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Trade Show Tips

1. Arrive at the convention center early.

Although you may have been given the dimensions of your floor space and it’s exact location on the show floor, it is still a good idea to go ahead and survey where your booth will be set up. Make sure any requirements like electrical, phone or special requirements are installed or scheduled to be installed.

2. Find out convention center and show union rules.

Different convention centers and cities have various rules and regulations as far as set up, tear down and union rules go. Most of the time if tools are involved in your set up and tear down you will have to hire union labor. There will also be specific set up and tear down dates and times you must know.

3. Take notice of your exhibiting neighbors.

Survey the displays of your immediate exhibitors. Will your display get lost amongst you neighbors? If the answer is yes then you might want to make some adjustments to you booth to bring more attention to it.

4. Have a greeter for the front of your exhibit.

Instead of putting all your greeters behind a counter, have one or two out in front to welcome people in. If they are friendly smiling and attentive people will be more prone to come inside.

5. Have free samples of your product to give out or hold a drawing or contest.

If you can, give out free samples of you products, they draw quite a crowd and help sell what you have. If you product is too big or expensive to give away in large quantities consider holding a drawing or contest by scanning attendee ID badges or have them drop a business cards into a bowl. Make it so the contestants have to be there for the drawing and they will visit your booth twice.

6. Offer trade show promotional items at your booth.

Giveaways such as pens, stress balls, flashlights, pins, business card holders and others are a great way to get your name out there. You should try to think of a unique promo item for your booth.

7. Create an Experience with Your Exhibit

If you want to remain in visitors memories long after the exhibit hall doors have shut, you will need to create a true experience with your booth. A really show stopping, knock their socks off booth can be easily accomplished with the proper planning.

Themed booths, staff costumes, company mascots, celebrity spokespersons, and memorable giveaways are all great ways to transform a staid and boring exhibit into one that creates a lasting impression. Don’t be afraid to take risks or try new things when planning your exhibit. No one remembers a plain booth.

8. Have a backup plan - and even a backup booth - in case of logistics problems.

If you've exhibited before, no doubt you've seen the 'other guy' (hopefully it wasn't you) with an empty exhibit space and nothing to fill it with! Just the sign on the back curtain. Nothing strikes fear in the heart of an exhibitor like hearing, "I'm sorry... the shipper must have lost your boxes." Now what?! Portable tradeshow displays from Show Image are lightweight, easy to transport, and affordable. We also provide many styles. This way you can be sure your event will go off without a hitch - even if your primary exhibit is lost or arrives late. If you have a large orbital truss or other display that must be shipped in crates, having a backup portable display will assure you that your trade show convention will be a success, and give you peace of mind.

9. Signage That Speaks To Your Customers

Bold, dynamic signage is yet another way to call attention to your booth. Picture yourself walking down a busy city street. A multitude of signs, billboards, and electronic displays compete for your attention. In such a crowded advertising environment only the most compelling images will get you to stop and take notice. So, it is at trade shows. Your signage and graphics have to be powerful and concise to be effective.

10. Emergency Booth Supplies

You’ve gone through your check-list a dozen times over. Your staff has been thoroughly trained, your brochures and giveaways are neatly arrayed before you, and you are ready for show time! Yet no matter how prepared you are for your exhibit, there will always be unanticipated circumstances. Here are some items you should keep in your booth just in case.

Office/Promotional Items

* Extra giveaway items-in case demand is higher than anticipated.
* Additional promotional literature and marketing materials.
* Business cards
* Sharpies-at least a dozen-they tend to disappear.
* Pens, pencils, and highlighters
* Stapler with extra staples/paper clips
* Notepads and post-it notes
* Calculators-one per staffer
* Staffer schedule/ contact info/ list of back-up staff members

Tools/Maintenance Items

* Duct tape-just ask MacGyver-anything can be fixed with duct tape!
* Backup light bulbs
* Glass cleaner w/ rags and paper towels.
* Clorox wipes
* Box-cutters/Utility knife
* Tape-measure
* Hammer/screwdriver-phillips head and regular Notepads and post-it notes
Staff/Personal Effects
* Tissues
* Anti-bacterial hand gel-you will be shaking a whole lotta hands.
* First-aid kit-pain releivers, band-aids, disinfectant, cotton pads, burn cream.
* Bottled water-not to be consumed in-booth.
* Throat lozenges
* Breath mints-to be consumed in-booth.
* Hand lotion-use in moderation, think hand shakes!

11. Post Show Wrap-up

As the show begins to wind down, and you and your staff hustle to score those last minute leads, it is time to reflect on your show experience. You will need to determine whether there was a return on investment, if all of your show objectives were met, and finally, what have you learned.

There are some basic methods you can use to assess your return on investment. Add up all the leads you’ve acquired during the show and compare them with your projected estimates. If there were any in-booth surveys conducted, you can total those as well. Such surveys are a great way of getting visitor feedback, and will give you some idea of attendance and level of interest. Hire a clipping service to keep track of any news coverage your company may have received in connection with the show. You can look at how many promotional items were distributed, and how much literature people grabbed, but this is a crude measurement of success at best.

12. Do a follow-up!
There is perhaps no more important part of your trade show presentation than the follow-up. There is little point in going through all the expense, hard work, and hassles that come with presenting if there is no follow through. Just as your Mom reminded you to always send a thank-you note, so you should reach out to all the leads and contacts, acquired during the show. Waste no time in pursuing your leads, or your competitors will beat you to it! There are many ways to follow-up with your leads. Sending a thank-you note is always a classy way to go. Include a personalized message; don’t just dash off some generic greeting. And, always, always spell people’s names correctly! Nothing will turn off a prospect faster than seeing their name mangled, it smacks of rank amateurism. E-mails work too, but in this age of instant communication, taking the time to actually write to someone is often more meaningful.