Your exhibit booth is your billboard for your brand and company image. The more professional it looks – the more credible your product and brand are perceived.

Beginners Guide to Trade Shows:

There are two types of trade shows :

Industry Trade Shows – Usually not open to the public. Just buyers and exhibitors are allowed to attend and must be registered prior to attending. i.e. Housewares Show, NACDS, Toy Fair etc.

Your first step in taking your idea to market is visualization – imagining your product or idea at its final destination.

In order for your product to be successful you need to expand your idea into a product line.

A product line (or category) captures real estate on the shelves and provides you and your company credibility and value.

A successful brand, once matured, can make you rich and famous.

You cannot continue to develop your product or idea without first developing your brand. The brand is going to determine the personality of the product and the packaging.

I have successfully licensed a number of products into various products categories – clocks, games, calendar & toys. Here is what I learned along the way.

When you come up with a viable product idea you may have a choice:

• Licensing your product

• Manufacturing, marketing and selling your product yourself

So what are the advantages of licensing your product idea.

1. It takes away the pressure of you having to manufacture, market , and distribute the product yourself.

2. Reduces your development costs and gives you a royalty income stream. (5 -10%)