I'm trying to market my services to mid-size contractors and I've been looking for some reputable construction trade shows in and around Texas. I've found a small one here in Dallas in October but am having difficulty beyond that. Of course I've googled and dug around some but I'd like to see if anyone has experience with any particular one.

Depends on how contractors will be able to buy your services. Are you selling straight to the contractor? Or do they have to go to a lumber yard or hardware store to buy your product?

World of Concrete in Vegas

You might find success going to an actual lumberyard or hardware store and asking if you could do a demo/vendor show during their lunch hours (10-2 pm).

Positives:
-you're the only vendor there, so all of the focus is just on you and your product/service.
- if you land one sale, you could have a ripple effect and get more later on. Sometimes, contractors have a "monkey see, monkey do" mentality. If one uses your product and likes it, there's a good chance it will carry on.

Negatives:
-you'll most likely be expected to provide lunch or split the cost of lunch between you and the lumber yard.
-you'll need A LOT of free crap to pass out to everyone.
- plan on at least 60-75% of the people who attend the event to only be there for the free stuff and food.

International Builders Show in Orlando. Jan.8 - 11.

What kind of construction?

The lumbar yard idea seems good but I'm afraid my target is more focused on Project Managers and Superintendents of mid-size construction companies. It might be cool just to get name and services out there. I provide drone services for construction (frequent site-maps, 3d models, point clouds and volumetrics).

Being that my service will be focused on North Texas area, I'd like to avoid national level shows for now and just focus on areas I can cover.

Can't help you on the trade shows - here are some ideas - but most will require time and energy.

Call AGC or ABC or the Subcontractors Association. Join one or all. Go to events and social hours to meet GCs.

Cold call GCs - offer to bring breakfast or do a lunch and learn for the office staff. You will get a lot of folks who are not the decision makers there just for the free food, but generally should meet someone who can help.

Drive around town looking for jobsites - walk into the trailers and ask for the Super.

Go meet with SWPPP subcontractors. Any construction site that will want drone services will need SWPPP. Partner with them - offer your services as an add alternate for them. Anytime I get nosey about an unmarked site I just figure out who the SWPPP contractor is and call them.

Last but now least - be prepared to get many "no thanks".

Look into hooking up with RCAT (Roofing Contractors association of Texas). They've got an event coming up in a couple of weeks in Austin. Drone usage is increasing tremendously with roofers as they use it to inspect roofs and post before/after photos for their social media pages. They're even putting thermo cameras on their drones to show property owners where their roofs are loosing a lot of heat which causes their energy bills to skyrocket.

It may be too late to jump onto this RCAT show, but it's a great way to start networking with a niche of contractors who are very familiar with the positive benefits of drone usage.

agfox06 said:

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The lumbar yard idea seems good but I'm afraid my target is more focused on Project Managers and Superintendents of mid-size construction companies. It might be cool just to get name and services out there. I provide drone services for construction (frequent site-maps, 3d models, point clouds and volumetrics).

Being that my service will be focused on North Texas area, I'd like to avoid national level shows for now and just focus on areas I can cover.

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Correct me if I'm wrong but it sounds like your target customer is the owner or investment group, not the construction managers. Aerials are normally asked and paid for by the owners.

STAFDA convention will be in Austin in November

Both companies I've worked for carry it in the General Conditions for the projects.

The last company I worked for had their own drone & was moving towards providing the service themselves instead of subbing it out to a service.

Your market may be to larger GC's, but mid size & small GC's probably already have a company drone or a guy with a drone that they pay. And with larger GC's your photos will have to better and the same cost or cheaper than the photo service they are currently using.

*Project Manager for a large GC

James Benham with JBKnowledge spoke at a Construction Financial Management Association luncheon here in Houston I attended. Very interesting presentation and group he runs in College Station. They are having a technology conference in Dallas in October. His presentation was about technology in construction so drones were obviously part of the discussion.

ConTech - Dallas


Here is his bio with contact info. He has a regular podcast and teaches at A&M as well.

Benham bio

One way to really get noticed would be to get a list of your prime target companies and then use your drone to take some nice overhead shots of some of their completed projects and then send them some high quality pics that they might want to frame and hang on the wall. Include all your marketing swag with the pictures.

you might reach out to road and pipeline (both O&G and water/sewer) contractors, many have to provide pre and post job site photos/video.

Pahdz said:

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you might reach out to road and pipeline (both O&G and water/sewer) contractors, many have to provide pre and post job site photos/video.

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Do you happen to know any names of a couple of companies? Always looking for interest. Also, looking for trade organizations because I think booths at trade-shows are a great way to educate folks and get exposure.