How to prepare for a trade show
There and back again
Given that either you and/or your staff will more than likely be in attendance at the show, you also need to plan what will happen to your business while you are away. “You have to consider the trade show in the context of what other things are going on in your business at the time. If it’s a critical time for your business, you need to factor that in,” says Rushton.
Generally you will require a few days before the show to prepare your booth and perhaps hold some preliminary meetings with existing or potential clients. It is a good idea to choose a hotel with good dining options to entertain clients, says McSweeney.
Book your accommodation well in advance to ensure that you are either close to the exhibition location or close to where key people network, which may not be the same location. Occasionally you may be able to find packages of travel and accommodation, which are easier on the budget. Staying a few days after the event may also give you valuable time to follow up on leads while they are still fresh.
McSweeney notes that it’s often good to leverage the trip in other ways. “If a company has global representatives converging in the one area for a trade event, use the time to host a company meeting,” she suggests. “You can also use the event as a channel to communicate major company announcements.”
In the pavilion, it goes without saying that you need to make your booth as attractive as possible. Secure the best position you can afford and invest in the best booth and marketing material your budget will allow. Remember that trade shows allow you to take advantage of the five senses; if you can demonstrate your product, or give something of value away, it makes your product and brand more memorable.
Unistraw International, makers of the Sipahh flavoured straw, had their big international break after giving away over 20,000 sample straws at Anuga, a biennial food fair in Cologne, Germany. Michael Connolly, Unistraw’s global sales and licensing director, says they chose Anuga for its reputation. “Anuga is one of the top food and beverage trade shows globally. We wanted to find partners to represent our Sipahh brand globally, partners who would be responsible for the importation, sales, marketing and distribution of our product,” he says.
The company achieved their objective: they received written interest from more than 300 companies and now have distribution in more than 100 countries.
While Unistraw was happy to give out product samples, it was still important to keep some things private. “We have invested heavily in the research and development of our products, and the relevant intellectual property protection, so when we exhibit at the shows we need to ensure we are protected until we sign on the dotted line with distributors,” says Peter Baron, Unistraw founder and director. “Unistraw particularly relies on non-disclosure agreements with potential distributors to ensure valuable commercial information isn’t leaked into the marketplace.”
Service exhibitionists have a much greater reliance on verbal communication through the staff in the booth and the marketing collateral they give away. “They have to be very good at articulating their service,” says Rushton. “It’s really about good marketing collateral that people can take away. Not too much, because people do bin a lot of it. The material really needs to be well written with strong messages to attract people in.”
Finally, after you’ve taken down the booth, remember to follow up on your leads. “Eighty-three percent of leads are never followed up,” says Green. “Consider when you get back to your office and you’ve been away for a week, there’s a lot of stuff to catch up on. So what do you do first? You follow your leads up or they get to be an embarrassment.”
—With Philip Noonan
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I can’t over-emphasize the importance of properly prepared paperwork for international travel, particularly when ‘consumables’ are involved. Try to get a contact through the expo organizer who is specially educated on the process of dealing with giveaway items. Most trade shows or convention centers will have someone to recommend. You don’t want to get stuck at customs with a huge bill for items you are simply planing to giveaway as promotions. The right person can help you sort that out.
Give plenty of thought to the impression you are going to leave on the customers who visit your booth!
One of the best and easiest ways to stick in the minds (and pockets) of the buyers you meet is with a well though out promotional giveaway item. With the right promotional item you can end up making a 2 minute grip and grin turn into a decades long business relationship, simply because the right promotional gift can be with that buyer for years, with your logo in his face providing years of use. Every time he gets in his car, goes out to golf, or better yet, sits down to his desk your brand can be right there in his vision reminding him of the reliable service you are ready and willing to offer.
Excellent tips Adeline!
I can’t begin to tell you how many trade shows I’ve been to where even a huge multinational company looks embarrassingly unprepared because they overlooked even just one of the points you brought up here.
For me I think the booth area size can be a major stumbling block for exhibitors in the planning stages. It’s so obvious when a company is trying to project an image of being a powerhouse simply by buying a huge amount of exhibit space. Of course when the exhibit fails to impress (or looks slovenly thrown together) it can give the exact opposite impression!
Many times I’ve seen really nice displays that end up looking like sad orphaned children abandoned in the middle of a huge, empty booth. Choosing the right size booth can be a huge help in spending your display budget wisely.
Thanks again for the tips!