Inventors often start sales at small shows or exhibitions, often directly to consumers to test the market for their product or to generate some income. Small consumer fairs have their advantages, but inventors often want to focus on regional trade shows, which are trade shows geared toward retailers or industrial customers. These programs have several advantages:

1. Instead of selling units one at a time, you can get a larger sale to a retailer, who could later become a repeat customer.
2. You have the opportunity to meet local sales representatives or distributors who could help you accelerate your sales.
3. The costs of attending a small show are much lower than those of a major national trade show, where you can expect final costs to be $ 20,000 and up. Often times, a regional show only requires a tabletop screen rather than the large stands required in national shows.
4. Since the programs are not as busy as a national program, you will have the opportunity to network and meet with other small marketers and manufacturers and can often meet many of your local sales representatives and get advice from them, even if they are not. I am not interested in carrying your product.

Find regional trade shows

Localizing regional trade shows has become easier as various websites have started adding more and more smaller trade shows to their information package. If you can’t find sites that list your industry, there are other steps you can take.

1. Ask retailers or others who might be in the industry what local shopping programs they go to.
2. Check to see if there are any local trade associations that may be in your area. Larger libraries will have a copy of Gale’s Book of Associations which will list national and regional associations. Many regional trade shows are organized by regional trade associations.
3. Subscribe to trade magazines in your industry or visit their websites. Those trade magazines typically have a page on their website that lists national and regional trade shows. You can find the appropriate trade magazines for your product in larger libraries at Gale’s Publishing & Media Source.

What Brig

Once you find a fair you would like to attend, contact the fair and request photos from last year’s fair and a list of last year’s exhibitors. You want to know what other stand designs were like so you can come to the fair and look professional. Try calling at least three people to see how fancy the booths were and to see if many people only had a desktop screen. You want to avoid spending a lot of money on a fancy booth and graphics if you can help it. Other items you should bring are:

1. Final packaging
2. Any point-of-purchase display materials you have created
3. Brochures or at least a one-page sales flyer
4. A price list, with discounts suitable for retailers and distributors.
5. Delivery times, how long will it take before you can deliver
6. Customer testimonials if you have any
7. A list of stores or outlets you might already be selling to

What to expect

1. Your immediate sales at the show will be small, but you could acquire retailers and representatives who will sell your product for the long term.
2. Your sales won’t be enough to support your business, but they might be enough to get you started in the market.
3. You will have the opportunity to meet local companies, sales representatives and distributors, as well as other local manufacturers that serve the same market. The local connection counts, you will find that people like to help other local businesses. This connection can be valuable as it expands. Ask people for advice on what to do with your product.
4. You will be lucky to break even at the show with sales that cover expenses. But remember that your goal is to find contacts who can help you in the long run. But keep expenses as low as possible.

Inventor Story: Caroline Shengle and Lisa Beltezore

Shengle and Beltezore had mischievous dogs. They liked to chew whatever they could get. So Shengle and Beltezore came up with the idea to freeze food and treats in an ice cream bucket with water and leave it for the dogs to chew on. Dogs loved these treats, but they often dragged them everywhere, even into the house. It was then that they realized they needed to mount the frozen treats and secure them on a small platform and the ice treat maker Kool Dogz was born.

While looking for ways to produce their product abroad, they came across Edie Tolchin, The Sourcing Lady, and Tolchin suggested attending INPEX. At INPEX, Shengle and Beltezore won the gold medal for innovation and were invited to attend the ERA trade show in Las Vegas. That same week, the SuperZoo trade show was also in Las Vegas and while they were attending it, they met the president of Premier Pet Products, which is a very well respected and very large pet company. They soon entered into licensing negotiations and Premier Pet Products ended up licensing the product. Premier soon began selling the product worldwide and is currently working on agreements with Pet Smart and Pet Co.

Additionally, Shengle and Beltezore have their own sales efforts to assist the product. They sell through their own website, attend dog shows and summer festivals, and are having a lot of success at those events.

Recently, the Kool Dogz ice cream maker appeared on LIVE! with Regis & Kelly and the product sold out! See the clip here.

This is a great example of the kind of people you might meet by attending trade shows. While not everyone will be able to meet the president of a highly successful company in your industry, you do have the opportunity to meet many influencers both within the industry and within specific companies. These people can make the difference between your idea being sold all over the world or not selling at all. While trade shows can be expensive, don’t miss out on these opportunities to meet people within the industry who might want to license your idea or even get personally involved to help you succeed.

One thing I love about Shengle and Beltezore is that they have decided not to just sit back and wait for royalty payments, but are still actively promoting and selling their product. Their activities at dog festivals and shows, as well as their website, are great ways to publicize the product, even if they don’t make a sale. This helps the licensing company a lot, and if you tell potential licensors that you plan to do these activities, your chances of getting your product licensed will be better.