ABSTRACT
Sales promotions allow free rein to the imagination of the manager. So many sales promotion activities are used by clever managers yet this area has received only limited attention from academics. In business to business marketing, sales promotions are often played down, yet they still have a potentially important role to play. Exhibitions and trade fairs are among the most widely used business to business marketing tools, and yet they are the least well researched. Even experienced exhibitors have very little idea of how, or even whether, exhibitions are effective. Sales promotions are intended to create a short-term increase in sales and allow free rein for the creativity of marketers. Sales promotions in the business to business environment fall into three categories: promotions aimed at the sales team, promotions aimed further down the value chain at middlemen, and promotions aimed at the customer. Exhibitions and trade fairs represent a substantial commitment on the part of marketers.
