Whitehouse, NJ -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/26/2008 -- Delia Associates, a full-service marketing and branding firm located in Whitehouse, New Jersey, has introduced “Beyond-the-Booth,” a trade show communication program designed to help companies make the most of their presence at trade shows, and avoid the last minute panic typical of most companies in the weeks before major industry exhibitions.”

It doesn’t take a degree in marketing to know how important trade shows are to a company’s sales success,” points out Ed Delia, president of Delia Associates. “However, human nature is such that most companies have to put in a big last minute push just to get their booth to the show on time, and a lot of opportunity is lost in the process.”

The answer, according to Delia, is to have a pre-, mid- and post-show plan, and to work your plan like your business depends on it, because it does.

“Taking a booth at an important industry show is a rare opportunity in this e-centric world to make eye contact with the decision makers who decide the fate of your company on a daily basis,” says Delia.

According to Delia, most small and mid-sized marketers do not have someone dedicated to their trade show presence, and many do not even have a director of sales and marketing. “That’s why we put together our ‘Beyond-the-Booth’ trade show communications program. It’s for small to mid-sized companies with modest budgets, but with so much to gain by taking full advantage of the face-to-face interaction of a trade show.”

All of the elements of the program have been put to the test for many on Delia Associates’ roster of clients over the years. However, only recently has the agency’s tactical skills been packaged for off-the-shelf employment, and not every element of the marketing firm’s trade show program must be utilized in order to take advantage of the agency’s formula for trade show success. In fact, Delia Associates’ package can be modified to meet the needs and budget of most trade show-bound marketers.

The pre-show package includes the preparation of print advertising, press releases, pre-show mailings, invitations, E-blasts to customers and prospects, Web site banners informing visitors about upcoming shows, and a separate landing page to arrange and schedule meetings.

Delia Associates’ package at the show includes the design and production of visual displays, show literature, the selection of giveaways and premiums, and the arrangement of photography to take full advantage of a company’s presence at the show.

Post-show elements of the package include assistance in triaging leads and identifying those that warrant immediate follow-up, generating follow-up direct mail and e-mails, assistance in posting show floor pictures on your Web site, and conducting a post-show strategy session to decide how to act on what was learned at the show and how to make the most of newly identified opportunities.

“Even if you don’t have someone dedicated to your trade show presence,” says Delia, “you can enhance your brand’s image significantly by what you do and say before, during and after the show. That is what prompted us to develop a comprehensive communications package to address this need.”

For more information on Delia Associates’ “Beyond-the-Booth” trade show communications package, please visit: http://www.delianet.com/beyond_the_booth.php

Entering its 44th year, Delia Associates has positioned itself as the “Brand Leadership Company” of New Jersey, and specializes in identifying and creating a distinctive brand identity for its clients through a unique blend of traditional and online media. In recent years, Delia Associates has helped many niche businesses achieve market leadership, in addition to consistent business growth. Ed is a frequent speaker on the topics of branding and technology-driven marketing. He was recently designated a Professional Certified Marketer by the American Marketing Association, joining an elite group of just 250 marketing professionals in the U.S. with that distinction. For more information, please visit: http://www.delianet.com.