Making Money from Bridal Shows

Have you ever felt that attending local Bridal Trade Shows in your area was a waste of time because the bride-to-be already has her engagement ring?

If you answered “yes” to the above question, have you thought about the other sales opportunities you may have missed?  What about the wedding band purchase, other attendees that come to the bridal shows who aren’t engaged yet, or how about the possibility of selling a mother-of-the-bride ring or mother-of-the-groom ring?

Am I piquing your interest now?

If you have been thinking there are no opportunities for other bridal sales at these Bridal Trade Shows, then try it, moving forward!

Positioning your store to sell Bridal involves a great selection of inventory, customer-friendly store policies and warranties, stand out marketing and an amazingly talented staff.  Again, this takes a long-term commitment and you can’t give up!

Here are some ways to get involved in participating in Bridal Trade Shows and what to do after…

1. Check with your local and surrounding area businesses (hotels convention centers, etc.) on when the bridal trade shows are. Some will have them twice a year!
2. Preview the floor layout for the optimum booth position. Also, ask where the best lighting is.
3. Find out what advertising opportunities there are. Can you get in the show program to better position your company?
4. Make sure a complete mailing and email list is available to you for all the registered brides so you may contact them after the show.
5. Have a nice banner with your logo on it and eye-catching phrases and jewelry.  A tabletop banner can also be nice to advertise a drawing for a free men’s wedding band, or bridal party gifts, etc…
6. Have 2-3 outgoing sales people attend. This is very important because your salespeople need be enthusiastic about your company, your products, and the event!
7. Bring clean case displays with samples of men’s and ladies wedding bands, with an assortment of styles.  Don’t forget anniversary rings, engagement rings, wedding party gift ideas, as well as jewelry the bride may like to wear on her wedding day.  Remember to go after the mother of the bride and groom…a diamond that may be bigger than their daughters or daughter-in-law’s.  Important: you must check with your stores’ insurance policy on your “Off Premises” coverage.
8. Other ideas: DVD or video of some of your stores’ custom design pieces or unique point of difference.  Also bring brochures about your store’s policies, warranties and services, as well as business cards.

What to do after….

1. Host your own “In-store Bridal Event” 3-4 weeks after the last bridal trade show.
2. Pick a weekend when you can coordinate with your own bridal manufactures so they can attend, if possible.  Some suggested months are: March or April for Spring/Summer weddings and August or September for Fall/Winter weddings.
3. Plan on doing a handout or flyer at the bridal trade shows to promote your In-store Bridal Event. Your call to action should be on selection and price.
4. Send invitations for your in-store event, to the bridal attendee list that you acquired from the show.
5. Make a point to call the people that you mailed to from the Bridal Show attendee list, as least 1 week prior to the event just to reinforce your message.
6. If your store has sufficient showroom space, invite other non-competing area bridal vendors to complement your event. Choose one representative from a florist, bakery, photographer, wedding dress and tuxedo shop, travel agent, restaurants, beauty salons, entertainment (may even provide music for you event!), etc.  It is a good way to cross-market with other vendors who can bring in more traffic (make sure you give them invitations or flyers as well, to hand out).
7. Ensure you are fully staffed for this event.  This is the time to make a lasting first impression, because you may be drawing many of these people from 30-50 miles away.  If you do it right, they WILL be back!

If you can DREAM it, THINK it and LIVE it, you can make this happen!

If you would like more guidance and strategies on any type of event, or growing your business in general, please reach out to the Edge Retail Academy and we are happy to assist you.  If you are interested in a complimentary business opportunity analysis, please let us know that as well.  877-569-8657, ext. 1  or  Becka@EdgeRetailAcademy.com