What mistakes do you make at Trade Shows?

There needs to be a series of goals. Some leads/sales driven and some that focus on other areas of the show that can serve your needs. What about a goal around introducing a brand-new product to 5 current clients. Part of an upsell strategy.

Imagine this: You're at a trade show, but there's no clear business objective. It's like a road trip with no destination! How to fix it? Set SMART goals: Specific: Clear, no confusion. Measurable: Trackable numbers. Attainable: Realistic. Relevant: Fits your industry. Timely: Timeframe. SMART goals guide your marketing, measure results, and show if the show was worth it. Remember, if you can't measure it, you can't improve it! So, don't head to a trade show without a clear goal. It could be gathering 50 leads, securing 5 clients, or just building relationships. Setting a goal, even a simple one, makes a big difference.

Trade Shows are high level business conferences. They are not a circus, carnival, or consumer event. Exhibitors on a trade show floor want to present, demonstrate and share their products and services to a select group of "targeted prospects" representing potential future sales. Attendees at a trade show are in the "vertical trade" and are interested in those products and services that help them do their jobs. Trade associations stage trade shows in conjunction with their annual meetings for the educational benefits of their members and to raise funds by renting exhibit space. Successful exhibitors plan ahead to present and demonstrate their products to their targeted prospects in hopes gaining new sales and shortening the selling cycle.

Trade shows are usually international events. Add your goals for each of your targeted countries. If you write your goals down and add numbers to them you can keep track of each talk you have by adding them into a category you defined before.

Attending a trade show without proper research is like appearing for Mathematics examination after preparing the whole night for Science. To make your trade show participation more effective, here are a few things that I would recommend. 1. Define your Objectives and align them with the trade show's. If they don't align, then don't attend. 2. Read Attendee Reviews and Testimonials. This will help you evaluate the event better. 3. Go through the Exhibitor list and set up meetings well ahead in time. 4. Networking opportunities within the trade show should not be missed. Look for receptions, match-making sessions, etc. 6. Carry enough Marketing Materials like Brochures, Business Cards, Case Studies, etc.

Exhibitor list is a treasure – go one by one under your targeted category. Once the list is ready, get calling, write emails and find out who is the person to talk to on the booth. Also, find out what is a good time to meet them – those calendars are full at the exhibition. Also, don’t forget to download the map of the exhibition ground – finding your way around is not easy and being late to appointments is rude…

Research is your trusty sidekick. Here's why: Know Your Audience: Research helps you understand who's attending. Tailoring your show to their interests is a game-changer. Picking the perfect spot can make or break your show. Researching the venue, its accessibility, and its reputation is critical. Look at your calendar and industry events. Avoid scheduling your show during a major holiday or when your target audience is likely to be on vacation. What are your rivals up to? Research their events. You don't want to clash with them or miss out on potential collaborations. Stay up-to-date on tech trends. Maybe VR booths are the rage this year. Budget Wisely: Researching costs and expenses helps you budget effectively.

Your booth is your first salesperson. If this doesn't make an impact, you may never get the chance to let your other 'salespeople' do their work.

We had a small booth and we were first-time attendees. However, we were able to have some remarkable companies stop by our booth? Why? Because our booth stood out. Our design was good, it was eye-catching and invited attendees in. They wanted to find out more about what we offer. An amazing, attractive booth doesn’t have to cost more. When you use good lighting, color and design, you can attract attendees easily—that’s only a problem for your booth neighbors. Their loss!

I get it; the urge to save with a basic booth or a budget design agency is real. But here's the scoop - skimp on your booth, and your potential customers will notice. A poorly designed booth won't attract good leads and can harm your rep. What to Do: Branding: Customize everything to match your brand. Layout, tech, lighting - make it yours. Product Showcase: Design your booth to show off your products effectively. Glass displays, great lighting, or realistic concept rooms can do wonders. Logistics: Pros handle it all. Design, transport, setup, troubleshooting - they've got you covered. Cost-Effective: Custom booths may cost more upfront but pay off long-term, especially if you attend trade shows often.

Besides the booth design, maybe even more important are the smiling people on it. If the sales person sits on the booth and looks mostly at his/her phone or laptop, even the shiniest design will not attract visitors. Keeping eye contact and welcoming visitors never loses importance.

The promotion you do at show and post show can all be prepared in advance so all you need to do is drop a nice photo in or similar. Don't leave these tasks until you are at the show because you will not have the time to do it justice.

Imagine setting up a booth at a trade show, and no one shows up. It's a real concern for many brands. The "build it and they will come" mindset doesn't work here. You must actively market your presence. Here's how: 1. Retargeting Campaigns: Before the event, set up campaigns to keep your brand in attendees' minds as they browse the web. 2. Display and PPC Advertising: Create a landing page for the event, use keywords, and draw traffic effectively. 3. Reach Out to Existing Customers: Your happy customers can attract new leads. Consider hosting an exclusive event in your booth. 4. Social Media: Leverage event hashtags and industry-related tags to reach attendees excited to learn more.

I’ve worked with many clients who spend thousands of dollars on booths and had a “if we build it, they will come” mentality. Listen, everyone is building it… they are not going to come to every one. Build a full campaign strategy around each event complete with goals. Give them a reason to stop by that interests or excites them and follow up!

There also needs to be some ruthlessness in moving 'dead' leads on. Whilst you don't want to be rude, spending time with someone that clearly is not the right fit, is using up valuable time you can be spending time with the right leads.

When you're at a trade show, you're not just trying to get as many people as possible to your booth. You're trying to get qualified leads, people who are actually interested in what you have to offer. Do your research. Before the show, take some time to research the companies and people who will be attending. This will help you target your messaging and make a good impression. Be friendly and approachable. People are more likely to give you their time if they feel comfortable talking to you. Qualify your leads. Don't just collect any and all leads. Take the time to qualify each lead to make sure they're a good fit for your product or service. Follow up promptly. After the show, send a thank-you note to everyone who visited your booth.

As part of this, you should wrap up the experience with a written report and some clear learnings for the next event. Staff turnover and, let's face it, forgetful human beings, sometimes allow past mistakes and learnings to be locked away. Sadly, the same mistakes are repeated and the results don't improve.

It's not enough to just participate in a trade show. You need to know if it actually worked for your business. That's where measurement comes in. Set Clear Metrics: Before the show, decide how you'll measure success. Get your team and higher-ups on board. Now, here's where the 3 Rs come in: Return on Investment (ROI): This is about tracking the revenue your trade show activities generate. It's quantitative, like calculating the cost per lead or the average sales revenue generated by the show. Return on Objective (ROO): This measures non-financial objectives, like brand image or media relations. Return on Relationship (ROR): This is about nurturing relationships with current and past customers.

As rightly indicated by Russell, learning from mistakes is overlooked very often. As an events & expo freighting and logistics specialist I face this very often. I have seen few clients take timely shipping of exhibits for granted. Often not paying attention to experts and the official logistics agency of the event, and taking rash decision to ship the goods by cutting corners, and often waking up at the last moment very close to shipping deadlines, and resulting in paying extra for late arrival surcharges at the destination. The key hear is, after youook the space

One of the biggest mistakes that most companies make is not preparing the people who staff the booth. This means ensuring the staffers: 1) Are trained to answer questions about the product(s) being exhibited 2) Know who to call if they get stuck 3) Know what resources are available (in the booth, to give to booth visitors; online, to provide the URL to customers who want more information) 4) Know how to do a product demo (or who to call to do a demo), as well as when demos will be shown 5) Know how and what information to gather from each booth visitor 6) Know who the sales contacts are for customers who want a follow up meeting By ensuring all booth personnel are trained in these areas, your booth exhibition will be more productive.

Exhibiting at a trade show is like the Superbowl, World Cup and World Series all wrapped into one three-day spectacle. Attendees arrive from all over the world to attend meetings, seminars and workshops and when time allows, walk the accompanying trade show floor in search of what's new and exciting to help them do their jobs better. Most trade shows are "vertical" in nature and appeal to members of one specific trade or discipline. Exhibitors serving that business can meet more suspects, prospects and customers in three days than months in the field, if ever. The beauty of the trade show for exhibitors, is that prospects call on them while they have the full corporate resources available to make a best first impression and influence sales.

Choosing the right trade show is of utmost importance. Sometimes, it is not the one where most of your competition exhibits - moreover look for those which your customers go to visit. Sometimes, it is the smaller or regional events which attract your potential partners or clients. A good research of possible exhibitions is very important, especially if going abroad for an event.

Don’t forget to attend networking events during the trade show. Often there are things like happy hour, presentations, meet and greets. These are vital opportunities to build rapport with potential clients and meet other vendors who may be good collaboration opportunities in the future.