Exhibitions and trade shows are a great way to meet other businesses and potential new clients but how can you make sure that you really stand out from the other exhibitors?
I recently attended a food festival close to my home town of Lowestoft in Suffolk and it struck me that some stands were heaving with customers whilst others weren’t and I was curious to find out why. Taking a closer look I discovered that the stands that were performing well had a fantastic sales person drawing people in with eye-catching exhibition stands, as well as a free samples (which always helps).
Please read on for some more tips on how to attract visitors to your stand.
Choosing your event
When it comes to exhibiting at an event you want to choose the event that best suits your business and you may want to take the following into account before you decide.
Cost – If you are on a budget you may want to think twice about exhibiting an event that is costly, there are plenty of events and networking groups that will let you exhibit for free.
Travel – Following on from my last statement if you are on a budget then I would avoid travelling a long way unless you think it’s worthwhile of course. If you know that there will be lots of potential customers visiting the event then it may be worth going.
Visitors – It is worth doing some research on the amount of visitors attended a particular event in previous years, this will give you an indication on how popular they are.
Guest Speakers – Well known and popular guest speakers are sure to bring in a large crowd.
Be prepared
Plan ahead and be prepared for each event, make sure you take all your resources with you.
Business Cards – Take plenty of business cards, these will be your most useful asset at an event. Leave them on your table for people to pick up and when you walk around the event looking at other exhibitions take them with you, EVERYWHERE.
Gifts – I don’t know about you but I always go towards the stand that are offering free chocolates or sweets (Haha). Take along something to entice your visitors it maybe sweets or it could be free pens, memory sticks etc.
Examples of work – Let people see what you are capable of, take along some samples of your work. If you cannot take them physically then take a laptop to show customers your work or brochures.
What will you be promoting? – This might be a tricky one to decide. It could be a new product that you are advertising or maybe a best seller, the choice is yours.
Staff – You may need more than one staff member to go along to the event especially if it’s a big event as one will need to look after the stand and the other one to mingle with the other exhibitors. Choose your staff carefully, you want the ones who will sell your product well.
Social Media – Spread the word to your customers that you will be attending an event and invite them to come and say hello!
Promotional Material
What will you need to make your stand look pretty?
Banners – Pull-up banners, roller banners, hanging banners. These are just a few example of banners that you can take to event and they are easy to carry around and assemble. It’s important to choose a good design company and printer that will produce effective banners.
Brochures – An easy way to showcase your work in one place. Brochures are still one of the most popular ways to present your portfolio of work and are a must at any event.
Leaflets – Easy to produce and to carry around, leaflets are a great to take to events.
If you are looking for events in the area then try contacting your local Chamber of Commerce for more information or try this website FindNetworkingEvents.com for events in your area.
I would strongly recommend printed.com for stationery such as business cards, leaflets, flyers and banners etc. Their service is fantastic and you get top quality products.
There is a new networking event in Lowestoft called JuNa Networking. This is a great group if you would like to start off small just to get used to exhibiting and networking.