Exhibitions are usually sizeable events full of finely honed sales techniques and plan that your seasoned competitors have mastered. Newcomers may find this daunting, but with a little help from Showplace, we are here to let you know that it doesn’t have to be this way.
The following is a simple list to guide you and help clear up the brain fog so that you can organise your exhibition and your stand with ease.
Setting clear foundations
Foundation setting is about having all of your fundamental exhibition elements aligned with your goals and capabilities. You should do the following within 9-12 months of the exhibition.
Set a goal – What are you setting out to do? Are you trying to sell your product or promote your brand? You need to establish this and then base all of your decisions around it.
Exhibition venue – Your exhibition has a purpose. Whether it’s to sell a new product or to increase brand awareness, you need to align your message with the venue. For example, if you’re a big tech company, you want to go to an exhibition that is known for this particular niche and will attract the right audience who are potentially interested in your offer.
Book your exhibition spot – Booking a spot has some science to it. You want to be in a place that both stands out and receives browsing traffic. One top tip is not to set up near the entry/exit doors as you’ll be limiting the number of people who may come in through that door, plus anyone leaving through that door probably doesn’t want to be stopped either.
Determine logistics and set a budget – How big is the spot you’ve been allotted? This is the deciding factor for most of the logistics we’re about to go into. Determine how much your budget is and what you’re going to spend. Aside from the staff, space and stand, there’s also the question of whether or not you’re going to have giveaways.
Ultimately, you want your budget to take two major things into account – the quality of your stand and the size of your space. Spending money on a big space doesn’t mean anything if you don’t have the budget to fill it with an appealing stand with a slick presentation.
Choose your stand – There are several different templates of an exhibition stand, too many to go into in detail here. If you want more information on the different types of stands and which could best suit your needs, take a look at our article here.
Perfect your stand – There are three considerations to make for a stand: size, aesthetic and functionality. The size will determine how many people can be on your stand at one time and the number of company representatives you’ll want to staff it. The importance of aesthetics is obvious, as something that looks appealing will attract visitors. Finally, the most important thing for generating leads is interactivity. The whole point of an exhibition is to generate leads face-to-face, and the best way to do this is to allow the visitor to get a taste of what you’re showing off.
Choose your staff – There are a few essential roles, but make sure you have selected someone who is experienced and reliable to take main responsibility for the stand throughout the day, as well as being in charge of setting up and packing away. Aside from that, make sure you have enough staff to make use of the space within your stand.
Pre-event marketing
A lot of leads don’t happen at the exhibition, but rather before it even starts. Marketing before the event increases your chances of bringing potential customers to you:
Plan your giveaways – Giveaways are a proven investment for generating high-quality leads. There are three things you have to mind if you’re going to add these to your repertoire: relevance, utility, and compactness. If you’re promoting smartphones, for example, it doesn’t make sense to give away a laptop bag. It has to be something you can envision the customer finding useful, such as a phone cover or wallet. Whatever you do, however, make sure it’s small enough to stash away.
Social media promotion – Social media is a good way to gain access to many people at once. By posting teasers regularly in the run-up to the event, you can pull in interested parties and build hype for your brand. Alternatively, or additionally, you can pay for ads on social media for a targeted effort.
Email marketing – Emails are an old but effective form of marketing. The trick is to email those who you know are showing up to the event. A lot of people may have provided their details with the venue, and if they have signed to say they are happy to receive promotional material, then that’s exactly what you should send. These are high-quality leads, and a very good way to bring people to your stall that you know are going to be at the event.
Before the event
During the final weeks before the show, there are some things you need to do to maximise the return you get from investing in an appearance at an exhibition:
Stock on supplies – There are things you need on-site to keep a smooth stand running. Cleaning materials should be on hand, as although most people in the exhibition will be coming and going, they will leave behind marks that will wear on the freshness of the presentation. For example, if you are showing off new tech that people can interact with, they may leave fingerprints on the screen. You want your equipment to look new. You may also want a first aid kit on hand just in case staff or visitors fall ill or have an accident. It will add legitimacy to your brand should something ever happen.
Rehearse – Sales has a strategy. You need to ensure your staff members are completely on board with the features to present, and how to best present them and provide a unified message.
Dress to represent – Dress uniformly. Even if your workplace is casual when you’re at an exhibit, you probably want to at least wear something in common, such as a branded shirt and jeans in order to show a unified front.
At the event
It’s the day of the event.
Record your leads – Simply the most important thing you can do at an exhibition, arguably the entire point. Your leads will, later on, lead to sales for your business.
Take pictures – Take pictures of your stand at its busiest moments. Make sure to get your staff in action. This will help build a company image and can be useful for social media as well as your company website.
After the event
After the event, it is time to reflect on performance and follow up on any leads you generated.
Compare results – Look at your projected income and the cost of the event. What targets did you hit? If not, what is the reason? Rectify any problems so that you get better results at future exhibitions.
Follow up on leads promptly – The fact of the matter is this: your leads are not solely your leads, especially at an exhibition. You’ll have competition offering similar products and services who will take initiative to get the sale before you do. As a result, make sure you follow up on the leads promptly.
Conclusion
Showplace is here to help you with your exhibition needs, providing premium exhibition stands, displays, equipment and more that will allow you to reach the maximum potential of your exhibition stand. Only by getting this right will you be able to generate the leads you are seeking and be able to get the best possible return from investing in an exhibition presence.
We hope this article helps you plan for your next exhibition. Good luck.
