How do you turn an empty space into a magnet of opportunities?
Trade shows allow your business to foster valuable connections, elevate your brand in a competitive market, and generate interest in your products or services. As a first-time exhibitor, you’ll want to make the most of your investment in such events.
What’s your immediate action? Should you rent or go with custom exhibition stands? How do you attract people to your booth?
We recommend the following steps in this first-time exhibitor guide.
Planning to Succeed
Developing a strategic plan for your first venture into events as an exhibitor ensures you’ll be able to meet targets, which are shaped by your goals.
Is your participation in an expo part of a new product launch? Are you looking to drum up business in a new market? Or maybe your company aims to boost sales for the quarter?
Every exhibitor comes to a trade show with a specific goal. Once you set a goal, you’ll have a better idea of what your stand design might look like, the activities you might do during the event, and how much you can budget for this marketing strategy.
Other than goal setting, another key element to exhibition planning for beginners is choosing the right event.
Choose your event.
Most events, whether it’s for your industry or for consumers, are electrifying. The excitement can feel so overwhelming that you might be tempted to participate in every trade show.
Not all events can be a good fit for every business and deliver on every goal. The key point to resolve here is why it’s good for your business to exhibit at a particular event.
Consider the following:
- The historical success of the trade show, and whether it’s delivered on exhibitor expectations. Talk to past exhibitors and gain insight into their experience.
- All successful trade shows attract big crowds, but are those crowds your target market?
- Will the event be held in a convenient location that’s accessible to your target market? The location and venue will also play a role in choosing the design of your exhibition stand .
- The timing of the event is critical to your buying seasons or marketing campaigns. If its schedule doesn’t align with your campaigns, it may not be the right event.
- Your competitors are likely to exhibit, too. Although that signifies you’re in the right event, too many of them may drown out your message.
Create a lasting impression with exhibition design.
The look and feel of your exhibition stand tells trade show visitors what you’re offering and how you’re unique from the competition. The right design not only sets the tone for the rest of your time in the event but also creates a lasting impression that’s favorable to your business.
And the best way to do that would be to go with a custom-built exhibition stand. It’s designed according to your brand. It will allow you to make the most of your exhibition space. It will have the technical requirements that will set your space apart from other exhibitors.
Make sure you’ve picked the right personnel.
An attractive exhibition stand can attract the right prospects. But the right personnel can deliver conversions. You’ll need people who are trained and know their objectives.
You’ll also want a good mix of sales, technical, and customer service staff at your exhibition stand. With the right mix of personnel, visitors to your stand will have adequate and expert sources of information.
For instance, one person could provide an overview of your company’s products and services. Another person could address specific inquiries, providing visitors with information that will help them decide. And the third person can closecloses the deal, facilitating that final nudge through the sales funnel.
Simplifying Logistics
Depending on the complexity of the event and your exhibition stand design, make arrangements for your exhibition space six to seven months before the show.
What services will you need during the event and what can the organizers provide? And does your exhibition staff need to travel for the event? From here, you’ll determine what needs to happen and how to make them happen months ahead of the show.
One of the more practical exhibition tips for a newcomer is to find a contractor who can take off some of the load.
Find a single-source solution.
A single-source solution means working with exhibition contractors who can assist you from start to finish. This includes design, construction, installation, and dismantling, so you don’t have to seek multiple contractors to help you with your exhibition stand.
Finalize your exhibition branding.
Contractors need time to fabricate your exhibition stand, so you’ll need to finalize how it’s going to look a couple of months before the show. Exhibition signage and branding is critical to attracting and retaining visitors, and nudging them to your call to action.
Prepping Your Team
Finally, meet with your team to go over your plan weeks ahead of the event. A pre-event meeting must cover key areas, from exhibition stand design and branding to schedule of activities and top prospects. Everyone in your team must be aligned to ensure goals are achieved.
Make sure everyone has a contact sheet of the team as well as key personnel of the exhibition organizers. Communication is critical as you get closer to the trade show or expo day. If last-minute changes or issues crop up, you’ll have enough time to address them.
Ideally, you’ll need about a year’s worth of preparation for an exhibition. This period will allow you to do sufficient research about the right event to invest in and to develop a budget around it.
Early preparation also means you can reserve premium exhibition space because you will have registered ahead of most exhibitors.
Trade shows provide enormous opportunities for business growth. It’s crucial to make the most of your time and to know how to succeed as a first-time exhibitor. Fortunately, you don’t have to go it alone.
Stand Out as a New Exhibitor
ArabExpo provides end-to-end services for exhibitors in any industry. We work with you closely to ensure your presence in any event creates the kind of success you set out to achieve.
With our experienced team, we can identify your needs as an exhibitor and ensure optimal results.
Fill out our short form today for inquiries.
