A successful exhibition requires a lot of planning and hard work. There are many different areas to consider to ensure you make the most of the opportunity, but when done well, the return on your investment will demonstrate just how much value there is in it.
Same page briefing
It’s important to ensure every person who will be representing your brand is on the same page. If they don’t have a specific role and a complete understanding of what you’re trying to achieve at the exhibition, then they shouldn’t be on your stand. Segregate the roles as much as possible to avoid over complication and to allow people to focus on key points relevant to them.
Pre-event marketing
Let people know where you’re going to be, and why they should visit you. Utilise your social media and company blog to promote your presence. Peak people’s interest so they want to visit your stand.
Make the most of your space
Setting up your exhibition stand can be just as challenging as good interior design. You must consider the correct use of colours, lighting, furniture, and materials. Try to think outside the box, but in a way that offers potential clients comfort and engagement.
Use technology to enhance a visitor’s experience. You could provide seating areas with games and snacks, anything relevant to your target audience that offers them respite from the continual bombardment from other exhibitors. A relaxed space that isn’t too overcrowded with your own staff will help you to naturally strike up conversations with visitors.
Give away
Promotional items always go down well. People love to receive something for nothing. It also provides a great opportunity to get your brand name in their hands, circulating the exhibition and heading home with them afterwards. The more times a customer sees your brand, even if it isn’t conscious, the more comfortable they will be engaging with you, increasing the chance of them becoming a customer.
Avoid some of the clichéd giveaways. Try to select branded promotional products that offer genuine value to your visitors. Mobile phone power banks are a great giveaway, as virtually everybody visiting your stand will have a smart phone. It’s the type of tool people will find genuinely useful and keep close by in the future, maximising the exposure of your branding. Your promotional item can be provided in a branded bag along with company literature.
Capitalise on your leads
Engaging your customers, raising brand awareness and creating leads are the main reasons for carrying out exhibition marketing. It’s important to have a follow-up plan in place before the exhibition, as leaving it too long afterwards can mean you miss your opportunity to strike while the iron’s hot.
Plan how you’re going to make contact, the angle of approach, and a clearly defined path for each type of reaction. Once the follow-up plan is created you should assign the task to the best people to see it through.
Conclusion
Too many considerations go into a successful exhibition to be included here but being prepared is definitely the key to every aspect. Have everything in place beforehand, try to engage customers in a professional but human way, ensure your staff know their specific roles, and know what you’re trying to achieve and how you’re going to follow up and maximise the data you collect.
