The Internet Can Cut Trade-Show Marketing Costs

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, April, 2001

January's postage increase is just the first of several expected over the next few years. The USPS is projected to lose 25 percent of its first-class business to the Internet, so it has slated another increase in 2002 to help replace lost revenue. Michael Hough, author of The Profitable Trade Show, suggests that trade show operators cut their mailings in half over the next few years by using the Internet to market their shows.

Do this by targeting the more responsive people on the lists and building an opt-in, permission-based e-mail list. In 2001 Hough suggests budgeting 5 percent less postage costs for all trade shows. Then shoot for 15 percent next year, and so forth, until a 50 percent reduction is reached. In addition to having published his book, Hough operates a Web site (www.profitabletradeshow.com). To access the Buyers Only section of the site, type in the user name as CompSub and the password as PTSF99.