Conducting Marketing Research

Trade Shows

Attending trade shows of the industry being studied is a great way to learn about it. You can identify major players, view the products, accumulate product literature, and meet representatives of many of the companies involved. Lists of exhibitors and lists of attendees are also geat tools. Many major shows can be identified on line at:

• Alibaba.com
  Listings of trade shows by product and industries around the world.
• All Conferences.com
  A directory focusing on conferences, conventions, trade shows, exhibits, workshops, events and business meetings. The information ranges from specialized scientific, medical and academic conferences to all kinds of general events.
• EventsEye.com
  Features a classification of 149 Activity Topics all over the planet. There is also a focus on brand new Events, especially in emergent market regions. The directory contains 1297 Trade Show venues from 693 Cities, in 120 Countries. Currently covers February 2008 to January 2010. Updated monthly. 
• Expo Database
  Listings of trade shows around the world, including suppliers, organizers, and venues.
• Trade Show Marketing Blog
  This listing is provided by a trade show marketing blog. Many of the sites are very comprehensive.
• TSNN
  Bills itself as "the ultimate event resource". The Trade Show News Network (TSNN) owns and operates the most widely consulted event database on the Internet, containing data on more than 15,000 trade shows, exhibitions, public events and conferences.
• Lexis/Nexis Academic
  In addition to so many other features of this resource, you can also find sources for trade and development. In order to search ONLY for business opportunities, follow the directions below:
  
  1. In the navigation column on the left, under "General Searching", Select Sources
  2. Once the blue tabs slide open, select:Find Sources
  
  
  
  
  3. In the Publications Type box, highlight the "+" in front of Industries and Markets, and then check the box for Business Opportunities. Click on: Find Sources.
     
     
     
  4. Place a check by all the sources you want to search. When ready, click: O.K. continue.This brings all the sources to the first screen and now you can use any key words, products, industries, names of companies, etc. in your search.
  
  
  

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