Make an exhibition of yourself

Exhibitions, expos, trade fairs and large scale conferences can all give you the chance to make an exhibition of yourself.

Being part of a big industry exhibition like the Caravan and Camping Show allows you to display and demonstrate your products and services to a large audience of people who otherwise might not go out of their way to travel to your premises and check out what you have to offer. By being part of a larger community of complementary businesses all assembled under the one roof, you not only get to identify potential customers, you also get to meet potential suppliers and referrers of your business.

Beware. Exhibitions and expos can be costly. So it really pays to do your homework. Most expos are planned years in advance so you should familiarise yourself with the ones that give you the greatest exposure and the best value for money. Many are organised by umbrella trade bodies such as art and craft, travel, motor, boat, publishing and the housing industry so keep in contact with these organisations or look at their websites regularly so you know what is coming up.

There are a number of questions to ask other than when, where and how much. These include:

• How many people are going to attend?
• What type of people attend?
• What is my space allocation?
• Where will I be located in the exhibition?
• What can I distribute?
• Can I run competitions?
• How many staff passes do we get??
• Who are the other exhibitors?
• What advertising or marketing will be done to promote the expo?

Once you’ve decided to be involved, you need to spend some time preparing for the event. A trestle table and a couple of fold-up chairs is not a good look.  Ask about the colour scheme of the building you will be in and the background colours of the stalls. Consider these when you are preparing your signage and presentation.

Make sure you have the best people available on the stand at all times for the duration of the event. I have been to a number of exhibitions where the company has employed backpackers to distribute information. They couldn’t answer my questions but wanted my details so the company could send me information. Needless to say, the next exhibitor, who offered similar products but had knowledgeable staff on deck, got my business. If you put people on who don’t understand your business, they will just damage your brand. Make sure you have enough quality people available to talk to everyone who pops into your area.

Consider what you might give out to the public when they visit your stand.  Can you afford giveaways that are fun, highly desirable and have a long shelf-life? Look at the visual impact of your giveaways, including any written material, and make sure they are in tune with your overall brand image.

What about offering discounts for sales made at the exhibition? Everyone loves a bargain and you can convert a potential sale into a realistic one if it is clear that the offer is only open for the life of the exhibition.

Make sure your communications are adequate, and that internet and email access, and electronic payment/credit card facilities are available so you can process the sales quickly and efficiently.

Any potential leads should be followed up within 48 hours. If possible, have the original staff member who engaged the prospect in the first place do the follow-up as there is already a relationship established. 

Then evaluate, evaluate and evaluate. Measure your costs and time associated with the leads and business generated to determine the success of your involvement.

We can work with you to make sure your Tradeshow investment is a great one - contact us on 1300 998 558 to discuss signage, banners, promotional materials and your overall strategy to capture attention, open conversations and follow up hot prospects.