First time exhibiting! Here are some tips!
Exhibiting can be an expensive and demanding process in terms of time, money and people you want to stack the odds in your favour early on.
Going to the right exhibition is a good start.
The first step is to do some homework:
Visit the exhibitions you are thinking of attending,
Talk to people that have exhibited there before (you can usually find a list of exhibitors in old tradeshow handbooks or online).
Ask the exhibition organizers what sort of marketing activities they have done in order to promote the event.
Find out about:
The amount of people that visit the show
The sorts of exhibits and displays at the show and the ones that are drawing the biggest crowds.
And ask yourself are the people attending the show your target market
- Have a clear set of goals and set explicit realistic objectives
Is the aim of attending an exhibit:
To increase brand awareness?
Increase your client list by 5%?
Launch a new product or service?
Reposition the business or a product?
Generate leads?
Do you have a clear picture of your target audience?
If you cannot answer the question: “Why am I here?” – you are probably in the wrong place.
A clear statement of your goals and measures of success will help you:
Choose the exhibition you want to participate in
The sort of display you want
The people you need to bring
The gifts, publications, information and merchandise you might need
Even the competitions or lead generating activities you want to use
In addition measurable goals will help you evaluate your exhibition experience.
- You Have 3 Seconds
Typically as an exhibitor you can expect no more than three seconds of a passerby’s attention.
In those three seconds your typical target audience visitor need to understand:
Who you are
What you do
- Make Sure You Have the Right People on the Stand
The people on your stand are your brand and business ambassadors.
Staff need to be:
Knowledgeable about the product or service as well as the business
Appropriately dressed
Be aware of and follow exhibition etiquette (no gum, no personal calls, be attentive)
Remember: A good sales person may not be as good at the exhibition as the rolls of engagement are different.
Pre-show training is a must.
Have A Decision Maker Available
Have a decision maker available. Trade show and exhibitions are places where decisions are made and deals are arranged.
Make sure you have a decision maker at the stand or ready access to one.
- Find a Balance
It may be tempting, especially at your first trade show to go all out and aim to make a big impression.
As a first time exhibitor it is important to find a balance between making an impact and staying in budget.
(Credit to Gill Keinan)
We try to think and prepare for every eventuality so that there are no surprises and our clients are confident and happy with their exhibit – Happy to listen and help!
Shout out your product/service or concept. Keep it simple, effective and wave your flag!
We like to be in on the discussions early in the company’s planning to market themselves in the world arena or locally, so that we can get under the skin of what the message is and try to ensure the final design, impact and message has the effect required and ROI.
Those companies that have not exhibited at large fairs and abroad will benefit from having the whole message looked at and planned, ensuring that when clients are standing at their exhibit selling and promoting their company, they have all the tools, sales material and visual message to help them do their jobs effectively and professionally.
Hope this is helpful, contact Kate at Fox Graphics Design & Marketing for a chat to see if we can help. Free consultation – www.foxgraphicsdesign.co.uk m: 07927 131600
More examples and information about exhibitions – https://foxgraphicsdesign.co.uk/what-we-do/exhibition-stand/
