4 Ways to Maximize Success at Business Exhibitions

In this post, we’ll highlight a few ways — from bespoke exhibition stand ideas to increased social media activity — to achieve your goals at your next exhibition.

1. Prepare several months in advance

To ensure that both you and your employees are fully prepared for an upcoming exhibition, it’s crucial to start putting a plan together several months in advance. A vital part of this process is to research the event thoroughly. This not only provides you with a more in-depth understanding of what to expect on the day(s) of your event but also the insight to tailor your approach to suit the needs of a broader audience. The latter is especially important, as it will benefit you regardless of whether you’re looking to market new products, increase your exposure or recruit new talent.

It’s also vital to establish the goals you’re aiming to achieve, which will give you a sense of direction from beginning to end and help you identify critical areas you need to focus on in line with what you can realistically achieve. By preparing in advance, you’ll have more opportunities to gather your team and hash out a plan that everyone is happy with, making the exhibition a more efficient and enjoyable experience.

2. Put together a capable and confident team

Although many of today’s companies communicate with clients and fellow professionals via email, telephone or social media, an exhibition provides a platform for face-to-face interaction and the opportunity to make long-lasting industry connections. There are many aspects of events that contribute to your business’s success, but one thing that every company should keep in mind is the people who will be representing your brand.

Before the event, it’s vital to put together a team of employees who possess the necessary skills and knowledge to present an accurate and impressive portrayal of your business. Sales staff often thrive in these situations, as they’re used to speaking directly to potential customers and have an in-depth understanding of all your key selling points. With that said, you could also create an exhibition team that consists of your department heads, which will provide people who visit your booth with detailed information about the different aspects of your offering, information that only those who work in their area of expertise will know.

3. Brainstorm exhibition stand ideas

The quality and appeal of company custom exhibition stands are what attracts the attention of attendees, so they play a vital role in the success or failure of exhibitions and trade shows. Aside from providing your business with a base while attending the event, custom exhibition stands offer a vast range of benefits in marketing and provide the ideal platform to connect with your audience. It’s safe to say you’ll want an exhibition stand that’s on-brand and exciting enough to make you stand out from the crowd.

Brainstorming exhibition stand ideas is an excellent way of putting together a basic idea of what you want and require, and also gives you discussion points when seeking out a custom exhibition stands expert. This is a crucial process, as your chosen expert will be able to suggest different designs, layouts and features that will help your business thrive at events. Every company is different and has varying needs and preferences, but the input and expertise of a specialist is vital for achieving a final design that suits your requirements and budget.

4. Use social media well and often

You’ll already be fully aware of the importance of social media when it comes to large-scale promotion and day-to-day marketing. But it’s often something that’s underutilized by brands attending events. The use of social media for exhibitions and trade shows is a three-stage process; pre-event, during the event and post-event.

Pre-event social media

The build-up to a business event can be quite hectic, as there are many different things to consider, plan and put in motion. But this definitely isn’t the time to neglect social media. Regularly posting on your channels, as well as retweeting and communicating with other people attending the event, will ensure that as many people as possible know that you’ll be there.

Social media at the event

Updating your social media accounts during an event is crucial for maintaining an open line of communication with people walking around the various booths and reminding them that they should come and check out your exhibition stand. It’s also an ideal way to share any updates or promotions, such as special offers. When you consider how much time people spend checking their social media feeds, you could be missing an opportunity to reach an enormous audience.

Post-event social media

Post-event social media is key for thanking people who took the time to visit your booth (people love that), following up on any sales leads and reaching out to any new connections you made via networking. This requires minimal effort, but it can potentially deliver massive success.