It’s a huge deal deciding to exhibit your business at your first trade show and if you’ve never exhibited before it can be a bit overwhelming – where do you start, what do you need and what size stand should you book? These are all questions commonly asked by business owners who are preparing for their first exhibition.
Trade show exhibitions are a great opportunity to show off your business, reach potential new clients, make new business connections, and learn more about your industry. You can read more about the benefits of exhibiting in our last blog post – Why Participating in Trade Shows is Essential for Business Success.
In today’s post, we’ll be covering some essential tips to help you prepare for your first trade show as an exhibitor.
6 Tips To Help You Prepare To Exhibit At Your First Trade Show
Consider your objectives
Before booking your first event you should consider your ‘why’. Why do you want to exhibit? What do you want to achieve? Who are you trying to reach? What do you hope to get out of exhibiting? For example, are you trying to build awareness, showcase a new product, generate leads or make sales? Defining what you are trying to achieve will help you create a plan and set goals for the event.
Do your research before booking
There are a lot of trade show exhibits going on all across the country and you need to decide which one(s) are the right for your business. You need to choose an event that is relevant to your industry, is expected to be well attended, has a good number of exhibitors and will be an event that decision-makers in your target audience will attend. Before you exhibit, attend if you can (some trade exhibitions run by the same company are held multiple times per year) and if you can’t attend find out about expected attendance, do research into previous events, ask others who’ve exhibited about their experiences, and check for other events taking place locally on the same day which might reduce the numbers. By doing your research you can find out which events are worth exhibiting at before committing.
Make a budget
It can be expensive to exhibit at a trade show. You should budget for costs such as your individual stand, power (if applicable), parking, travel expenses, trade stand signage (banners etc), branded furniture, products, transportation, stationary and any other ‘loot’ you might be giving away on the day.
Design your booth
Your branding and signage represent you and your brand so it is essential that it stands out and looks professional. If you have the budget it’s worth hiring a professional graphic designer to create signage that matches your branding and showcases your business to the best of its ability. You should also choose a good printing company to ensure that your signage is vibrant and of great quality. Your branding needs to stand out and be inviting and engaging, to attract the attention of the attendees.
Promote that you are exhiting
Tell people that you are exhibiting. Advertise the event by posting that you will be attending on your website, social media channels and email content. Most events will have their own dedicated hashtag which you can use and will help increase your visibility. Set up a strategy to promote your attendance – don’t just post a picture of your stand on the day. Show clips of your signage coming together, sneak peaks of products being launched, reshare the event’s social images and show your preparation behind the scenes.
Make arrangements for the day
Decide who is attending on the day, will it just be you or are you taking a friend or one or more members of the team. Make a plan of action for the stand, will you be capturing contact details, do you have an interactive gimmick or giveaway and how will this work? It’s also worth thinking about your ‘angle’ when you start talking to people. Think about the kind of conversations you want to have and the kind of people you want to target and look for. Also, consider your strategy for following up with new connections and commit to it.
Plan to Succeed at Your Next Exhibition with Evesham Transport
Preparing for your first trade show exhibition can be overwhelming, but with proper planning and execution, it can make a huge difference to your brand. Exhibiting will help elevate your brand, reach new connections, and set you up as the authority in your industry.
At the same time, If you are concerned about the logistics involved with exhibiting, Evesham Transport can help. We can make your next exhibit as stress-free as possible by transporting your signage, your products and stand furniture to your next event. Contact us to find out more.