Before you get too carried away with the excitement of all this positive energy sit yourself down, read this advice from industry experts PA Promotions and get planning. We know it’s a cliché but if you fail to plan, you will be planning to fail. This exhibition will cost you money to attend and of course the cost of your time too so it is crucial that you make the most out of it.
What is your objective for this exhibition?
Before committing any money towards an event always ask yourself, what is best for my business, and what are the benefits of attending?
The majority of business’ which sign up for an exhibition or trade show do so because they want to increase their brand awareness, promote their business amongst a new audience and generate more enquiries.
We’re guessing you already have a fantastic logo which reflects the essence of your brand and this can very easily be turned into a quality piece of corporate merchandise.
When you booked your stand you were probably shown a floorplan and were able to choose a spot which will be a great place to show off your business and that your position is strong.
Consider your audience, where will they flock too? Usually the pull factors are; food, drinks or a high profile guest speaker. Evaluate who you will be stood near. If you notice any potential clashes or new prospects then naturally choose to be stood by the prospects all day, not your competition.
How to draw people to your stand?
Don’t be afraid to invest in good stand design, the colours and look of your stand can dictate how people will feel about your brand and whether they will want to stay and talk to you.
Red can symbolise passion, power and excitement, whereas blue on the other hand progressive, inventive and trustworthy. Make sure you consider that your stand is consistent with your brand!
How am I going to start the initial conversation?
If you feel awkward approaching people directly, panic no more! Simply arm yourself with a free gift.
If your ‘punter’ is ‘too busy’ to stop and talk to you but takes away a branded products with your business details on it then they can still contact you at a later date. Some good examples of easy to hand out and useful promotional items are trolley coins, keyrings, stress balls and pens.
Keep things SIMPLE!
By following these simple steps you can ensure that you get the most out of promoting your brand at the exhibition:
Shyness won’t bring you business – be ready to deliver your message to your audience. Contemplate beforehand, what have you done that is really different? Consider your unique selling points and be prepared to talk about them.
Impress people – make sure your stand isn’t too cluttered, keep it clean and tidy so that people can quickly and clearly grasp what you do, as well as your company name and location.
Market your brand – shout about your exhibition attendance on twitter, email your database of clients to invite them along. Can you offer them an incentive such as a discount or an impressive freebie? A useful promotional product such as USB stick or multi charger can go a very long way to staying at the forefront of your audiences minds.
Promote your brand – use flyers, pop ups, branded tablecloths, branded pens, balloons, prize draws, the whole shebang! Have a pre thought out giveaway strategy and promote your brand to everyone you can, all day long. Prepare your team, prepare yourself and prepare your products.
Listen to your audience – if your target audience is people that work in the building trade, consider giving them a freebie that will prove useful to them, an architects ruler perhaps? Or a keyring that doubles as a torch!
Everybody loves a sweet treat – always have your own sugar supply of branded sweets on hand. This can be in the shape of a mini pick n mix to be handed out, or a large pot of branded rock which looks good on display. If someone is tempted by your sweets they may be tempted to do business with you.
Attending an exhibition is big a commitment, but also one which could take your business to a new level of growth based on the calibre of prospects you might meet.
To make the initial set up costs worth while you have to make sure you focus your energy on making this exhibition work for your brand. Ensure that it is going to be an excellent platform to make your brand stand out from the crowd.
Please, please, please make sure you have a plentiful stock of business cards, there is nothing worse than starting a conversation and generating interest in your brand only to find that you can’t connect properly as you have run out of business cards!
Now you’re aware of what it takes to fully promote your brand at an exhibition or event, make sure you have all the necessary promotional items to take with you!
Lisa Worland, PA Promotions
