Planning an exhibition can be complex and time consuming but it’s vital to get it right. Take a look at the advice below and avoid some of the most commonly made mistakes:
Do
Start with a comprehensive list of aims and objectives. These should be quite specific and achievable. For example, your aim may be to increase awareness of your brand or to generate a certain number of leads.
Match giveaway items according to your brand and again try to be different. Attendees will generally come away from an exhibition with a pocket full of pens. Instead try to think of something they will not only use regularly, but that has the potential to become a talking point among friends and colleagues. Think hand warmers, lip balm, hand sanitizer or quirky cufflinks.
Think creatively about how you are going to present your products or services. You need to make sure your exhibit has a unique look and feel in order to stand out among all the other exhibitors.
Make sure you have the right number of employees to ensure your stand is manned by motivated, fresh and competent individuals. Too few and they will be rushed off their feet and exhausted before the day is over, too many and they will be bored and unproductive. Remember that footfall is likely to increase and decrease depending on the time of day and whether there are events such as presentations taking place.
Don’t
Don’t overload attendees with lots of facts and figures, or go into oversell mode. Be enthusiastic about your products or services, but remember that it is better to follow up leads post event than be that overbearing sales person that everyone tries to avoid.
Never chat on your phone, eat or drink on your stand. Similarly, never leave the stand unattended.
Make sure the venue itself is easy to navigate to. The last thing you want is to make the stand appeal and engage with the right audience and have no one able to get there. Taunton Venue Hire http://www.countygroundtaunton.co.uk/venue-hire/dinners-parties/ can be easily accessed and cater for a large group. Bear the venue in mind before agreeing to the stand.
Don’t assume you will remember everyone you have spoken to. It is best to jot down a few notes about each lead so that when you follow it up after the exhibition you have a good idea about what each attendee was looking for and why. It is harder than you think to try to sort through a stack of business cards after a busy event.