Plan Ahead and Fight Stress for Trade Show Season

Trade show season can be rough. Between the planning, the purchasing, the putting together, the setting up, and then the actual trade show, things can get crazy. It seems like only as the last minute details are weeded out that you are finally able to breath. To avoid this, start planning ahead now. Below are a few tips to decrease, maybe even eliminate stress, and increase traffic.

Preplan

Just that! Plan ahead. Don’t procrastinate and wait until the last minute. Not only does it cause an undue amount of stress, but it only allows you to put so much effort into whatever project you’re doing. Plan ahead and allow yourself more options. Designate a set time and place to work on preplanning and stick to it!

Location

Your venues have already been finalized, so now what? Make sure you get a prime seating! In some cases, venues are first come first serve. In others, you are given options as to where you can display your exhibit. If the option is there, take it! The cost may be a bit more, but there is a reason for that: those areas get the most traffic. One of the best tools you can utilize as a business owner, manager, or even employee, is to use natural marketing and advertising. Being spatially aware will already put you one step ahead of the game.

Network

To garner more traffic you need to reach more people. In the age of technology, embrace it! Most businesses have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and blogs at their disposal. Use these social networking sites to promote your trade show events. Online social networking is one of the quickest and most cost effective ways to spread the word.

Exhibit

Oh yes, the exhibit! The most important part of any trade show is your booth. To hold people’s attention you need to catch it first. Make it stand out. Make it approachable. Make it interactive. Make it informational.

Make it stand out: Use different types of banners: standing banners, hanging banners, and even murals. Interweaving different signage will draw the eye. Marry that with vibrant colors, images, and different fonts, and people will come flocking.

Make it approachable: Play into your venue. In a more relaxed venue, don’t create illustrious banners that are so elegant they can be off-putting. Adversely, don’t show up to a more refined trade show carrying poster boards. For instance, setting up a cut and glue collage poster board of previous weddings you’ve planned at a prestigious bridal exhibit. Additionally, have employees who are great socializers be the ones to man the booth.

Make it interactive: Give those shopping around the trade show a reason to come visit your booth. Offer incentives or raffle off a prize of some sort. If that isn’t on par with how you would like to promote your business, consider offering a “party favor” or promotional product of sorts. For example, candy with wrappers that advertise your business information or even something as simple as pens and magnets.

Make it informative: No matter what, don’t get so lost in the creative aspect of putting together a trade show that you forget to include your businesses information. You can do this in the form of pamphlets or by providing examples of your products.

Whether your trade show is planned a month or five months in advance it is best to preplan. Doing so will alleviate some of the headache involved with organizing, especially in regards to larger shows. Your ultimate goal is to make your trade show successful, not just for the client, but also for yourself. Doesn’t it only seem right that if you’re wanting potential customer to have fun that you should have fun yourself? Follow the tips above and you may find yourself doing just that.