All the trade show tips newbies need

For most new business owners, thinking about taking their brand new company to a trade show can be quite stressful. It’s clear that hiring a stand at an expo or trade show is crucial for most business owners, though, especially new ones who have just set up their firm, as it can expose them to thousands of potential clients and customers. And, no matter who nerve-wracking the whole idea of going to one may be, you actually have nothing to worry about. Organising and planning these type of events can be very easy if you give yourself plenty of time. It also pays to remember these following tips that all newbies will need.

Hire A Stand Designer

First of all, designing a stand shouldn’t worry you too much as you can always outsource this to a professional exhibition stand designer. Whether you want an extravagant stall or just a modest display stand, a professional designer will be able to help you realise your ideas. They can talk about what you want to achieve with your stand and will design one that fits your exact brief. This will certainly take away all the stress that would come with creating and building your own expo stand, that’s for sure!

Go For Comfort Over Style

Sure, you will need to look highly professional when you are working your stand at the trade show. However, be sure to always opt for clothes that are going to keep you as comfortable as possible through the day. Even though you won’t be walking around much, you will still need to be on your feet while manning your stand. So, it could be best to go for some flat shoes rather than killer high heels!

Set Yourself Goals

It’s a good idea to turn up to the trade show with a few clear goals and targets in mind. That way, you are more likely to keep on track and achieve exactly what it is you want. The first step in setting some goals is to ensure that they are measurable. That way, you can track them and will have some clear data showing whether or not you met them. For instance, you might want to keep track of how many business cards you hand out, as these are all potential leads.

Research The Best Trade Show

Not all trade shows are the same, so ensuring that you only invest in ones that are worth it for you and your company is very important. Ideally, you should sign up for ones that are focused on your industry. There will also be some generic trade shows that allow businesses from all industries and sectors to sign up for a stand. As long as the expos bring large crowds of visitors, though, then you should be able to reap the advantages, such as large exposure for your business.

So, have you been persuaded to sign up for a trade show? You won’t regret it if you follow all of these tips!

 


Christine Buske is a former academic who left science at the bench, and now considers herself a woman in tech. She is a frequently invited speaker, and enjoys talking about career transformation (particularly leaving academia for the business world), tech, issues around women in tech, product management, agile, and outreach. She is a proud Canadian resident, and qualifies as a "serial expat".

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.