Preparing for a trade show can be stressful, especially when you have a tight deadline and high expectations. You want to showcase your products or services, attract new customers, and impress your existing ones. But how can you achieve all that without sacrificing quality? Here are some tips to help you plan, execute, and follow up on a successful trade show.
Before you start working on your trade show materials, you need to have a clear vision of what you want to accomplish. Setting SMART goals can help you define your objectives, measure your progress, and adjust your strategy if needed. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example, a SMART goal could be: Increase sales leads by 20% in the next three months by exhibiting at the XYZ trade show.
Advance budgeting and planning is critical. Meeting discount deadlines can easily save you 10-15% or more on your show floor spend. Begin working on your pre-show timeline as far in advance as possible. This will allow you to think issues and ideas through thoughtfully.
Meeting Trade Show Deadlines with High-Quality Standards To achieve high-quality standards and meet trade show deadlines, it's important to plan ahead, set priorities, delegate tasks wisely, utilize technology, implement quality control measures, consider outsourcing, test, and iterate, focus on networking, practice time management, and maintain an organized workspace. Proper time management and an efficient workspace are also crucial to success.
It`s all about knowing your why and setting three clear and measurable objectives. Going to an exhibition to sell lots of products is not a valuable objective. Lots could be 5 or 55. Be really clear about what you want to achieve...Also make sure the people who work the booth/stand also not what the exact objectives are...
SMART Goals are great. But I am a complete fraud and have stolen this acronym and added an 'H'. H for Harmony. I have added this because a trade show goal is usually guiding a number of people (e.g. all those working the stand). The harmony is ensuring the goal is easily understood by everyone. If you are setting a 'lead' goal, two staff members may have a very different understanding of what a lead is. Therefore the goal must reasonably step out what makes a 'lead' qualified.
Pick the supplier you trust the most who provides excellent ideas that are within your budget, pays the most attention to DETAIL and who COMMUNICATES VERY WELL.
Once you have your SMART goals, you need to create a realistic timeline and budget for your trade show project. A timeline will help you break down the tasks and milestones into manageable chunks and assign deadlines and responsibilities. A budget will help you estimate the costs and allocate the resources for your trade show materials, such as booth design, printing, shipping, staffing, and marketing. You can use tools like Gantt charts, spreadsheets, or project management software to create and track your timeline and budget.
There are some suggestions here about Gantt charts, etc. Almost 25 years in trade shows and I despise these sorts of things now as much as I did when I started. If they work for you - great, however there are many different brains in the world and a simple excel spreadsheet can be the most simple and effective way of keeping track. Choose something that works for you and don't be led by some guru that wants you to follow a system that works for them and makes them money but does absolutely nothing for you.
To meet a trade show deadline without sacrificing quality, effective planning is key. Create a detailed timeline with important milestones, allocating sufficient time for each stage. Prioritize tasks and delegate responsibilities for seamless execution. Embrace streamlined processes and leverage technology for efficient workflows. Foster clear communication and regular updates within your team to stay focused on objectives. Lastly, perform comprehensive quality checks at various stages to ensure high standards are maintained within the timeline.
You also need to recognize that like everything else, not everything goes to plan. I have often found that my clients front-load their ideas, but then run out of time or money to execute everything they had in mind. It's a good idea to set priorities and be ready to simplify your plans as you get closer to the show.
Monday is a good tool to manage projects, assigning tasks and handling with a requests & documents. I use also Teams and / or one drive and excel for budgeting.
To enhance your trade show strategy, consider allocating a portion of your budget for engaging activities like providing demos, freebies, and interactive experiences. These elements not only attract attendees but also keep them interested and engaged. Moreover, it's crucial to account for the costs associated with these activities in your overall budget. Beyond the immediate expenses, it's wise to factor in the cost of leads generated and the cost of closing deals resulting from the trade show. This comprehensive approach allows for a more accurate assessment of whether the trade show participation was worth the investment, providing valuable insights for future decision
When you have a trade show deadline, it can be tempting to cut corners or rush things to get everything done. However, this can backfire and damage your reputation and results. Instead of trying to do everything, focus on the most important and impactful aspects of your trade show project. For instance, prioritize quality over quantity by choosing a few key products or services to highlight, creating a simple and elegant booth design that reflects your brand and message, printing high-quality brochures, flyers, and business cards that stand out and convey your value proposition, preparing a compelling pitch and demo that engages your audience and showcases your benefits, and training your staff to be friendly, professional, and knowledgeable.
Think about what you are trying to achieve and ensure your exhibition stand design helps you fulfil these. For example do you need shelving for product display or tech to enable product demos? Do you need seating for meetings? This will help provide clarity on how to design your space for maximum ROI.
I would focus on client experience: what is moat importatant for your client to see / hear / experience. It’s not anout your company, but what you can offer to your clients.
Focus on preparing the prototype sample of the item you are most dependent on for strong reaction on from key customers. Also include a strong sell sheet for the key item, base on prototype with key selling benefits, competitive advantages.
I lose a couple of days of my life every time I see an exhibitor using sticky tape or blu-tack to put up some very flimsy banners or posters. Seriously?!? No matter how late you book a show, you can get good quality posters and banners printed in quick time. Spend the extra money to get the quality rather than cheap posters which make you look....well cheap.
Consistency is key. Using materials featuring outdated, pixelated logos on white backgrounds, distributing poorly printed collateral, or offering random giveaways found in the depths of your supply closet will not convey a sense of professionalism to potential clients. It's crucial to prioritize the quality and consistency of your trade show materials to demonstrate that your company is well-managed and detail-oriented.
Prior to shipping or packing your trade show materials, it is important to test and review everything to make sure they are functioning correctly and meet your standards. This will help you avoid any unpleasant surprises and guarantee a smooth and flawless presentation. Testing and reviewing can be done by verifying the spelling, grammar, and design of printed materials, testing the functionality and compatibility of digital materials such as videos, slides, or apps, reviewing the layout and setup of your booth and equipment, practicing your pitch and demo with your staff to get feedback, and making a checklist of everything you need to bring and do before, during, and after the trade show.
If you have a factory floor or other decent sized space, can you map out the trade show stand to get an idea of what it will look like come show time? Having worked on shows for almost 25 years, I still have ideas in my head of what an area will look like and then arrive onsite to be totally surprised that it looked quite different to what I expected. Like many other 'visual' people, it helps me to see something before it actually happens.
The review has to be ongoing. Say 8 months out the new booth has been designed. Now needs to be built, graphics approved, shipping deadlines: What is going wrong? Consistent review by all stake holders is critical to the execution of a new large booth.
In my experience it is critical to make sure you have tested all equipment monitors , monitor stands , computers ( has what is required been downloaded and a back up computer been done as well ) , set up displays to ensure all parts are in working order and once replaced to the travel bags or cases I tape the seal with a red tape ( buy it on Amazon) it was quick visual they have been cleared to go to shipping or ready to travel . I always carry extra electrical cords , multi plug with power surge also have a small tool bag , and a first aid kit ( travel size ) make sure everything is still in the bag ( I have a check list that goes in the bag) . 100% agree with the other experts , checklists and checking the items off is critical.
If you can create the actual mock up of your product display, along with the printed posters etc about the product, the spaces for discussions and walking space (important), you can review if the arrangement of space is condusive to the visitors experience. At this stage, there should be ample time to make changes in the layout or the product selection.
For booths featuring products, it will be beneficial to setup mockups in office to rehearse the actual setup process and test the visitor experience.
After the trade show is over, you should follow up with your leads and contacts promptly and effectively. This will help you maintain the momentum and interest generated during the trade show, convert them into customers and partners, and maximize your return on investment. To do this, you can send a personalized thank-you email or message within 24 hours of the trade show. Additionally, segmenting your leads and contacts based on their needs, preferences, and level of interest can be helpful. Furthermore, providing relevant and valuable information such as case studies, testimonials, or offers that address their pain points and goals can be beneficial. Scheduling a phone call, meeting, or demo to further discuss your products or services may be necessary to close the deal. Finally, adding your leads and contacts to your CRM system and nurturing them with regular and consistent communication is key.
Trade event follow-up is one of the worst areas for many companies. I recently attended an event and dropped my business card after having a conversation with three vendors - none of them responded. At a former company where I was on the organizer side of the business - I was targeted as a lead. All because I was popping in and out of booths checking on the sponsors to make sure they were okay. At a few of them, they must have scanned my badge because I got follow up emails...for several months...don't do that - please. You need to train your staff to only collect leads who really are a fit for your company. It will increase the likelihood of a closed/won sale as your team has more time to focus on a quality lead.
This is what most forget to do - even though this is the point where selling begins. Remember to contact your leads, since it has cost you a lot of time and effort!
Automate and pre-set email follow ups and make notes immediately, if possible. I get it, you're there to meet and greet. To provide value to the individuals visiting your booth and it's quite easy to have waves to people and be in a sequence of back to back to back conversations. However, in my experience I would either have my laptop locked and loaded and make notes right after or jot down reminders on the back of the business cards in my earlier days. Now, with more modern approaches, it's simple to incorporate digital tools to help this process be more efficient. - Trade show landing page to source data entry - QR code with API to connect directly to your CRM - Ovou Card (look it up, thank me later) #leadgeneration #bizdevwizard
The fortune truly is in the follow up. Most sales professionals don't do this because they are busy chasing the next opportunity. ?????? You can't build a relationship at a trade show, so don't even try. Reaching out to potential customers after the event is the only way you can. ?? If your comfortable, I would encourage you to use a email system like MailChimp to follow up with leads.
Follow up with customers after the show so your company remains memorable for next year. This can be a generic "thank you" email, or you can customize the message to fit their specific interests. If you met with editors from industry publications, also thank them for visiting and learning about your company.
If you are coming to Finland or need help in Europe in trade shows or BtoB events, don’t hesitate to contact me. I have +15 yrs of experinece of corporate events & exhibitions from small C-level events to events od thousands of people.
Learn from past experiences and fellow exhibitors. Every trade show is unique. However due to their annual, and/or quarterly frequencies, it gets much more easier to plan well ahead. Budgets, timelines & strategies created for previous shows of the same exhibition can be used to minimize the time required and spent for the upcoming show.
Don't forget to prepare the team that is attending the event with you. Meet with the team beforehand to make sure they have all they need to be able to successfully represent your company. Include daily stand-ups at the event itself to adjust for any last minute changes. Invite the team for a dinner or some experience to build the morale. And lastly, make sure to include a retrospective after the event to catch all the learnings the team had.
Plan ahead for onsite support. No matter how well you prepare for a show, something is going to pop up at some point. Succeeding as an exhibitor is dependent on your ability to roll with punches and turn challenges into opportunities. For example: *Its 45 minutes to show open and - surprise - a neighboring exhibitor just put a hole in your graphic. Quick - put a potted plant in front of it. *You invested a lot into having a branded consumable but -surprise - no one seems to want to try it. Quick - send your two most personable teammates out to hand out samples outside the show entrance. A challenge will come up. When it does, it will help if you already thought ahead about who can be there onsite to support you very quickly.
First of all, realise what you are saying no to by this trade show yes. Clarify with your workgroup/ boss/ customers what this yes means so that priorities are aligned and expectations are set. This will avoid unrealistic pressure to deliver what will be half quality work if you overstretch into 2 paralell goals. It will also give you a solid foundation to direct focus to the show; plus a quality collaborative platform to establish grounded, peer supported targets, budgets, goals, logistical plans and timelines.