5 ways to make your exhibition stand the star of the show and increase brand exposure!

Securing a spot for your business at a promotional event is a great opportunity for brand exposure. Richard Cutmore, Director of TFH Gazebos, shares his tips for making it count.

Promotional events, exhibitions, trade shows and conferences are all fantastic ways to meet new customers and spread the word about your business.

They’re also extremely competitive, however, with many pitches crammed into one space all vying for the attention of the crowd.

So, it’s important to make sure your brand doesn’t go unnoticed, and you can achieve this easily with the right preparations. Below, I’ll be taking you through a few of the most important details that can make your stand the star of the show.

Demonstrate a strong brand identity

Your branding should communicate everything that busy passers-by need to know about your company at a glance, including your ethos. So, take the time to develop your branding fully if you haven’t already, or try to identify ways it could be improved. From the colours you choose to your logo, it’s important for you to look at your branding objectively. Ask yourself: “If I knew nothing about my business, would my branding tell me everything I needed to know?”

Another benefit of good branding is that attendees may recognise or remember you and contact you later, even if they don’t have chance to stop by on the day. That is why it’s a good idea to include your contact info, including social media links, in your logo and pitch.

Have the right equipment

When setting up your stand, you need to ensure that it’s enticing enough to attract customers without losing sense of your branding. You can achieve this by dressing it up in in professionally made equipment. Stand out from the crowd with a printed gazebo decorated with banners, flags, and a tablecloth in your company colours, emblazoned with your logo. If they’re perfectly matching, your business will look cohesive and professional.

Make sure you know as many details about your pitch as possible ahead of the event so that you know what size equipment to bring. You’ll also need to find out if things like lighting are included, or if you have to bring your own.

Bring Marketing Materials

You can make your branding go even further by stocking up on marketing materials that can help your business seem well prepared and reliable. There are two kinds of materials you should bring with you: the first is informative literature, such as brochures and leaflets, that can tell people more about your services that your staff can’t communicate in a quick pitch.

The second is promotional items, including free gifts and goodies. These should be handy enough to use every day — or even unusual enough to stick in people’s minds — and carry your company’s branding. That way, when they take your items home or use them in public, they’re helping to spread the word.

Hire the right promotional staff

There are a number of promotional staff that you can hire, from salespeople to dancers and mascots, and the best way to ensure quality staff is to hire from a reputable agency. That way, you know you’re getting professionals with experience in this industry.

You must be able to communicate exactly what you require and communicate it clearly in your brief. List specific wants and needs, from the number of staff required to their skill set. For example, do you want staff with a strong sales background, or entertainers? Whoever you choose, you must give the agency as much information about your company and the event as possible. The more you can tell them, the more likely they are to find the perfect brand ambassadors.

Make lasting connections

With your stand set up and your staff ready to go, it’s time to get down to business. Connecting with attendees and forming lasting impressions can help secure you lots of new repeat customers, so prioritise engaging with passers-by and bringing people over to your carefully put-together stand.

However, events are also the perfect place to network and forge business relationships with other companies that may be able to help you out in the future. For example, a bakery business at a wedding fair has the opportunity to connect with many other bridal brands, from florists to venues. These companies can then recommend each other to their clients and customers.

The tips in this guide can help you stand out for all the right reasons at your next trade show, exhibition, conference, or other promotional event. Remember: by focussing on your branding, you can impact how professional, reliable, and capable people perceive your business to be.