Lee’s Exhibition Advice

I want to talk about my experiences of exhibitions, both having been an attendee and (helicopter) managing a stand.

When you book a stand it often feels really quite far away, but it comes around quickly! Looking at our exhibition facts, 28% of people plan 1-2 months in advance; it really depends on the size of the stand and your overall objective.

Please have an objective…..

What you want to achieve – so you can evaluate after the exhibition is over. And if it’s your first time planning a stand, you need to be in the 2-4 month planning category!

Investigate our exhibition checklist to help.

Stand prep and messaging…..

Think about what attracts you to a stand at an exhibition; something that looks professional, happy staff, leaflets, clear messaging? You need to get this right. Myself and many others, have avoided stands because they are uninviting -the people manning the stand are chatting, or perhaps there are too many people on it, or I can’t see what the brand is or what they are trying to promote/sell.

Staff…..

Well obviously I am going to say this! Internal staff aren’t necessarily natural brand ambassadors or sales staff, so it’s always a great idea to get in touch with us and tell us what you need. Many of our exhibition clients also employ an event manager through us. These people are worth their weight in gold – enabling you to have one point of call, managing the promotional staff’s times and breaks, making sure that the right message is coming across and report back any issues, or useful information that might make the next day/next exhibition run a little smoother.

So what are my 4 bits of advice?

Plan. Set objectives. Think about key message. Employ professional staff.

Top 10 exhibition stats…..

• 81% of trade show attendees have buying authority.
• 64% of exhibitors surveyed said that the quality of attendees was the most important factor when choosing to exhibit at a trade show.
• 46% of attendees attend only one trade show per year.
• The average trade show attendee spends 5.5 hours at a live event such as a trade show.
• 81% of exhibitors use email to follow up their trade show leads
• 71% of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) won business using face-to-face networking – an effective means of generating new business.
• Brands that exhibit at live events are 28% more innovative when encountered face-to-face.
• An eye-catching stand is the most effective method for attracting attendees according to 48% of exhibitors surveyed.
• 76% of exhibitors say that their event is integrated with their other marketing campaigns. top 10 exhibition stats
• 28% of trade show exhibitors start planning their trade show marketing 1-2 months before the show. 22% start planning 2-4 months before the show (so if you are in the 22%, get in touch… If you are in the 28%, get in touch RIGHT NOW!!)

Stats thanks to displaywizard.co.uk