Exhibiting at events - How to make the most of it

Did you know that almost 2000 exhibitors show off their products and services each year at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona? Perhaps you’ve never exhibited at such a large event and don’t quite know where to start, or you have but are thinking of ways to do it more effectively.

Table tops, or shell schemes, or custom-made exhibition booths? Which sort of printed materials and products to bring? How many of your staff, and who exactly, should be there?

After all, the key questions revolve around how can you make your exhibition booth stand out amongst the rest and how can taking part in the exhibition open up real business opportunities with existing or new clients?

In the end, the purpose of any business is to sell its products or services, and ensure that you are in the right place at the right time. Therefore, being at the right event where your target audience will be, and engaging with attendees effectively is one of the keys to success!

To exhibit or not to exhibit

We have found a quote which claims that “exhibitions generate more sales leads than any other sales tool apart from companies’ own websites” (found on Reed Exhibition - quoted from  Outsell Inc.’s 2008 Advertising Spend Survey). From your experiences so far, would you agree? We would come back to our point made above - ensuring you pick carefully and pick the right events where your target audience and potential partners will be, is crucial.

Plan

To help you make the decision, research all the events to which your potential customers and partners go. Think about the exact positions of the likely attendees of the event, ask for previous attendee lists - Are they exactly your type of target audience? Are they the potential new clients for your product or service? Are they the people who make the final decisions in purchasing new products or services?  Decide on who you are trying to reach out to and then find the events which match your requirements. (Read more about choosing the right event on NVP Exhibits).

The “nitty-gritty” of exhibiting

Find out about the costs and opportunities. Speak to the events’ sales people and see which kind of deal you could arrange for yourself - most event organisers will be able to give you a custom package, where you could combine exhibiting with speaking, a meeting room, additional branding, or similar. Take your time and start planning early, even a year in advance.

Plan well and - remember the ROI!

As with any other plan, first you have to be clear about your objectives and what you want to achieve. Set specific, measurable goals which will guide your through your preparation and execution process. Set yourself the event budget and desired ROI. Even though at some events your stand may be constantly busy, this doesn’t on its own promise any success. Therefore, make sure you know exactly who you or your staff have spoken with at the event, which potential opportunities could come from it, and how you have agreed to follow up with potential prospects.

Visualisation: Stand Size and Layout

Think about the location of your stand. Your location in the exhibition hall will also affect your visibility, and the most desirable slots cost more. Pick your spot early and think about the direction in which the attendees will be moving, to attract more traffic.

There are different types of exhibition stand designs and new systems are being launched all the time. You can choose between the shell scheme or go with the open space. Work with your designer to find the best match for your brand. Browse through vast catalogs of booth stand design (check out companies like Pro-Expo or Exponet) or visit other exhibitions to find out what works for you and your brand.

Stands with more on display are likely to attract more attention, so work out how best to tailor yours for your audience. However, there is a thin line between displaying the information you need and over cluttering your stand. Last of all, think about the small details. Unnecessary things like empty boxes, scattered papers and coats hanging on the backs of chairs can ruin even the most creative design.

Event Management Blog made a whole list of tactics for attracting more visitors to your booth. Make sure you read through them.

Staff

A motivated, well-informed team does more than anything else to differentiate your organisation and deliver a successful event participation. These are your ambassadors for the day and need to be people who really understand your company and whatever it is that you are selling. To ensure that your exhibition team works well together, is knowledgeable about your products and services, as well as willing to help visitors, prepare a short training course before the exhibition. If the event organiser offers an Open Day before the actual event, make sure you use it well and prepare your team!

At the event

Be prepared, follow the plan and make the most of it. Measure your progress throughout the day. Have meetings with attendees but also other exhibitors, you never know if a partnership might be born out of exhibiting at the same event. Keep your eyes open and listen to what people are saying - the event is also an opportunity to research, to get ideas for new products. If there is a conference, make sure you attend it and mention in the conversations. Take notes and plan for the follow ups, set up a few future follow-up meetings already at the stand. Make sure you and all of your staff are well rested, positive, polite, to really make the most of it and not miss out on even one opportunity!

After the event - most importantly, follow up!

The whole event will have been a waste of time unless you are prepared to devote as much time and effort to following up your leads as you did for the show, so make sure you have plan for this, and then do it! Sometimes the benefits from the contacts made at the event won’t be realised until 6 months or a year down the line - be patient, persistent and make sure you don’t lose the valuable connections made and the effort invested into the event.

Useful tips

Lastly, here are some do's and don'ts you need to be aware of:

DO

1. 3 second rule: In the 3 seconds that it takes for a visitor to pass your stand they have to know who you are, what you do and a good reason for using you.

2. Have as much lighting as possible, a dark stand is a dead stand.

3. Keep it simple, at a glance information (no over cluttering) .

4. Have a staff schedule for rests and walkabouts.

5. Be creative! Offer free samples or products which others haven’t thought of, provide a free beverage with your brand or another product - here’s a link to a company which makes delicious smoothies and coffees at events - much appreciated by attendees!

DON'T

1. Put too many staff on the stand at once, it is too intimidating.

2. Leave personal belongings or litter in full view, take a waste bin.

3. Just give away your card, write your stand number on it and the name of the show.

Taken from: Redcliffe.co.uk

Helpful sources: Iteca, The Marketing Donut

*Read more about it on Sky line trade show tips .

We hope that this helped, and wish you good luck with your next show! Remember, when considering exhibiting and how to do it exactly, make sure you are in the right place at the right time, surrounded with the right people.

If you need any further help, or have comments or questions, feel free to contact us directly - we have seen many good and bad examples of taking part in an exhibition over the last 10 years all over the globe, while producing and attending various events so would be able to review your idea or give you a couple more useful tips!

Cover image credit: Display Wizard

Slider-image credit: Jim Larrison