Are you exhibition ready?

To do list - get exhibition ready

Exhibition season is fast approaching once again. As we head towards spring, it’s worth getting your plans into gear early on to make sure that you get the pick of bunch when it comes to trade shows. It also pays to make sure your team is fully prepared to enable you to get the most out of your day.

So what do you need to think about once you’ve booked your place at your chosen expo?

There’s a surprising amount to get sorted in time for the big day. We’d recommend a minimum of 6 weeks to comfortably get all your plans in place, or you could risk losing out and unforeseen delays could be make or break for your deadline.

We’ve collated a handy checklist below to make sure you’ve got all your bases covered. However for a more in depth look at preparing for a trade show, why not head over to the Exhibition Hub to view our 10 steps to a tiptop trade show.

Image: sightseer.tv 

For now, here are six important things to consider when you book your exhibition stand this year:

1. Purpose
Why are you there? Deciding on a small number of concrete goals for the show is vital. These goals could be for example to gain 100 new email addresses, or perhaps to gain 10 new quoting opportunities.

2. Your exhibition stand
To achieve the aims you set out in step 1, you will need to make sure your exhibition stand and your marketing materials are up to scratch. It’s worth remembering that if you have a banner stand already, it is usually possible to update the graphics for a lesser cost than replacing the entire product. Supporting leaflets and brochures should be updated where possible to ensure that everything has a strong and unified brand message.

3. Prep your staff
Everyone staffing your stand should be well versed in everything your company does and be focused on achieving your established aims. Confident and approachable staff are important and it’s a good idea to include a mix of salespeople and other staff, so that visitors to your stand can get a good feel for your company.

4. Your gimmick
What will draw in the visitors? To grab the attention of potential new clients, a competition or some kind of entertainment can be a great idea. Try to think of something on-brand for your company, so that people remember both the gimmick and who was behind it. Games and edible treats are always good crowd pleasers.

5. Promotional gifts
For warm leads and new contacts, it’s great to be able to offer a branded promotional gift to jog their memory at a later date. Functional and stylish gifts stand head and shoulders above the usual offerings, so make sure you get samples and think creatively when shopping for these items prior to the show. 

6. Follow ups
Finally - once you’ve established your aim, got your stand in shape, your workforce into action, your gimmick drawing the crowds and your gift jogging memories - you need to follow up those leads. Get your sales team on the phone and booking appointments as soon as possible. It’s helpful to make notes throughout the event about who you spoke with and what about, so that your follow up calls are targeted and relevant to the potential customer's needs.

Taking time to think about these 6 points and actioning them in a careful and considered way will be hugely beneficial when you’ve got an exhibition booked. But that’s only half the battle. Having a trusted and reliable exhibition partner is also a crucial part of getting your ideas off the ground. Fancy checking out how we’ve helped our clients achieve exhibition success? Visit our Case Studies page to find out more and if you’re ready to get your project moving today why not visit the Exhibition Hub to see how we can help.