1 WHAT
EXHIBITION TO ATTEND?
Make sure you research all the relevant
exhibitions in your industry and get the organisers to send you their exhibitor
information packs. These packs contain audited information on the exhibition
visitor numbers and demographics so you know you will have the correct target
audience. You should also check the exhibitor list to see if your competitors
are exhibiting already as that is a good indication that the show is delivering
the correct audience.
2 Exhibition
stand location
Getting the right exhibition stand location can be the difference between an average exhibition and
a fantastic exhibition. When selecting your position you want to make sure your
exhibition stand location delivers maximum visitor footfall so look at stand
locations that are:
· Open on more than one side to increase visibility to passing
visitor traffic
· Located on main aisles and visitor thorough fares
· Close to popular visitors features (e.g. seminar theatres, bars, cafés etc)
· Close to main entrances, exits or registration areas
· Book early to ensure you get the best space
3 Define your
exhibition objectives in advance
You need to have clear objectives on what
you want to get out of the exhibition as this gives your employees a clear
target to aim for and allows you to bench mark shows against each other in the future. Examples of
these include:
· What products/services will you be demonstrating
· How many sales leads do you expect to take away from the
exhibition
· What level of ROI are you expecting to achieve from the
exhibition
4 Train your
sales team
It’s really important to provide your sales
team with some basic training on how to conduct themselves on theexhibition
stand and how to
approach and deal with clients at the exhibition. They should be given clear
daily lead targets, clear instruction on how to qualify the sales leads and
also how to log the sales leads correctly. They should also understand how to
present themselves to the audience in a professional manner.
5 Exhibition
stand design
The design of your exhibition stand is critical to the success of the event, so make sure your stand
is unique. You need to have a clear idea of what products / services you want
to demonstrate and how you are going to demonstrate them. All graphics should
be simple, easy to read and not to text heavy. When a visitor walks past your
stand and glances over they immediately should be able to know who the company
is and what products / services are on offer.
6 Pre
exhibition marketing
Pre show marketing should form part of your exhibition strategy by letting both your customers and prospects know that you will
be exhibiting at that specific trade
show and inviting
them to come and meet you. Different forms of pre-show marketing include:
· Direct Mail – (letters, flyers etc.) sent via post to your
client and prospect database two weeks before the exhibition.
· Email Marketing – Send out an email to your client and prospect
database two weeks before the exhibition.
· Telemarketing – Call you customers and prospects to let them
know you will be at the exhibition and start to arrange meeting times for your
sales team.
· Website – Advertise the fact that
you will be exhibiting on the home page of your website.
· Email Signatures – Make sure all staff have ‘Come see us on
stand number……’ on their email signatures.
You will also be able to target the visitor
database of the exhibition by contacting the organisers directly and askingabout their various
sponsorship opportunities.
7 Post
exhibition follow up