right people to develop your business. If your product or service is operating in a saturated market,  a company can use the exhibition to improve its image and promote the product/service's popularity and market competitiveness. 

3. Your brand can establish visual and direct communication with a real audience. The customers, distributors, or other companies appreciate face-to-face contact that is not static. 

4. Your company may not be in certain regions for cost and scalability reasons, missing out on your products and services' market potential. Business expos use the economy of scale principle to build large public events that connect your company with more customers. Your presence at the expo is a marketing opportunity to connect and gather referrals with the right customers about service and products. 

5. During an exhibition, the day is an opportunity to share and gather information with your expo peers, examine the consumers and demographic activity of that area. There is potential to meet suitable agents and distributors as well as establish trade cooperation with others. 

6. Importantly regroup with your team and review your expo experience. Assess the effectiveness of your pre-event marketing and the lead capturing during the expo. Develop goals and deadlines to follow up those expo leads.  The progress comes from developing on lasts years' experience and making brand improvements in the future. Expos often stimulate the development of new ideas and highlight market opportunities.

The ultimate goal for any of us is to increase our sales and brand awareness. Your company can measure your return on investment at the expo. Imagine how many cold calls you would have to make in a day to connect with the same number of connections you meet at an expo. You have more chance of generating solid sales leads at an expo than not.  Be there, be part of it.