What Green Entrepreneurs in California Taught Me About Trade Shows

In 2012, I was actively involved in a democratic political campaign in Northern California. The campaign manager that I worked with was also actively involved in the green living community. He brought me to a hybrid political and environmental event, where many entrepreneurs in the green living sector were looking for ways to expand their clientele.

It wasn’t surprising that there were so many green businesses in the area. California is the second state in the country for net renewables. It is also number one for solar and geothermal.

I discovered that there were a number of ways for sustainable companies to reach their customers. However, trade shows seem to be incredibly effective.

Here are some of the things that I learned from attending tradeshows for sustainable companies.

Choosing the right locale is very important

In any industry, it is important to understand the demographics of your region. If you started a company that is not suitable for the people in your area, then you might need to develop a broader supply chain network to reach customers in other cities. You would probably need to develop a digital marketing strategy, since local marketing approaches would not work so well.

If you have a strong market in your own city, then you can adapt a more aggressive local strategy. This is why trade shows are one of the best marketing strategies for green businesses in Northern California.

Northern California is well known for its commitment to green living. People have been pushing for high speed rails, solar energy infrastructural development and other sustainable projects for decades. Since it was a strong priority among Californian consumers, sustainable companies could easily organize trade shows to reach them. You can read trade show blogs to learn more.

You need a tradeshow strategy that sets your green brand apart

Too many green companies get caught up in the humanitarian side of things. They are passionate about fighting climate change and restoring harmony to the environment. The problem is that they often lose sight of the fundamentals of business ownership.

The green business niche is just as competitive as any other. Even though many customers are interested in supporting green businesses, they still only have so much money to spend. You still need to convince them that you are worthy of their dollars. This means that you need to stand out among other companies that are focused on sustainability.

Trade shows are the perfect place to showcase your products. Here are some things that you need to do to convince customers to support your sustainable brand:

• Make sure that you can demonstrate all of the top features of your product. Keep in mind that people aren’t just going to purchase it because it is green. Functionality and affordability are also concerns that need to be taken into consideration.
• Make sure that you are going to be able to answer any questions that will be asked. Brainstorm all possible questions ahead of time, so that you can be prepared. You might want to solicit feedback online, so you have a better idea of the comments and increase that will b make sure that you are going to be able to answer any questions that will be asked. Brainstorm all possible questions ahead of time, so that you can be prepared. You might want to solicit feedback online, so you have a better idea of the comments and inquiries that will come up.
• Make sure that the demonstration of your product will impress your attendees. You need to verify that the product you will be using for the demonstration does not have any defects and that you are proficient at using it.