Getting the Most From Your Exhibition Stand at a Trade Event

There are many great reasons for a business to deploy an exhibition stand at a trade show. Whether you’re intent on selling your product, marketing your brand or improving your corporate image it is very important to make the most out of your exhibition stand. We are going to look at just a few ways you can do that.

Make Sure it Looks the Part

Your exhibition stand is a representation of your business, something you are putting out there for the world to see, or the attendees of the trade show at the very least. Therefore, it’s very important that the stand you use represents your business correctly.

The first thing to do is make sure you hire experienced, knowledgeable exhibition stand designers. They will know what works and be able to advise you accordingly. Don’t just leave it up to them though, make sure you explain exactly what your brand is about and what you want to convey with the design. Make sure you stay on top of them every step of the way and make any changes as you go along rather than waiting until five minutes before the event is due to start.

Be creative with the design of your stand. You could incorporate electronics such as screens and projectors if these could be useful for getting your message across. Lighting is very important so make sure you try different types and level and see what works best within the context of your stand. For some inspiration, take a look at our exhibition stand gallery.

Size isn’t everything when it comes to exhibition stands. Large, impressive stands can be very effective but only if it’s necessary. If you build a huge stand and don’t have enough material to fill it you might as well not bother. Speak to your stand designers and try to work out the best size for your business. They may have built similar stands in the past and let you know how well they worked.

It is always a good idea to set up your stand elsewhere before the exhibition to get a good feel for it. Walk around and it from different directions to make sure everything is as it should be. Make sure all text is readable to everyone walking by and that the message conveyed is the right one.

Location, Location, Location

Just as you would’ve put great thought into the location of your business premises, you should do the same for your exhibition stand. You could have the best exhibition stand in the world but if it’s in a bad position at the trade show it could fail to live up to its potential.

Make sure you do your research and find out the best possible position for you. If any of your competitors are there and you think you have more to offer than them then locating yourself close by could be good, allowing passersby to compare the two of you. If you think they have the upper hand you may want to stay further away from them and allow people to judge you on your own merits. At Exhibit 3Sixty, we offer a floor plan service so you can understand the layout of the event you’re attending.

If you’re working to a budget, it’s likely that you won’t be able to afford the best slot in the hall. Be sure to negotiate with the organiser though. As with any negotiation if they tell you something is the best they can do, it probably isn’t. Be clear on the value you are bringing to the show and secure the best placement possible.

Get the Execution Right

Once you’ve invested a significant amount of money on your exhibition stand and trade show placement it is obviously very important to make the most of it. Perhaps the best way to do this is to make sure you put the right personnel in place. The most important thing is that have the qualities to stay active, enthusiastic and friendly throughout the show. You may consider using personnel that are confident at approaching people and bringing them back to the stand or who attract people to the stand naturally.

Don’t forget to tell people you are going to be exhibiting. Put a banner on your website and send out an email blast to all of your past customers and leads. You could even consider offering an incentive to those who visit you at the show. If your stand is attracting a lot of attention it will gain even more attention. Even if many of your visitors are existing customers or people unlikely to become customers, their interest in you will breed more interest from other show goers.

We mentioned incentives to get people to visit your stand a moment ago but you should be careful with basic low level giveaways. Handing out tons of flyers or other things that are liable to end up on the trade show floor could have more of a negative than a positive effect. If you do give anything away, make sure it is well branded with your logo and colours and something relevant that people will at the very least take home.

At the end of the day it’s all down to what you have to offer. As they say “build it, and they will come”. Ensure your exhibition stand design is up to scratch and get your execution right and a trade show could be absolutely fantastic for business.

If you’re looking for an expert to take away the stress of planning your exhibition, speak to Exhibit 3Sixty today and get a free quote!