It’s your first time exhibiting, there’s a lot to arrange from securing a stand to booking amenities on the day, it’s all becoming a little overwhelming. Well, fear not! We’ve put together our top exhibition tips to ensure your trade show experience is a triumph.
At Expo, we are different from many exhibition companies, we adhere to a structured four-step process during our briefing sessions with you. This approach guarantees the creation of a tailored stand that precisely aligns with your requirements.
Step 1
Getting to know you and your objectives. During our initial meeting or call, we’ll ask you about your products and services, exploring how they’re marketed and how your sales teams interact with customers. We will ask you what you want to get from the show: Is it centred around brand building, showcasing products, or facilitating meetings with visitors?
Step 2
Understanding the practicalities. We’ll discuss with you the budget you feel comfortable with, taking care of the little things too such as storage, size and whether you need additional sockets to charge your phones.
Step 3
Designing your stand. After gathering all the necessary information, we proceed to create a tailored design. We aim to ensure that the stand not only meets but exceeds your expectations. Throughout this process, we may offer insights and suggestions to refine the design, all to align it perfectly with your initial objectives.
Step 4
Building and installation that’s as good as it gets! For every custom-built stand, you’ll be assigned an Expo project manager who will supervise the construction process at the venue. Additionally, your installation team will have been involved since the design stage, ensuring seamless execution. We guarantee a specific completion time for your stand, allowing you to arrive at the exhibition fully prepared and ready to go.
Explore our top 10 exhibition tips below to help you reach your marketing objectives.
Clarify your Objective
When attending a trade show or exhibition, it’s crucial to define a precise objective. Are you aiming to enhance brand recognition, acquire more leads, or introduce a new product? Each objective necessitates distinct strategies.
Your objectives should adhere to the SMART criteria whenever feasible. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achieveable, Relevant and Time-bound.
Research the Event
One of the most crucial strategies for success at an exhibition is to thoroughly explore the trade show beforehand. You will then be able to decide on the kind of resources to invest in the show, plus what sort of marketing materials to bring with you.
Start by finding out the expected audience; are they industry professionals, shop buyers or the general public? Tailor your marketing materials to suit the target audience.
Additionally, research the expected footfall at the event. Understanding this will guide your resource allocation decisions. For example, if the event anticipates over 20,000 attendees, it may warrant a higher investment. You may want to create a booth that is custom-designed to enhance visibility and get together a large team to accommodate potential demand.
Also, research your competitors who will also be present at the event. If you’re a small family-owned business competing against multinational corporations, emphasise your personalised customer care as a unique selling point.
Selecting the Ideal Exhibition Stand
The choice of an exhibition stand can significantly impact your success at a trade show. At Expom we specialise in creating stands tailored to meet your marketing objectives.
Budget is important. We have cost-effective solutions available as well as bespoke exhibition stand packages for unparalleled design freedom.
Access the size requirements of your exhibition stand. Evaluate the allocated floor space at the venue and anticipate foot traffic levels. For stands expecting heavy visitor flow, you might want to think about incorporating a seated waiting area.
Branding is another essential part of the exhibition stand. At Expo, our bespoke stands are custom-built to your specifications. We will work closely with the brand to ensure the colours and logos are seamlessly integrated into the stand design.
Creating Your Design Stand
The design of your exhibition stand is a significant factor in your success. The overall design determines how visitors engage with your brand.
First of all, ensure your exhibition stand boasts unmistakable branding. Clear brand colours and logos are essential for visitor recognition. Additionally, the design should have visual appeal, enticing visitors to step inside.
Consider how your products or services will be showcased within the stand. For physical products, appropriate display furnishings are crucial. Alternatively, for service demonstrations, investing in TVs or video walls can effectively convey your message.
Elevate your brand with thoughtful finishing touches. Incorporating TVs and video walls enhance interactivity, while comfortable seating or a bar area can help with wait times, encouraging visitors to linger until a representative is available.
Creating Content
Your stand needs to captivate messages and imagery to the audience. Collaborate with your marketing team to create the text, images and videos to captivate visitors.
Avoid lengthy paragraphs, and stick to your keywords. Use your slogan wherever possible and show images that align with your brand’s identity.
Book The Essentials
If you’re new to trade shows, it’s essential to book amenities such as electricity in advance. Contact the trade show organisers to arrange this.
Boost Pre-Event Promotion
One often neglected exhibition strategy is promoting your attendance before the event. Spread the word through social media, with multiple posts leading up to the event. Schedule posts at least a month before, a few days prior, and on the day of the event. Ensure each of the posts includes clear details about where attendees can locate your booth.
Make An Exhibition Checklist
- Make sure all branding materials, banners, and posters are ready well before the event.
- Train all your staff to be knowledgeable, approachable and enthusiastic. Remember you are selling your services/products.
- Prepare marketing materials, brochures, and business cards. Tech is beneficial.
- Implement a lead capture system to effectively monitor potential customer interactions.
- Gather your team to practice the pitch.
- Arrive in good time to set up your stand and complete checks to make everything is in place.
- Organise materials within the stand for easy access to catalogues, business cards, etc.
- Dress professionally or in your team uniform to leave a positive and lasting impression on your visitors.
- Engage with each of your attendees by initiating conversations and addressing inquiries.
- Take detailed notes and collect business cards for efficient follow-up after the event.
Form Connections and Collaborate
Trade shows present an excellent platform for networking, given their diverse and expansive scope. For instance, within a fashion trade show, attendees may encounter clothing brands, retailers, as well as labelling and packaging manufacturers.
Follow-Up After the Event
Maximise the impact of your exhibition efforts by actively following up with leads. Take the initiative to reach out rather than wait for leads to contact you. Allocate dedicated time to connect with leads and nurture these potential opportunities.
Expo specialises in designing, manufacturing and installing customised exhibition stands for both space-only areas and shell scheme graphics, along with modular stands across various venues in the UK, such as Olympia, ExCeL, and the National Exhibition Centre (NEC). Additionally, our services extend to Europe and the Middle East. Contact us today for more info.