The true measure of success of an exhibition booth is a high return on investment. To boost sales, you need people to come to your booth. Your first goal is to attract them so they will stop and check out what you can do for them. If this is your first time being an exhibitor, maximise every opportunity to have an attractive booth design and an interactive show.
- Know your purpose. By knowing the reason that you are exhibiting, you can plan more strategically. You can be more focused when making decisions, especially with your spending. Are you exhibiting to gather sales leads? Promote new products and services? Are you keener on doing market research or recruiting dealers, representatives and distributors? When making decisions, ask if it will help you reach your goals. Your goals should be measurable and realistic. When making goals, identify your target attendees, number of exhibit hours, budget, staff and size of the exhibit.
- Know your audience. By identifying your audience, you can focus your planning on their needs. You might have joined several trade shows already, but take time to review your prospects or audience for every show. This way, you will know what type of display solutions are appropriate and how you will construct the messages geared to solving the problems of your audience.
- Identify what you will highlight. Innovative products attract more people. If you have a wide range of products, pick out those you want to highlight and display only enough samples of the rest. Attendees will be more thrilled to experience what you offer and not just walk past it.
- Present an appealing, clean looking and functional exhibit. An ideal exhibit is one that is inviting. Make sure to allot space where attendees can freely enter and move around. Do not overdo counters, walls, or even excessive staff. Use lighting and colours to attract attendees and keep them engaged with your informative yet entertaining demos and displays. Having professional, friendly staff will also help keep your prospects engaged.
- Use your graphics to address your audience’s needs. Display big, impactful graphics that will focus on the needs of visitors. Highlighting what your product or service can do for them is effective in sparking their interest to know more about your business. Make good use of space especially if it is limited. Display high-quality banners and use a dedicated exhibition stand.
- Execute promotional campaigns. Learn how you can do promotional campaigns that are effective in generating qualified leads for businesses at exhibitions. You can have promotions at three different parts of the show – the initial, middle and end stages.
- Prepare your staff well. Some companies spend hours training staff for the exhibit. Trade shows have unique challenges, so you need to be prepared. Your show will be more effective if you have professional staff who know what to do and expect at the show.
Proper preparation and planning are key to a successful exhibit. One of the biggest challenges you need to face is attracting attendees to your booth knowing that the rest of your competitors share the place with you.
