It's impossible to make it to every trade show (there's literally one going on somewhere in the world every day), so your best bet is to attend the biggest and best. And now, thanks to the Trade Show News Network (TSNN), you can easily find the top trade shows for your industry!

Yesterday, TSNN officially released the 2012 Top 250 Trade Shows in the U.S. Let's take a look at the top five trade shows:

1. International CES

The Las Vegas, Nevada event had more than 3,000 exhibitors and 100,000+ attendees. Whoa! The trade show supports the $209 billion consumer electronics industry.

2. International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS)

This trade show takes place in Chicago, Illinois and saw almost as many attendees as CES in 2012. It's the biggest manufacturing technology show in the Western Hemisphere, and is a whopping six days long.

3. The January Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market

Retailers from every U.S. state and more than 80 countries around the world come together for the January Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market. Products featured include everything from home furnishings to fashion. The event is held in Atlanta, Georgia.

4. Pack Expo International

The packaging and processing industry is huge, so it's no surprise the Pack Expo International made TSNN's list of top 2012 trade shows. The show, which took place last October in Chicago, Illinois, had nearly 2,000 exhibitors in 2012.

5. The July Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market

Wow -- two Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Markets made the top five! That's pretty impressive.

Hit up these events and you're likely to go home with some truly great trade show giveaways.

For a look at TSNN's full list, click here.

As some of my earlier posts may have hinted to, I have had some experience when it comes to standing on both sides of the tradeshow booth. This gives me the slight advantage of knowing what it is like to be asking questions and answering the same questions. 

But where do I get up-and-coming information on tradeshows? My primary source is the Tradeshow News Network.

The TSNN is a highly cited website by the Motivators Tradeshow Blog and has the largest database of tradeshows in dozens of categories. Whether it is a sport fishing tradeshow in Alabama, a medical technology tradeshow in Hawaii or looking for an industry tradeshow on the other side of the world, the database allows you to search by name, locale or even the month.

No one understands the inner workings of a trade show like the contributing writers of Tradeshow News Network. Once in a while, a very informative article on the DOs and DON'Ts of the tradeshow lifestyle.

Two such articles, entitled "10 Tips to Check Off for Your Next Trade Show" and "6 Post-show Practices You Should Be Using" are written by Lisa Apolinski and Christina Hernandez respectively. The first discusses what features you may want to use during your next tradeshow and what can be passed on. It gives many new ideas and shuns things that employees/employers still use to this day. Christina Hernadez's article focuses on what to do with the newfound information and contacts after the tradeshow is done and over with.

So grab your promotional products and read both articles linked above. The two articles are must-reads. As always, be sure to check this site for more hints and promotional product ideas. 

If there's one really awful trade show strategy, it's this:  Trying to exhibit at as many as possible. The truth is not all shows are suited for your company or organization, so outdoing your competition will only end up costing you more money.

To avoid this common pitfall, it's important to focus on high-quality conventions that will get you maximum exposure. But how do you find the best trade fairs in the country? The Trade Show News Network (TSNN) unveiled its list of the 2011 TSNN Top 250 Trade Shows in the United States yesterday. Shows were ranked by net square footage. Let's take a look at the top three events:

1. CONEXPO-CON/AGG
   
   The Las Vegas, Nevada trade show brings together professionals within the construction industry to take a look at equipment, technologies and services. Over 86,000 people attended the 2011 show.
   
   
2. International CES
   
   Our world is becoming increasingly focused on technology, so it's no surprise that the International CES made TSNN's list. The event is the top technology tradeshow worldwide, and attendees get a first-hand look at new technologies and innovations.
   
   

   

   
   
   
3. The January Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market
   
   According to TSNN, "AmericasMart encloses 7,053,000 square feet of space housing 4,500,000 square feet of product, which takes center stage as the chief attraction for retailers from every U.S. state and more than 80 countries worldwide attending its 13 annual markets."  The trade fair focuses on a variety of products from gifts and home furnishings to fashion and apparel.

For a look at TSNN's full list of top 2011 trade shows, click here. And remember, more is not always better! Focus on high quality shows and your target demographic to really make a difference for your company or organization.