Soft Opening of a trade show - What it really is?

There are several definitions to Soft Opening, all of which are similar in meaning.?There is one definition I find most accurate and relevant to this article.

Every show has opening and end dates.

Some shows have an announced Official Opening date.

That means, in most cases, that there might be “unofficial” opening date.?The date, before the show starts, the show allows visitors to get in, is the Soft Opening date.?Although the show is officially not open yet, visitors can still walk in and meet with exhibitors and one another.

It is he time for exhibitors, vendors and visitors to walk the floor, see what’s new, get ideas of market trends, meet and talk to one another and more.?This is more relaxing and unofficial atmosphere.

Soft Opening, should be considered an event of its own although it is adjacent to the show.?Selected customers prefer to arrive to a show earlier and take advantage of the relaxing atmosphere and slow traffic.?For its most part they able to pay more attention to exhibitors and products and also get more attention from their exhibitor counterparts.

One of the major characteristics of the visitors that are coming earlier is that most of them are larger customers to their exhibitor vendors.?Most of the meetings are pre-scheduled and take longer than those meetings during the official show dates.

Other visitors utilizing soft opening day for browsing the assortment to make purchasing decision for the next day.

Soft Opening, is valuable to both exhibitors and visitors.

We should not expect high traffic but well focused and eager clientele that is serious about doing business at this early stage of the show already.

Your To Do list for Soft Opening includes:

1.??????Schedule a meeting with your key customers allowing EXTENDED time for meeting (30 minutes and MORE).

2.??????Make sure your space is well prepared, maintained and clean.

3.??????When meeting with your customer check for their feedback on how they value your service, deliveries, quality of products and alike.?Your customer will give you reliable and relevant feedback.

4.??????Discuss market intelligence: market overview, competitors and others.

5.??????Share tips and insight of how other customers of yours are doing (don’t share names but just examples).

6.??????Go over your existing range and check their feedback.

7.??????Show new products including ideas for new products (the bet feedback on your R&D will come from your customers).

8.??????Ask your customers what they would like to get more from you.?What do they missing that you can fulfill for them.

9.??????Be prepared with discounts and special above and beyond the regular show special you plan to give during the show (not always recommended but considered).

Meetings during soft opening day are longer and therefore enable us to learn more about the market we live in.

Take advantage of those cherished moments with your customers.

They will appreciate that and you can be certain that you maximize your value with your customer and gain major benefit to your business.

My business model consists of participations in order writing shows and most of my exhibitor colleagues and their customers are looking at these events such soft openings most favorably similarly alike.