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SPRING 2022

Distributor's Link Magazine Spring 2022 / Vol 45 No 2

122 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S

122 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK IFE THE BENEFITS OF EVENTS: WHY TRADE SHOWS ARE CRITICAL TO CONNECTION from page 46 Trade shows also allow for access to better customer insights. Real-time customer feedback is a unique opportunity at trade shows. As booth staff listen to customers’ challenges, they can learn how to adapt the business and its products or services to meet their needs. In the case of a new product launch, expo attendees can help provide immediate feedback about features they love. The direct interactions trade shows offer can give valuable insights that help your business improve their products and services. Trade shows allow for great lead generation potential and a chance to boost brand visibility to targeted customers. Trade show attendees are eager to source immediate solutions to their business needs, so focus on building your brand among these qualified prospects. Your booth should stand out, or prospects may quickly leave and head to the next booth. Your booth’s presentation should make an initial connection with prospective customers. As an exhibitor, consulting with experts before attending an expo can help you maximize the benefits of having a booth. Seeking advice from someone on the International Fastener Expo team can help you optimize your booth’s performance on the show floor. If you’re looking to target fresh leads, consider promoting QR codes linking to social media accounts or online lead generation pages or offer exclusive incentives on the show floor to those who submit contact information or sign a contract on the show floor. One of the ways to build better customer relationships at a trade show is by educating your customers. Informative content has proven to be a valuable marketing strategy that helps build authority and credibility. As many of you may be aware, that’s been a critical component of my work in the industry as informative and also entertaining content provides customers with a way to engage your company that doesn’t necessarily result in sales right away but can certainly impact the inter- and intra-personal organizational health of your business. Attendees will get more value from your company if you use the same educational approach coupled with your expo promotional materials. One of the ways trade shows can help in building connections is by offering customer education using face-to-face connection, panel discussions or seminars held at your booth. Providing attendees with a learning experience shows that your company is one of the authorities on specific topics in the industry. This is a critical way for some companies to establish themselves or develop themselves within certain niches and for others to expand upon product lines, plant the seeds for the development of novel products, and to keep tabs on industry trends as such events occur. Having been the business development manager for a relatively smaller, yet very effective (unbiased opinion, of course…) metric importer prior to joining IFE (the day before the 21’ show, by the way…), I saw firsthand how a niche became a critical staple for an industry as events necessitated new supply lines for many U.S. supply chains. This is also why an event like IFE, which brings together more fastener manufacturers, distributors and suppliers, along with leading industry partners, in one place and time anywhere in North America is a critical component of the fastener industry and why I argue that 2022 particularly is the year for some companies to return, some to debut and others to invest and capitalize on the shifting market conditions not just to hit this year’s numbers, but to establish themselves as the leaders in their respective roles with positive value for bottom lines for many years to come! CONTINUED ON PAGE 123

THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 123 IFE THE BENEFITS OF EVENTS: WHY TRADE SHOWS ARE CRITICAL TO CONNECTION from page 122 A successful trade show exhibit is not just about how many deals you close in the booth. Even if you don’t get a contract signed immediately, the customer relationships developed can help build brand awareness. You can expand your client base a short amount of time by developing other marketing campaigns specifically around customers you met at a trade show. International Fastener Expo, North America’s most extensive business-to-business tradeshow for all types of fasteners, machinery & tooling and other industrial products, provides a unique opportunity to connect with new and potential customers, peers and industry leaders. International Fastener Expo 2022 will build on the momentum and excitement of the 2021, with special events and networking opportunities, expanded conference content and more. Exhibitors who have already signed on include Brighton-Best International, Infasco, Lindfast Group, B&D Cold Headed Products, G.L. Huyett, Star Stainless Screw Co. and more. Brand New exhibitors for 2022 include Star Metal Products and Pacific Bolt Manufacturing Ltd. Returning to the show floor after exhibiting for the first time in 2021 are American Scale Co. Inc. and SmartCert® by Aramid. And we are excited about our new exhibitors as well, so be sure to check out my LinkedIn as I share messages to welcome our fastener friends to the party! Also, be sure to follow IFE on our social pages as we share updates on the event in October, relevant industry research and content, and other useful information. Want to know more about International Fastener Expo or a first-time exhibitor? We’d love to discuss in detail how we can set you up for success at this year’s event and explore the benefits of exhibiting and meeting with your customers face-to-face at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. Don’t hesitate to contact a team member for more information. I can’t wait to see everyone in October. With exhibitor registration strong and many market indicators looking good, we expect a great show for 2022! INTERNATIONAL FASTENER EXPO

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