--- title: "Wednesday Buzz: Five Things You May Be Getting Wrong at Tradeshows" id: "27925" type: "post" slug: "wednesday-buzz-five-things-you-may-be-getting-wrong-at-tradeshows" published_at: "2015-04-01T19:36:12+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T17:52:00+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/04/01/wednesday-buzz-five-things-you-may-be-getting-wrong-at-tradeshows/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/04/01/wednesday-buzz-five-things-you-may-be-getting-wrong-at-tradeshows.md" excerpt: "An event expert highlights some simple mistakes that may trip up your tradeshow. Plus: Twitter officially enters the curation ring." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "event planning" - "Exhibition" - "Meetings" - "tradeshows" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "C-Level" - "Director" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Wednesday Buzz: Five Things You May Be Getting Wrong at Tradeshows Exhibiting at a tradeshow can be a huge, exciting opportunity for your company, and you obviously wants to capitalize on the attendees exploring the venue, displays, and sessions. That’s why [Online Registration Review (opens in a new tab)](http://www.onlineregistrationreview.com/) consultant and writer [Cathy Key (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/drcathykey) [has written a post on Event Manager Blog (opens in a new tab)](http://www.eventmanagerblog.com/trade-show-success) about the five rookie mistakes that often prevent tradeshow appearances from being as successful as they could be. “Statistics show that [tradeshows] are highly effective. 77 percent of decision makers report finding at least one new supplier at the last show they attended,” Key writes. But, she notes, it takes hard work to be effective. She highlights five common traps tradeshow neophytes fall into: - **Not having a clear-cut objective** before launching a exhibit - **Putting emphasis on quantity**—the number of potential leads generated—instead of their quality - **Insufficient preparation** for the relationship-building needed to pitch your offerings - **Giveaways** for the masses - **Too little emphasis** on social media For a more thorough explanation of each of those pitfalls, [read Key’s full post here (opens in a new tab)](http://www.eventmanagerblog.com/trade-show-success) . ### Tool of the Day > Introducing Curator, a new way to find and display great Twitter content: [https://t.co/JJVPpMDkDL (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/JJVPpMDkDL) > [pic.twitter.com/CdYDT1E11S (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/CdYDT1E11S) > > — Live (@Live) [March 31, 2015 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/Live/status/582943175779557376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **To compete with third-party services** that aggregate tweets, such as Storify, Twitter [has launched its own tool called Curator (opens in a new tab)](https://blog.twitter.com/2015/introducing-curator-a-new-way-to-find-and-display-great-twitter-content) . Publishers can request access to the tool, which includes integration with its certified partners, [right here (opens in a new tab)](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1jzpsDidmgRDYFXBuxAPsHOlrB7BzgfnamHreorpcL5g/viewform) . ### Other Good Reads **In the latest installment of *SocialFish*‘s series** of interviews with association social media managers, blogger [Maddie Grant (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/maddiegrant) speaks with Society for Vascular Ultrasound Membership and Digital Marketing Specialist Katie Saba about [how she tackles social media (opens in a new tab)](http://www.socialfish.org/2015/04/association-social-media-society-for-vascular-ultrasound-svu/) . **If [a survey by the American Psychological Association (opens in a new tab)](http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2014/04/employee-distrust.aspx) is right,** nearly 25 percent of employees don’t trust their employer. So Institute of Management Accountants President and CEO Jeff Thomson spoke to Jack Haren, president and former chief financial officer of Mohawk Fine Papers, about fostering trust [in an interview posted on Forbes. (opens in a new tab)](http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffthomson/2015/04/01/fostering-a-culture-of-trust-is-easier-than-you-think/) **Looking for a new tactic to increase retention?** [Informz (opens in a new tab)](http://www.informz.com/) Digital Marketing Strategist Vivian Swertinski writes about [the power of adopting personas in a new post (opens in a new tab)](http://www.informz.com/blog/marketing-automation/getting-to-the-heart-of-your-audience-with-personas/) . (berndstuhlmann/ThinkStock) [Morgan Little](https://associationsnow.com/author/morgan-little/) Morgan Little is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/morgan-little/) Tags: [#event planning](https://associationsnow.com/tag/event-planning/) [#Exhibition](https://associationsnow.com/tag/exhibition/) [#Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/tag/meetings/) [#tradeshows](https://associationsnow.com/tag/tradeshows/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoDanielle Foisy Incoming Meetings & Exhibitions Section Council ChairAugust 16, 2009](https://associationsnow.com/2009/08/16/danielle-foisy-incoming-meetings-exhibitions-section-council-chair/) - [VideoThe Expo HallJuly 22, 2011](https://associationsnow.com/2011/07/22/the-expo-hall/) - [VideoThe Philly Springtime ExperienceApril 18, 2009](https://associationsnow.com/2009/04/18/the-philly-springtime-experience/) - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Contract: Building Stronger Destination PartnershipsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-contract-building-stronger-destination-partnerships/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2015%2F04%2F01%2Fwednesday-buzz-five-things-you-may-be-getting-wrong-at-tradeshows%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !