Did you know that more than 40% of small businesses fail because of a lack of marketing in the United States?
With so much competition in the country, it can be difficult to find unique ways to stand out from the rest.
If you want to build brand awareness, one of the best ways to do so is at a trade show.
Continue reading to discover the best tips for preparing for a trade show exhibit that will get you noticed!
Go With a Team
One of the best tips for preparing for a trade show exhibit is to go with a team.
Weeks before that trade show begins, you should be thinking about people from your company that will benefit from the experience. Many people bring employees from sales to their trade shows, but it can also be beneficial to bring an engineer or scientist. Having a group of people supporting you will help when it comes to answering difficult questions.
Another reason why you should bring a group of people is so that you can take breaks. Trade shows can last a full day or several days for that matter. It can become exhausting sitting at a booth answering questions all day and you will need to take bathroom, food, and relaxation breaks.
Evaluate the Worth of Investment
Coming up with a trade show exhibit design and preparing for the event can cost you a lot of money.
Before the trade show occurs, you should work with your accounting department to set a budget for the event. Having a budget will help ensure that you don’t overspend and that you use your money wisely.
Between the general costs of having a booth at these exhibits, paying for travel, and buying everything you need, you will be spending a bit of money. Take time to consider if this amount will be worth the investment in going to a trade show. You can determine the worth by analyzing how many attendees go to the event and the rewards from going.
Dress Professionally
The next tip of this guide to trade show exhibits is to dress professionally for the event.
Wearing professional clothes will help positively represent your company. It will show your competition and potential customers that you value their time and are taking this event seriously. When people walk up to a booth where employees are looking too casual, they can be confused with other customers and look like they don’t care.
Since you only have a booth and some supplies to represent your company, you must dress the best way possible. If you don’t want to be in suits and heels, you can opt for a business casual look. Just make sure that your team is representing your company in a positive light and showing potential customers that you care.
Come Prepared for Questions
If you have done a trade show before, you likely know that you have to be prepared to answer questions.
Trade shows are used to showcase your products and services. They provide an opportunity for people to learn about your business and ask questions. If you think that there won’t be many questions, think again.
When creating your team of employees for the event, make sure that they are knowledgeable and offer something to the event. Potential customers and vendors will want to know specific details about your company and won’t be afraid to ask.
Organize
Many people who have successfully done trade shows in the past recommend organizing as much as you can.
By creating a checklist and researching trade show details, you can be best prepared for the event. Winging the event the day of can leave your team feeling underprepared and your efforts won’t be as effective as they should be.
Take time to write out a list of all of the supplies that you will need, the team you are bringing, and how you plan to rock the event. An organized team will help positively represent your company and encourage customers to learn more.
Show Up Early
After your application has been accepted for a trade show, you should get the details about the event.
You must identify what time the trade show starts and begins, along with when you can arrive. Showing up early to the event will be crucial because you will need time to set up. Simple booths won’t take long to prepare, but you should still provide yourself with plenty of time.
The more intricate that your booth will be, the earlier you should arrive with your team. If you have extra time between setting up and the event starts, use this as an opportunity to cover your bases, get food, and unwind.
Spread Awareness
Not everyone will know about upcoming trade shows, so you must inform vendors and customers about them.
If you want to be successful, many people recommend sending out emails in advance to encourage people to show up to your booth. You can also make informative posts on social media before the event and while you are there. These tactics will help you make the most of your event and not solely rely on foot traffic.
Build a Theme
Many people get inspired by custom booths that help attract attention and keep potential customers around.
A theme will help attract people to your booth and make it more interactive. When customers see a theme, they are often intrigued to approach your company because it shows how much you care about their experience.
Make sure that your theme correlates with your business and the time of year. Many people also recommend incorporating a theme that goes along with the trade show. A fun theme to use can be inspired by nature, a charitable cause, or even by creating a café!
Rock Your Trade Show Exhibit
There are many factors to consider when preparing your company for a trade show exhibit.
Trade show exhibit displays should be well thought out and organized ahead of time. You must also gather a team of employees that will represent your company in the best light and be ready to answer questions.
Attending trade shows can be a fun and effective way to market your business and build brand awareness.
Be sure to check out this blog for more articles about custom trade show exhibits and building your company!
