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Two common problems for trade show exhibitioners are attracting attendees amidst the din of hundreds of other booths, and also attracting the right attendees. After all, a mass of people in front of your booth will do you little good if none of them are suitable prospects.

An extremely effective way of overcoming these difficulties, of setting yourself apart and speaking to the right crowd, is by promoting your products or services and your trade show presence before the show even begins. Get a hold of the show's pre-registration list and select attendees who are prospective customers. After targeting a select portion of the show-goers, start sending mailings and promotional items with the goal of getting them to your booth when the time comes.

A good way to raise interest with your pre-show mailings is to ship the material in a creative package. Chinese food containers and small wooden crates are popular alternatives to the cardboard box or padded envelope, but the more different the package the better. If the theme of your exhibition is the time your product will save customers, consider sending your promotional materials in a box shaped like a grandfather clock. If the theme is the money they will save, try sending the materials in a piggy bank. Thematic consistency between your pre-show materials and at-show booth and promotional gifts is important.

The promise of a gift is also a good way to ensure that prospects stop by your booth and speak with you. Enhance this effect by offering a two-part gift. Send the first part with the pre-show material and give prospects the second part at the show. For example, you could send a thermos lid before the show and hand out the body of the thermos at your booth. Garner additional interest and appreciation from prospects by personalizing the gifts. Print individual names on each of the thermoses, along with your company logo and phone number, and mention in your pre-show material that the item will be personalized.

Contests and drawings can also guarantee that targeted attendees visit your booth. Send raffle tickets with the pre-show material and then hold a drawing for a sweatshirt or briefcase, emblazoned with your company logo, on the day of the show. Or you could have a dart or hoops contest at the show. Send a couple of darts or a small trash-can basketball hoop with your marketing materials before the show to build anticipation and allow the prospects to practice.

By targeting attendees that are potential buyers and by doing so before the trade show starts, you can cut through the clutter of noisy, crowded exhibition halls and make certain that the crowd in front of your booth consists of more than just passers-by. Do this and your trade show experience will be a success.