Most of the time, when you attend or participate in a large exhibition, the main booths….in other words, the more obvious booths are taken by big names….in your industry, there are bound to be a couple of them. Anyway, for small or medium-sized business owners, it’s tough trying to make your way to the front during such a trade show and it can be both a waste of money AND frustrating!
Preparing yourself for a successful trade show can be scary stuff for those who have never tried it before. How do we present ourselves in such a way that it projects the right image and attract the crowd with the space that we’re given. Given the fact that the most central spaces has been taken up by giant names, who are we and how are we going to tell our potential customers, affiliates and partners that we’re worth out salt?
Knowing what you’re in for is the first thing you need to do to eliminate the ‘scariness’ of the whole situation. Know the map, know the booth, know the size of the area, know the people who are organizing the trade show for you….everything you can get your hands on. Contacting the organizers of the trade show will help you too and you have every right to demand that they give you all the information that you need.
One of the things that most people fail to ask is the number of power outlets available at the booth area. You’re going to bringing a whole load of stuff to the trade show and the number of lights, shelves and electrical items you bring depends on the number of power outlets there are there. Ask the organizers or check it out with the layout.
Most trade show organizers will give you a table cloth to use….my advice would be to bring your own even if they’re supplying you with one. One, you don’t know who has been using the table cloth; two, it may not coincide with the color scheme (if any) that you’ve chosen. During a trade show, your image is of utmost importance!
Arrange your trade show display is properly by putting the larger items at the back and the smaller items in the front. And they should all be at eye level so that your potential buyers don’t have to climb a chair or crane their neck just to take a look. You’re losing customers that way.
Show off your stuff with a powerpoint presentation that continuously play-on during the trade show. Use your own laptop or rent it….if you’re using a laptop, set up a page of a powerpoint presentation that your potential customers can use to browse through product specs, company information or lead them to your corporate website. THIS is your chance to reel them in and if you miss the boat because of inefficiency, there’s no one else to blame.
So make full use of everything you have with you during the trade show and good luck!
Want to get the most out of your trade show? There are many ways to do this: a prize vault or cash cube money machine is great for attracting customers on the spot. They see your booth, and they want to come over because what you’re offering looks interesting. Clients will also be drawn by prize wheels with trade show giveaways, which have the added benefit of reminding everyone who visits about your booth the next day.
About the Author
Jonathan Edelman provides exciting trade show marketing ideas, including advice about prize wheels, customizable scratch-off cards, money blowing machines, and other exciting trade show attractions. With years of experience in the trenches, he is an expert on booth displays, lead generation techniques, and networking with trade show vendors. Helping to build a referral-generating system, his ideas continuously lead to a boost in sales and revenue.
