Staying Power: Trade Show Collateral That Sticks

The decision-maker is packing her bag in the hotel room after a busy week at the big science trade show. Space in her suitcase is limited. Does your…

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The decision-maker is packing her bag in the hotel room after a busy week at the big science trade show. Space in her suitcase is limited. Does your company’s marketing collateral earn a valuable spot in her bag?

The answer depends largely on the quality of the collateral — its content, appearance, and feel. If the piece seems disposable and doesn’t contain any content that’s valuable or unique, it will probably have a brief life span. To avoid this fate and ensure that people who stopped by your booth keep a token, and can then remember and follow up upon your company’s offerings, follow these guidelines:

Create a premium product.Arrow-Right-256 There’s a lot to be said for the power of perception. Documents that have staying power look and feel significant, and they provide a positive view of your company. You don’t need fancy language – in fact the opposite is true. Science-focused collateral usually requires a lot of technical jargon; strive to make the language you use as clear and simple as possible. Unleash innovative designs, unique formatting, and a premium finish. Think outside the box with shapes and textures, and have a hook that engages the audience by offering information they’ll want to reference again — like hard-to-find industry statistics, perhaps. Also, make sure your collateral is useful. For example, provide an attractive space for taking notes on continuing education courses or storing business cards. Once in the attendee’s hands, documents that don’t tear or easily rip, and offer future value, are much more likely to be conserved.

Arrow-Right-256Be selective. If you walk into a Lamborghini dealership wearing beat-up flip-flops, expect a few screening questions before you take a test drive. Likewise, the car dealer doesn’t leave the keys in the ignition so anyone walking by can take it for a ride. This example is a bit extreme, but the same principle applies to distributing trade show collateral. Having designed a high-quality product, you should deliver it with purpose. A good rule of thumb is to instruct your staff not to hand out premium collateral in the first five minutes of engagement. If the person stays and seems genuine, have a deluxe package to present. This communicates that your collateral is important and something the customer should hold on to. Restricting access also reduces the quantity you will need to produce, which can offset the cost of quality printing and save on shipping.

Arrow-Right-256Diversify your content. Sometimes, the best potential customers have a presentation or poster session to catch, and won’t have time to stop and engage with your staff directly. For this reason you need to be your own wingman, referring attendees to your booth and website with small reminders throughout the show. A great way to do this is through the trades show dailies, delivered into the hands of your customers every morning. They are not the place for inaccessible science jargon and details; instead submit a teaser ad or a removable tip-in for getting more information. Keep the messaging simple, professional, and on point. Finally, have a directive: “Ask for Craig at the booth” or “Request a complementary white paper from our website.” Other ways to diversify and catch a larger audience include electronic catalogues and brochures. Getting a business card or an email address might be all you need to control your own customer follow-up (you can even make it an entry requirement for a booth competition) as long as you make it timely and stay top-of-mind.

Arrow-Right-256Keep branding consistent, on strategy. As with all trade show marketing, the look and messaging of your collateral should be current and consistent with your company brand. This entails far more than matching up the logo and color palette; your messaging also needs to be on point. Before you start designing, narrow down precise goals for the trade show. What products do you want to highlight? Who comprises your ideal customer base? What are attendees really looking for at the show? The answers to these questions will help you develop messaging that speaks directly to the problem you’re solving for customers, and subsequently direct your materials into the right hands.

Arrow-Right-256Connect creative and sales. Creative staffers are experts at designing collateral, but they are rarely present on the trade show floor. Communication between the design and sales teams helps to improve your collateral year after year. Kick off your event with a creative briefing for marketers and sales teams alike. Make sure the ideas and intent behind each document are explained to those staffing the booth. Keep them in the loop with goals, talking points, and directives. But remember it’s a two-way street: your trade show representatives will be absorbing information that can be valuable for your marketing team. Being present at the trade show will also arm them with data and examples of other companies’ successes. Download this information into your creative hard drive through a post-show recap. Adding more ideas and perspectives into the mix keeps material current and evolving with your customer base.


Success with collateral means it makes it all the way home to your contact’s office. It is therefore also important to consider what impression the documents will give as a stand-alone package. Away from the booth, the banners, your staff, and the convention lighting, you want the collateral to help keep the conversation going between you and the potential new customer.

What goes great with exhibitor marketing? A white paper to distribute to attendees. Learn the best ways to create one with our white paper, The Art and Science of Creating a Successful White Paper. 

 

 

Start generating more leads today!

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Sammi Wang

Account Manager
sammi@echinachem.com

Sammi is the General Manager China of eChinaChem, where she has worked since 2005 and previously served as Vice President and Sales Manager. eChinaChem offers news media, conferences and events, as well as education and training services in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and healthcare sectors in China. Before eChinaChem, she worked at GlobalSources as an Account Executive. Sammi received her MBA from the University of International Business and Economics and her undergraduate degree from Yantai University.

Sales Territory: China 

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Kyra Luttermann

Account Manager
kl@intermediapartners.de

Kyra Luttermann is an IT & AI Specialist with a strong academic background, complemented by deep knowledge in Philosophy. She holds advanced training from the University of Oxford in Artificial Intelligence. Kyra excels in AI prompting, consulting, and sales, effectively helping customers reach their target audiences. Since joining IMP and ACS in 2023, she has been instrumental in advancing ACS’s mission, representing the next generation of innovative leaders in the field.

Sales Territories: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Ireland, Scandinavia, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, East Central Europe and The Middle East

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Uwe Riemeyer

Uwe Riemeyer is a seasoned Global Media Specialist with over 25 years of experience in media sales, consulting, and planning, primarily for the global chemical industry. Since 1997, he has been affiliated with ACS and operates his own successful media business in Germany. Uwe’s expertise spans all B2B industry segments and related media outlets, supported by a solid foundation in economics and an initial career in the automotive industry. His comprehensive knowledge and strategic insights make him a key player in media planning and consulting.

Sales Territories: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Ireland, Scandinavia, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, East Central Europe and The Middle East

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Jim Beckwith

Account Manager
j.beckwith@jgeco.com

Jim Beckwith brings his skills to ACS after a lengthy media consulting career in both for-profit and non-profit media. He specializes in helping advertising partners “connect the dots” between their marketing/lead generation objectives and the wide range of opportunities in the ACS Media portfolio. Jim works with advertisers based in the Southeast and Eastern U.S.

Sales Territories: US East Coast and Southeast 

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Beth Kurup

Beth Kurup is an Account Manager based in Los Angeles, California. She handles marketing programs for clients in the Western United States. Beth’s media and marketing background aid her in creating strategic plans for clients with a focus on details and meeting objectives.  

Sales Territory: US West Coast Sales

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Pete Manfre

Account Manager
p_manfre@acs.org

Except for a brief hiatus in 2022, Pete Manfre has been a fixture at ACS since 2015, helping clients navigate the complex B2B digital landscape. Over the years, Pete has gained the trust of many science marketing leaders with his honest and straightforward approach. His unique insights and expertise have benefitted the small companies looking to gain traction with new potential customers and the well-known industry brands looking to elevate their thought leadership and capture bigger market-share.

Sales Territories: ACS Meetings Exhibition and Sponsorships (ACS Spring, ACS Fall and Pacifichem) 

Chris Nolan

Chris Nolan

Chris Nolan has been creating solutions for C&EN and ACS advertisers since 2017. After growing the western US territory to $1.6M from $800k, he was promoted to national sales manager in 2021. He is based in Chicago and covers the central US and Canada. His background in media solutions includes successful production for such well known global media brands as Fortune, INC, Fast Company, The Nikkei, the FT, and The Globe & Mail.

Sales Territories: US Midwest and Northeast East Coast; Canada; Australia; New Zealand and South America

Mariam Agha 

Account & Marketing Manager
CENBrandLab@acs.org

Mariam is an account manager here at C&EN BrandLab. She works with our clients, art and production teams within C&EN to deliver effective ad campaigns. 

Jordan Nutting Ph.D.

Senior Editor
CENBrandLab@acs.org

Jordan is a Senior Editor at C&EN BrandLab. While earning her Ph.D. in chemistry she also pursued her passion for writing and communication, including a stint as a science reporter during the COVID-19 pandemic. She now funnels her love of words and chemistry into creating compelling science stories and content.

Jesse Harris

Senior Editor
CENBrandLab@acs.org

Jesse Harris is a Senior Editor at C&EN BrandLab. He has been creating internet content since 2016, and has Master’s degrees in both chemistry and chemical engineering. He loves helping STEM experts communicate their science more impactfully.

Shane M Hanlon Ph.D.

Executive Editor
CENBrandLab@acs.org

Shane leads BrandLab’s strategic initiatives and projects. As a conservation biologist turned science communicator and storyteller, Shane brings years of creative and relationship-building experience to BrandLab from his work in the federal government, the National Academies, and scientific membership nonprofits. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh, from which he obtained his B.S. in Ecology and Evolution, and holds a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Memphis.

Heather Lockhart-Neff 

Account & Marketing Manager
CENBrandLab@acs.org

Heather co-leads account management at C&EN BrandLab. She utilizes efficiency and strategy when working with our clients and production teams within C&EN to deliver effective and engaging campaigns. Heather has a passion for telling dynamic stories through multimedia communication channels and brings creativity, curiosity, and charisma to BrandLab partnerships. She obtained her B.S. in International Relations from The College of Wooster in Ohio. 

Cynthia Graham-Tappan 

Managing Director, Sales Strategic Partnerships
CENBrandLab@acs.org

Cynthia Graham-Tappan is an accomplished sales leader with over 15+ years’ experience leading global B2B sales teams within the publishing & media industries.  She has held executive positions with The New York Times, Dow Jones, Agence France Presse, Hearst Corporation and currently oversee Sales & Strategic Partnerships for ACS.   Cynthia has a proven expertise in crafting strategic partnerships, steering high-performing sales teams, and propelling revenue growth. Cynthia also has extensive experience in performance management, market research, digital media monetization, and business development.

Cynthia received her B.S. degree from Towson University and recently completed Executive Education courses with The Yale School of Management and London Business School.  Cynthia resides in Maryland with her husband, and she is a proud mom of four kids.

Kenneth Phan 

Creative Director
CENBrandLab@acs.org

Kenneth is a creative leader with 20 years of experience in in-house and boutique design agencies. He is currently senior creative director for the American Chemical Society’s marketing and communications team. Previously, he was senior creative director for ACS Publications, an international scientific publisher that serves chemistry and related sciences. Kenneth is passionate about translating client business goals into impactful and innovative advertising solutions. Under his leadership, ACS has won numerous awards and accolades for its exceptional design work.