{"id":3741,"date":"2020-02-25T21:37:57","date_gmt":"2020-02-25T21:37:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.speedpro.com\/west-chester\/?p=3741"},"modified":"2020-12-11T23:03:04","modified_gmt":"2020-12-11T23:03:04","slug":"setting-up-for-a-trade-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.speedpro.com\/west-chester\/setting-up-for-a-trade-show\/","title":{"rendered":"SETTING UP FOR A TRADE SHOW"},"content":{"rendered":"

Trade shows can be immensely helpful in growing your company.\u00a0 At these events, your team has the chance to meet new prospects and find potential business partners.\u00a0 Additionally, you can survey the competition and see what you\u2019re doing well and where your company could improve.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking to attend a trade show, you\u2019ll want to get ready for it far in advance.\u00a0 As you learn more about setting up for a trade show, there are some best practices you should follow to make the best impression on attendees.<\/p>\n

7 TIPS TO HELP YOU PREPARE FOR A TRADE SHOW<\/h2>\n

As you get ready for a trade show, you can take steps to put yourself in the best position to make a positive impression.\u00a0 Below you\u2019ll find some of the most impactful ways you can prepare yourself for success:<\/p>\n

1. PLAN IN ADVANCE<\/h3>\n

Planning your trade show exhibit far ahead of a trade show\u2019s date is crucial to your company\u2019s success at the event.\u00a0 As your staff members will need to book their flights, find lodging and factor the trade show into their workload, you want to give them plenty of time to get all of the logistics figured out.<\/p>\n

For example, locking down a block of rooms at a hotel near the trade show is going to require you to make the reservations far in advance, as there will be plenty of other companies who are all trying to book rooms as well.\u00a0 High-quality lodging that\u2019s close to the event space is key to keeping your staff\u2019s morale high and making it easier for employees to get to your booth on time.<\/p>\n

Along with planning logistics, you\u2019ll also need to decide what message, product or service to highlight at the trade show.\u00a0 Once you choose your core message, you need time to develop compelling trade show graphics<\/a> for the event that will highlight it.\u00a0 Additionally, the most successful trade show exhibits begin advertising their presence at the event four to six weeks before its start date, meaning you\u2019ll need to give yourself time to put together a marketing strategy.<\/p>\n

2. PREPARE TRADE SHOW FLOOR STAFF<\/h3>\n

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Part of having an effective trade show display is having staff members who are on the same page.\u00a0 All of your team members, from your salespeople to your executives, should be communicating with one another to understand the company\u2019s goals at the trade show.\u00a0 Holding meetings beforehand and putting expectations in writing for the group will allow everyone to have the most relevant information and be on the same page.<\/p>\n

One of the most important ways that you prepare staff is to have a logistics document available to anyone attending the trade show.\u00a0 In this logistics document, you\u2019ll include the phone numbers of team members, along with other contact info, relevant responsibilities and expectations for particular staff members.\u00a0 These documents should be distributed both physically and digitally among your staff.\u00a0 In addition to the logistics document, everyone should have booth hours and any scheduled meetings at the trade show in their calendars.<\/p>\n

To ensure that your team is up to date on all of the relevant details about the trade show, it\u2019s also a good idea to invite team members to a prep meeting or call the week before the trade show.\u00a0 At this meeting, you can go through information about the venue, dress code, booth hours, lodging, contact details, scheduled meetings at the show, relevant networking events and other aspects of the event.<\/p>\n

3. HAVE AN ACTIVE SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE<\/h3>\n

Though designing an attractive display is probably the best way to get people to your booth, you can also lay the groundwork for your event by posting social media content about the trade show.\u00a0 Before, during and after the event, you should be posting about, sharing pictures of and increasing awareness of your booth.<\/p>\n

With a strong social media presence, you can promote your booth by inviting attendees to come to watch a demo, enter into a contest and grab a giveaway.\u00a0 In your posts, it\u2019s important to highlight the booth number and other relevant location details, along with including the event hashtag.\u00a0 If people are familiar with your booth\u2019s appearance and your company\u2019s presence at the show, they will be more likely to seek your company out and engage with sales staff.<\/p>\n

4. SCHEDULE BOOTH MEETINGS BEFORE THE TRADE SHOW<\/h3>\n

As you prepare for the trade show, you can maximize the value you get out of it by scheduling to meet with prospects, customers or other vendors before the event even begins.\u00a0 To accomplish this, your sales and marketing teams can reach out to people they believe will provide value to your business.\u00a0 Once they get in contact with them, they can set times for these parties to come to visit your booth.<\/p>\n

After you begin to get commitments from prospects about coming to your booth, you\u2019ll want your sales team to have a shared calendar that they can reference.\u00a0 You probably don\u2019t want to overbook meetings with important executives, so it\u2019s a good idea to have a calendar that all staff can view and that they can use to schedule high-powered attendees.<\/p>\n

If you hope to make your meeting space more private at your booth, you can construct private,\u00a0fabric rooms with\u00a0architectural structures<\/a> designed for trade shows.\u00a0 These rooms can vary in size, with some companies setting up small conference rooms for private presentations.\u00a0 In a private room within your booth, you\u2019ll be able to get prospects away from the distractions of other displays and pitch them without any distractions.<\/p>\n

5. INVEST IN GIVEAWAYS<\/h3>\n

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One major way you can increase booth attendance and improve brand recognition is to have giveaways at your booth.\u00a0 When people come by, sample products, branded freebies and literature handouts can be a great way to get your name out there and attract attendees to your exhibit.\u00a0 You can be even more creative with your giveaways by setting up games for attendees to play or having other interactive devices for them to engage with.<\/p>\n

Food and drinks are another excellent way to get people to come to your booth.\u00a0 The smell of fresh coffee at the beginning of a trade show and the appeal of a frozen margarita at the end of a long day on the trade show floor is bound to draw in a few extra attendees.\u00a0 Whatever giveaway you choose, they\u2019ll help to break the ice and give your staff an \u201cin\u201d to developing a relationship with a prospect.<\/p>\n

If you have packets, catalogs, handouts, brochures or booklets that you\u2019d like to hand out at the event,\u00a0literature racks<\/a> are perfect giveaway devices.\u00a0 These freestanding racks range in size and in the number of pockets they feature, allowing you to find one that works perfectly for the trade show.<\/p>\n

6. Craft an Eye-Catching Booth<\/h3>\n

Before you show up at a trade show, you\u2019ll want to have your booth fully designed and ready to be transported.\u00a0 To ensure your design is the best it can be, set your exhibit up beforehand to make sure everything is aesthetically pleasing.\u00a0 If you order the components of the booth long before the trade show, you\u2019ll have time to make adjustments that improve the appearance of the display.<\/p>\n

The first impression your booth makes on attendees is going to determine whether they skip over your exhibit or take the time to engage with your sales team.\u00a0 The booth\u2019s visual appeal says a lot about the quality of your company to passersby.\u00a0 As such, you\u2019ll want to put the time in beforehand to figure out the design of your booth and develop attractive trade show graphics that will get attendees\u2019 attention.<\/p>\n

A major part of any effectively designed trade show booth is attractive graphics that contain your logo or other recognizable company imagery.\u00a0 People should be able to find your display quickly, and a logo helps you accomplish that.\u00a0 You can place logos and other branded imagery on your walls, towers, table covers, handouts and other relevant parts of your booth to raise brand awareness and help people spot you through the crowd.<\/p>\n

7. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BOOTH\u2019S LAYOUT<\/h3>\n

While you prepare for the trade show, you should set up your booth far in advance to make sure that your layout is comfortable to walk through and navigate.\u00a0 Some companies believe that they should try to fit as many graphics and other items into a space as possible, but this neglects a major aspect of a booth\u2019s success \u2014 its flow.<\/p>\n

Instead of having a cluttered space, aim to have plenty of open space.\u00a0 When your exhibit doesn\u2019t have walls, tables and other displays overlapping each other, it will appear more inviting to those walking by.\u00a0 Along with opening up the space, try to design your layout in a way that encourages attendees to browse and make conversation with your staff.<\/p>\n

CHOOSING THE RIGHT TRADE SHOW BOOTH EXHIBITS<\/h2>\n

When you\u2019re preparing to attend a trade show, you\u2019ll want your structure to be easy to set up.\u00a0 At the event, you\u2019ll want staff interacting with attendees and other businesses as much as possible.\u00a0 A lengthy setup process due to bulky, heavy equipment could mean lost prospects and revenue.\u00a0 To get the most value out of your time, you\u2019ll want to consider using the following portable trade show display elements:<\/p>\n

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