Exhibitions
Marketing comes in all forms, and we have already covered the importance of your marketing plan, you will most likely find that as your marketing budget increases, you will exhibit at relevant trade fairs and business exhibitions in your area, and Nationally.
So, what are Avanti’s top tips for exhibiting??
It all starts with finding out when and where the exhibitions are held.
- Familiarise yourself with the relevant organisations that run the events, follow their social media and make contact to establish how you go about booking a stand.
- Plan a year in advance, look for early bird offers, and find out how you can secure your preferred stand.
- Set Calendar reminders to follow up on any intended plans when working this far in advance, you do not want to miss a deadline for booking your stand!
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail
- A successful exhibition lies in your preparation, you will need to consider what you are selling, how you are conveying it and what you will need.
- Merchandise – when sourcing exhibition freebies, you will want to ensure they are generic while carrying your branding. Specifics can quickly become outdated rendering your precious marketing budget wasted, so remove specifics such as address, instead consider using the website, and avoid dates and pricing
- Promotion – take time to invest in promotion of your stand, if the exhibitor offers you opportunities such as conversation starters to encourage visitors to your stand, do it.
- If you have any opportunities to plug it in advance, take them, make sure they are relevant, and that you prepare, even if it was a 60 second promotion on radio- do not wing it.
- Write the script
- Check the content
- Company, Exhibition, Date, Where, Time, Stand Number
- Time it
- Check the timing
On the day
- Arrive early to set up – take the time to check your stand, does it look good and inviting from all angles?
- Establish where fire exits, toilets, coffee stands are- not just basic health and safety, but also enables you to help visitors.
- Find your competition, check them out early doors, and what they might be offering. Be better!
Ultimately, you are there to make new contacts so spend time circulating, visiting other stands, listening to people, smile and have fun. Don’t forget to follow up, and make sure your follow up is compliant with GDPR legislation