Going to a trade show to exhibit your business for the first time can be very intimidating. There are hundreds of items to prepare before going to the show. The cost to attend the show can easily run into thousands of dollars when you include attendance fees, travel and other miscellaneous expenses. Your goal is make the best first impression on visitors and generate as many leads as possible to get the best return on your investment. That is why it helps to plan in advance and make sure you have everything you need at the trade show. Here are 5 things you must consider.
- Displays
Choosing the right display can say a lot about your business. A stand that has enough room for tumbleweed to pass by won’t attract enough attention whereas a stand that has too many displays crammed in like sardines may be equally off-putting.
Finding the right balance can be tough, but it’s important to bear in mind the purpose of your display. It should be to attract attention from afar, to add branding and to guide people on-stand for more information.
Typically, pop up display stands are a good fit for most shell scheme spaces as they can give a good backdrop for your stand.
- What to wear
After you have your stand sorted you’ll next need to think about what you’re going to look like. It’s not always important to wear a uniform, but if you look uniform to your brand – perhaps wearing similar colours that compliment your brand – then it will always make you look more professional.
Also, remember you’re going to be on your feet all day so comfortable shoes are a must!
- How to behave
It should go without saying that you need to be on your best behaviour when exhibiting. But in an exhibition setting, this means more than just minding your manners. It means being approachable at all times by banning mobile phone use on-stand, standing toward the front of your display in order to bring people on-stand and not eating, leaning or sitting.
This doesn’t mean that you should starve, but it does mean that you should take regular, scheduled breaks away from the stand in order to feel rested. It’s a long day to be stood on an exhibition stand and small behavioural changes can be a big turn off for visitors.
- Follow up
When the day is done, it’s important to have a plan about how you’re going to follow up with all of those new contacts you have. Make sure you contact them as soon as possible in order to make sure you’re fresh in their minds. Being quick also means that you’ll stand more chance of getting in before your competitors!
- Was it a success?
After the event, it may feel like you can wipe your hands of the exhibition and forget about it all as a distant memory. But instead, you should be asking whether it was a success. Although measuring return on investment can be difficult, it’s important to make sure that you know whether it was worthwhile.
Take a count of the leads and sales you took and work backwards to work out whether you made a profit. It’s also worthwhile writing down a few notes about what you’d do differently next time so that you can refer to them when you’re planning your next event!
