Trade shows are a great way to help your business gain exposure, to network with other businesses, and to gain new customers. Unfortunately, many businesses have difficulty finding trade shows in their area where they can show off what their company has to offer. Since many businesses do the bulk of their business from their local geographic area, tapping into this market is imperative for the success of the business.
Finding a Local Trade Show Online
One of the best ways to find trade shows in your area is to look online. The Internet is an excellent resource for finding local tradeshows, with many websites being dedicated solely to listing when trade shows will be visiting certain areas.
There are several different websites that can be used to help you find out more information about local tradeshows. Some of these sites include:
• AllConferences.com
• BizTradeShows.com
• EventsEye.com
• Exhibitions.co.uk
• ExpoDatabase.com
• ExpoFairs.com
• ExpoGuide.com
• GlobalSources.com
• JupiterEvents.com
• MyTradeFairs.com
• Tradeshow.alibaba.com
• TradeShowPlaza.com
• TradeShowWeek.com
• TSNN.com
• WhatsShowing.on.ca
Since tradeshows take place around the world and since there are so many different businesses that benefit from the use of tradeshows, there are literally thousands of tradeshow listings within these sites. Therefore, it is beneficial to visit each of these sites and determine which ones are aligned most closely with your business.
The Trade Show News Network, which is found at www.tssnn.com, is a particularly good site to use when looking for local tradeshows. Here, you can find nearly any type of tradeshow by looking through the extensive database that covers both United States and Canada tradeshows.
Expanding Your Geographic Circle
Keep in mind when you are researching tradeshows in your area that you will need to give yourself a wide range of geographic options. Restricting yourself to just the town or city in which your business is located may not be big enough. In addition, if you live near to a major metropolitan area, you will want to look into trade shows in these areas as well. Since these trade shows will likely draw in a large number of visitors, you certainly don’t want to pass up this opportunity.
Going Straight to the Source
In addition to performing searches on the Internet, you can also find out more about tradeshows in your area by contacting trade associations related to professional organizations within your field. By contacting relevant trade associations, you can obtain lists of locations, events, and dates that you can choose from.
Another option is to get in contact with your local chamber of commerce. Your convention and visitor’s bureaus should also be able to give you more information about upcoming events in your area, including tradeshows.
Reading publications related to your field can also be helpful. In fact, most industry-specific publications will provide full year calendars as well as regular updates about upcoming events.
Finding local tradeshows really is not a difficult task. With the help of online publications, local offices, and paper publications such as magazines and newspapers, staying on top of the local tradeshow scene could never be easier.