Surviving Your First Trade Show

If you’re wondering what a trade show is, Entrepreneur sum things up pretty well: a trade show is an exhibition for companies in a specific industry to showcase and demonstrate their new products and services. They don’t tend to be open to the public and can only be attended by company representatives and members of the press. When attending a trade show, you may also find an exhibition of businesses offering franchises or business opportunity packages for sale. Now, this may sound a little overwhelming, but if you’re sufficiently prepared and organised, you can use a trade show to really make a name for your brand, network, and close deals. So, to help you along the way, here are a few tips and trick to help you make a huge success of your first trade show!

Secure a Good Location

Sometimes trade shows will set out a floor plan of their own. However, if you have the chance to secure a particular location, it’s generally worth paying out the extra cash for a good spot. A good location will have higher traffic and footfall, allowing you to expose your brand to as many people as possible. So where’s generally best? Generally speaking, main aisles are a winner. Being located at the end of a row is also preferable, as you will gain attention from intersecting traffic. Try not to be located too close to the entrance or exit. Many people are overwhelmed when first stepping through the doors and will be focusing on where to go and what to see rather than the booths that are directly in front of them. If you’re located close to the exit, people are more likely to be thinking about leaving than investing or buying.

Make Yourself Stand Out

Invest in things like high-quality trade show booths. After all, the way you present yourself will have a huge impact on how people perceive you, your brand, and your products. Consider having a custom booth built. This will ensure that you can make the most out of the space of your pitch. There are plenty of customisable options out there. Add your brand name and brand logo to the design. This is absolutely essential to ensure that people know who you are and how to find you after the show. It can also be a good idea to have some sort of image of your products on the display. This means people can gather a sense of what you’re all about simply by casting a quick glance your way.

Plan Ahead

Always be forward thinking. Make notes about all aspects of your trade show experience. This can help you to decide which ones you want to return to in the future and which you might want to give a miss. You can also take note of what other exhibitors are doing. You may be able to learn a lot from them, using some of their techniques in years to come.

As you can see, there’s a whole lot to think about when it comes to making a success of a trade show. The key is in organisation! So, make sure you’re as well prepped as possible and remember you can always make future improvements based on your experience.