10 Signs of Trade Show Fraud

The public trade show is an essential part of any artist’s or business persons rise to stardom. The need to present yourself to the public is a must for the growth of one’s name and reputation. The public trade show is one of the most effective ways to bring your product to market, in this case, your art talent. Trade shows allow you to approach a targeted market, as most shows are charging a fee at the door to enter you can safely assume that attendee’s are in the market  for your product. Trade shows are an attractive and lucrative marketing tool for any entrepreneur, and unethical show organizers know it and will use it to line their own pockets. So how do you know if a trade show is legitimate or a fraud? There is no sure shot way of knowing this, but there are several sign’s that a promoter may not be legitimate. Here are the top 10 sign’s that a trade show is a ‘money grab” and not a long term attraction.

1. Contracts. Any legitimate show promoter will want you to agree to certain terms to ensure a professional looking show. Contracts are a good thing for the artist as well. A contract insures that the promoter is now legally committed to the show and will also have to fulfill the terms of the contract. Questionable shows will require no contract leaving them free to do as they will with your money.

2. Websites. An established show will have a solid well developed website and have a generated history. Type in the shows name in Google or Yahoo and see what is returned. If you find several links from  sources other than the show itself this means that others have linked to the site and are sharing traffic to its content. This is a good sign that the show has a following.

3. Pay Structure. If a show wants to have all fee’s paid right away without a deposit and then structured fee deadlines, it is a sign that they are eager to have all money before they commit to promotion. A standard is to have a small deposit paid, usually around 30% and then one to two other payments. This also depends on the size of the booth fee. Smaller booth fee’s will usually be paid for in one installment.

4. Communication. Is the promoter of the show in constant contact with you and offering instruction and information of the the shows operation and look? A dedicated promoter will want you as prepared as he/she is so their show looks top end. A shady promoter will have little or no contact with you and offer as little information as possible. The less they say to you, the less they have to commit themselves.

5. Show Location. Is the show in a high traffic, high visibility area. For example is the show at an convention centre or well known landmark? Good promoters will want a high exposure area to draw as much visibility as possible. With these great locations comes a higher rental fee, a fee a fraudulent promoter will not want to pay.

6. Promotion. A good promoter will have their event well advertised. Local papers, radio’s and billboards should have advertising for the event. Again you can use the internet to search for articles on the event. Any advertising will again come up in the searched links and you can view the advertisement. A fraud will spend very little if anything on the promotion of the show. Fraudulent promoters have only on thing on their minds, profit margin!

7. Established Exhibitors. A good show will be well attended by the big names of your industry, remember trade shows are a prime marketing tool for any product or service. Ask around about the show and see if there is a history of exhibitors and if the show was successful in bringing in attendee’s. Do not ask if the show was successful for them as this question pertains more to what they did at the show and how they presented themselves to the public. Asking if the show had good traffic is a much better question for ascertaining if the promoter did their job.

8. Promoters History. A shows reputation will only be as good as the promoter producing it. A good promoter will boast about the success of their show. They will want you to know that their show is in demand and at the forefront of the industry’s trade show circuit. A “money grab” promoter will have a reputation for poorly attended shows, this is where your homework is essential. Once again the internet is a good way of finding out information on the promoter. Do searches for their name not the trade show name. A good promoter will have their name associated with the show and have it published just as much as the shows name. Shady promoters can not hide from the internet. Past exhibitors will post negative blogs, articles and pages about a poorly managed show.

9. Check Websites Expiration Date. Few people know that a website has an expiration date. The site expiration date can be found online at any public internet registration sites like internic.net. Running a “whois” will give you all the information about a site. A good promoter is in it for the long haul and will pay for many years in advance as a longer expiration date is good for search engine ranking. A fraudulent promoter will only pay the required one year, ready to pack up shop at anytime.

10. Commitment. What is the show promoter willing to commit to you. Great shows want their exhibitors happy and returning. A happy exhibitor will tell others of their good fortune with the show and promote it. Every good promoter or business person for that matter knows that word of mouth advertising is  the best form of promotion! A committed promoter will have no reservations about committing to their exhibitor’s to ensure their involvement in the show. This point requires a little intuition on your part to get a feeling from the promoter. It is my experience that a “gut” feeling is usually the right one.

Remember that these points are a guideline to help you weed out poor promoters. Things such as new shows will be harder to predict if they are worth involvement as they will have no history, this is where the promoters reputation will be the biggest deciding factor. Trade show involvement can be a very rewarding experience not only financially, but socially. Looking for the signs of a “money grab” show will help you navigate through the world of fast talking promoters and land you in the lap of sure shot winners. Best of luck in all your endeavors!