A successful modern business needs to be able to perform in a wide variety of arenas: for example, they must be able to play the long game, and appeal to customers through digital as well as physical media, however they should also have a strategy to achieve success in trade shows and exhibitions. For many, the latter kind of promotion can be the most challenging, and this could be because of an insufficient planning strategy, or it could be the result of a lack of the right tools, such as promotional products.
Luckily, your potential for trade show success can be assured mostly in the planning stage, and as long as you have an awareness of what you want your display to do on the day, coupled with realistic expectations, a thorough planning strategy can really enhance your trade show potential.
Your first decision, and arguably your most important, is choosing in which exhibition to exhibit your products. This might seem obvious, however there are a large number of trade shows out there, and therefore it is easy to get this wrong. The ideal way to identify the best trade shows is through experience, and over time you will establish what shows work best for your brand and therefore you should be able to streamline your costs accordingly.
There’s no point turning up to an trade show without a knowledge of the locations, or an idea about how your gong to set up your stand. With this in mind, it is important that you have the details in regards to the measurements of your pitch, and that you rehearse the setting up of your stand.
It is also important that you establish the aesthetics of your stand well before entering the show, and ensure that it is able to perform in that particular context, and that it is generally effective at reaching the customer.
On a related point, you should also plan about what promotional products you intend to distribute on the day. On a clearly practical level, you should ensure that you order enough promotional merchandise to serve your consumer base, whilst remaining within the constraints of your particular budget.
Also, you should ensure that the products that you choose to offer at the trade show are appropriate, and, if the general theme of the exhibition is modernity, then it is a good idea to opt for promotional merchandise that has a clear modern edge, such as usb memory sticks
Finally, and importantly, alongside the practical considerations associated with your trade show stand, you should also ensure that you have the right business strategy. This should be complex, and include targets such as how many customers you wish to reach, how many client leads etc.
Through proper planning it is possible to sidestep many of the issues that can negatively affect your exhibition setting, such as poor location or an ineffectively displayed stand, and thereby increase your trade show potential considerably.