By Jean Whiddon

Although most trade shows spend significant dollars on direct mail and other marketing tactics, you can maximize your print and interactive advertising investment more than you might realize through barters and other media negotiations. Print ads continue to be a strong driver for trade event registration and should be part of an integrated marketing campaign.

Bartering for advertising not only saves valuable marketing dollars, but also creates an opportunity for relationship-building between the show organizer and the industry publication, thus maximizing ROI. A good media negotiator knows who he/she’s dealing with, and the details of the potential negotiation. This attention to detail allows the negotiator to understand which cards he/she is holding, and how to leverage it for what he/she wants.

Below is a mix of sample “gives” and “gets” you might use to negoti­ate advertising deals. In some cases that might mean the advertising is free in exchange for alternative/trade “currency.” Your goal is to spread the marketing dollars further and the most exposure for the budget.

Jean Whiddon is President & CEO of Fixation Marketing, www.fixation.com, a full-service marketing firm specializing in creative integrated campaigns that boost attendance and exhibit sales at trade shows and special events.