tradeshow exhibition tips and advice · tradeshow exhibition tips and advice design your exhibition...

02920 224 111 [email protected]

Successful exhibition marketing takes more than just a great exhibition stand or portable display. It involves strategic planning and taking advantage of every sales opportunity: before, during and after the exhibition.To help you make the most from your exhibition, our exhibiting advice, hints and tips offer exhibiting ideasand guidance to ensure you have a successful show.

MARCH | 2016

Tradeshow exhibition tips and advice

Is this show where you want to be?

To find out, get as much information as possible about the show you’re considering. Ask show organisersfor a copy of last year’s registration form, and an attendee profile. This will tell you who you’ll meet on theshow floor. Don’t be shy about asking for the names of other confirmed exhibitors, and search the list foryour competitors.

Ask past exhibitors and attendees what they liked and disliked about the show, and whether it mettheir buying and selling needs. Ask show management how they plan to promote the show, and what theywill do to help your ideal prospect find you there. It is not enough to select an exhibition because thesales force believe the company ought to exhibit or because the organisers claim your competitors will bepresent.

It’s easy to underestimate the time it takes to properly plan a successful exhibition. To avoid thestress and headaches of exhibiting you need to start planning at least 4 months ahead of the show. Thiswill make life for you and your colleagues much easier and help to avoid last minute panics and extraexpenses. Appoint an exhibition coordinator with overall responsibility for the show. List out tasks andallocate responsibility and stick to your deadlines.

A written exhibition plan should provide: Objectives; Time scales; Budgets; Space requirements; Stand and graphic design parameters; • On-site services; Transportation and logistics; Staffing levels and training; • Pre- and post-show promotions; Show evaluation criteria; On-stand data capture; Follow-up procedure for • leads.

Each part of the exhibition plan works together to create synergy and success.

02920 224 [email protected]




The exhibition show objectives you set will determine the products and/or services you need to exhibit. If you plan to launch a new product, for instance, your stand design needs to focus on the new product. Don’t fall into the trap of displaying every product and/or service you have to offer – the message will become confused and your new product may well be lost.

You have 3 – 5 seconds to grab the attention of the visitor.

In that time you need to convey:

• Who you are• What you sell• The benefit of your product and/or service to them

Availability of good stand space will depend on how early you decide to book. You need to decide the typeof space that best suits your objectives and how you intend to use it. If it’s a new show for you, you maydecide to leave booking space until quite late as good deals can be available from organisers as it getscloser to the show dates. This tactic however can result in you having limited choice with space selection.

Corner stands give a feeling of openness and therefore catch visitors easily. Also, the more sidesopen to aisles the better as it’s easier for visitors to walk on. Areas of high traffic where people congregate like seating areas, cafes and refreshment points and toilets can also work well.

Space is sold per square metre. Space size can be as little as 1 x 3m. As a general rule you shouldallow 4.5 square metres per person. Add to this the exhibition stand, equipment to be shown and someextra space for visitors and you should have a pretty good idea of the space you require.

Where?

Attention Seeker

Read the Exhibitor Manual

The Exhibitor Manual is the official guide to everything you need to know about participatingat your chosen show, read it carefully. It contains all the rules and regulations, order forms for show services,contractor information, build up and break down dates, accommodation and hospitalityinformation, registration and access information and promotion details.




Design your exhibition stand

Your biggest decision will be choosing your exhibition stand design, so start the process 4 - 6 monthsbefore your show date. Before you decide what to buy or rent and from whom, consider the following:

Promote your exhibition stand

The show organiser is responsible for promoting the show to the right target audience and is accountable to exhibitors for delivering quality visitors. Where the visitors go once they get to the show is the responsibility of you, the exhibitor. Exhibition research shows that 76% of visitors arrive at an exhibition with a fixed agenda. You are responsible for informing your target audience about what you’re exhibiting, where you are located in the hall and why they should visit you.

A number of opportunities are available to you in promoting your participation at a show. You can mail your own databases, buy in a list or mail to the show’s list of pre-registrations. Some 83% of the most successful companies at a range of exhibitions were the ones that mailed their prospects and customers before the show [Source: CEIR].

The show organiser can tell you what publications they will be promoting the exhibition through and who will be covering show previews. Many shows now have dedicated web sites for registering visitors and promoting the exhibition, promote your participation on your own web site as well. Include the same details on standard sales and marketing letters sent out by your business daily. Many exhibitions offer sponsorship opportunities providing significant brand exposure. Each event will have a standard list of packages available to suit most budgets but if you have a different idea to what’s on offer, talk to the organiser – they may be interested in creating a bespoke package. Remember, it should form part of your overall exhibition objectives.

What is the history and reputation of the supplier? • Do they offer the type of product, design service, • field service and product guarantee required to create your ideal exhibition stand?Is the stand easy to transport and assemble?• What are the on-going costs, and will it be • economical to expand, reconfigure or refurbish for future shows?Are rental options available?• Your budget will dictate the type, size and make • of stand you can afford. Consider your company image and how you want • to be portrayed –quality, high-tech, established, contemporary, sporty or traditional? Shape, colour and design will help create the right • image.



Understand what your target audience is looking for

As 76% of exhibition visitors come with an agenda, they have taken the time to visit the show and they have a purpose – they need to see if what you are selling is what they want to buy. They are looking for solutions to the challenges they face in their working environment. They want to leave the exhibition with concrete answers and solutions to various issues.The major reason people visit exhibitions is to see what’s new. They’re eager to find out how they can save time and money using new products, applications and technologies – so tell them!Even without a new product or service, you need to think about a different spin to promote what you have to offer. Educate the prospect and let your industry knowledge and expertise shine through – it might just steer them towards doing business with you.Educate the prospect and let your industry knowledge and expertise shine through – it might just steer them towards doing business with you. If you do your job right, your products or services will be just what the prospect is looking for.

Make sure yours are well trained, understand the objectives of the stand and each member’sspecific role in achieving them. Tell them why you are exhibiting, what you’re exhibiting, what you expect of them and show them how to do what you expect of them. It’s not enough to have a great looking exhibition stand – the attitude, appearance, body language and knowledge of your stand staff is critical for your future relationships with attendees, prospects and clients.

Essentials of Exhibition Selling

There are four essential exhibition selling skills your salespeople need to know about: 1. Product knowledge. The primary reason visitors attend a show is to learn about “what’s new“ and to get detailed product/service information. They want to speak to knowledgeable staffers so that they can get their questions answered.2. Competitive knowledge. It’s important to know and study the competition. Your visitors will expect you to know how your products compare with or differ from the competition’s.3. Consultative selling. This skill involves asking powerful and insightful questions that will either qualify or disqualify visitors. You want to ensure that you spend the right amount of time with the right people.4. Getting rid of window-shoppers. Along with legitimate prospects, your stand will attract window-shoppers — people who are really not interested in buying. Your staffers need skills to move these people along gently and quickly.



TO DISCUSS YOUR EXHIBITION STANDCONTACT A MEMBER OF SEMAPHORE:28 Bessemer Road, Cardiff, CF11 8BA (029) 20224 111 www.semaphoredisplay.co.uk

Evaluate every show

Don’t underestimate the importance of a final show evaluation. Invest time with your stand staff immediately after each exhibition to evaluate your performance. It pays enormous dividends. Conduct a post-event evaluation that investigates ways for improvement and fine-tuning your show for the next time around.

After your next exhibition, take time to examine your exhibiting programme in more detail. Check that your actions are not done from habit, but rather are productive and profitable. Think about all the shows you attend. How do they really fit into your marketing strategy? Are you attending them just because you’ve always done so or because your competition is there? These are often your weak links – the shows that utilise unnecessary time and energy. Think about doing away with the “nice to be at shows” and rather opt for putting all your energy into more profitable events that attract more quantities of your target market. Watch excessive employee spending at shows, such as dining at the finest restaurants and ordering the highest priced items just because the boss is paying. questions answered.

Have Stand Visitors Provide Post-Show Feedback

Who better to evaluate your standing performance than those who experienced it? Develop a post-show survey to send out to all those attendees who visited your stand, interacted with your staff, or who attended a presentation or demonstration. This is an opportunity for you to gain some invaluable insights, and, in addition, it provides you with specifics you can use to improve your performance at your next show.

tradeshow exhibition tips and advice · tradeshow exhibition tips and advice design your exhibition...

Documents