DOs and DON'Ts of planning your exhibition
DO.
- Plan ahead. Regular exhibitors start planning 6-12 months ahead of their appearance
- Research. Study the show's history - does it attract a large number of your target audience? Is it easy for the attendee to find?
- List your objectives. Make it specific and achievable e.g. aim for X amount of leads/sales or spreading the word about a new product or service
- Approach the project with an open and creative mind. To engage your target audience you will need to be unique and appealing for your display to be memorable and attract the footfall to your stand
- Be aware that first impressions count. Be businesslike, welldressed and polite at all times
- Think about your approach. The best exhibitors listen for 80% of the time and talk for only 20%, focus on your audience
- Be sensible. Exhibitions are long days, make sure you have the right people and schedule in regular breaks to maintain enthusiasm
- Ask considered questions. To determine if an attendee is a likely customer or not find out who you are talking to, who they work for and in what role
- Keep a record. Take time beforehand to produce a form to note important information for follow-up after the show
- Think about the media. Have a press pack available and be open to interviews, especially if you have something new or special to tell people about
- Consider giveaways. Make use of items that your attendees use regularly to support their impression of you as an expert
- Follow-up. This is the most important part of your exhibition. Pursue all leads with a letter and call the more promising ones in person.
DON'T.
- Be afraid to ask questions. Show organisers will be happy to help and give you information on all exhibitor requirements, demographics etc.
- Miss an opportunity to attend an exhibition before your event. Note what exhibits were effective and those that didn't appeal, and why
- Get sidetracked. Ignore what everyone else is doing once your plan is in place. Changing your plans part-way through will not be helpful
- Be afraid to be passionate about your business. If you are genuinely enthusiastic about what you do, attendees will recognise that. Energy is contagious - and it sells!
- Barrage visitors. Overkill on facts, figures and sales spiel will turn people away
- Eat, drink or chat on your mobile phone in front of people. Leave the stand for your refreshments
- Forget to train. Your stand staff will need to understand the objectives, types of questions to be asked, what the marketing message is etc.
- Be afraid to encourage people to move along. They will only waste their own time if they are not interested in your services
- Forget to write things down. A few words scribbled on a scrap of paper will not be enough when you're meeting so many people
- Forget to read the exhibitor's manual. You will find important information relating to the exhibition i.e. deadlines. Most manuals can be downloaded from the show's website
- Get caught up in trends. Don't settle for giveaways pushed by promotional sales people. You don't want to merge in to the crowd, you want to stand out
- Hesitate to be interactive. Use demonstrations as part of your exhibit whenever you can. Injecting fun into your exhibit will attract more attendees.
The visual impact you have at your exhibition is essential – your stand is a shop window to your organisation and is an opportunity to tell your story, not only about your organisation but also the type of people you want to engage.
If you are considering new stand equipment and graphics it is important to develop a long term plan to maximise the return on your investment. The priority is to choose flexible equipment that can cater for your changing needs.
Money, money, money
To help you work out a budget for your stand multiply the stand size available to you by between £250 and £350 per square metre if it is for a modular or custom purchase in the UK. A final budget will of course depend on the ultimate specification and where/ when the stand is being built. Stands have been built for £1,500 per sqm though so this is only an outline guide.
Strong graphic message
It takes only three seconds for a passer-by to be attracted, or not. So your message needs to be straightforward and vivid.
- Keep text to a minimum – ensure what you’re saying is plain and simple to attract the passing crowd
- Summarise your principal messages with bullet points
- Your main messages must be off the floor, avoid the areas below 1m from the ground
- Use vibrant images to convey your offering and attract the eye of the visitors.
Space management
It is vital that you do not restrict access to your stand. Keep it as open plan as possible and accommodate your meeting areas towards the back of the stand to help staff continue to attract new attendees at the front.
Avoid having your meeting areas on an upper level, it can be embarrassing for any prospective customers wearing skirts on that day.
Stay distinctive
An exhibition is an opportunity to extend your brand/values and attract new business.
Think about your objectives – will bold colours, sound and maybe even a live demo or a comedian help you achieve them?
Audio visual equipment and/or a presentation can bring some movement to the stand.
Shedding light on the matter
The effects of the most impressive stand design can be completely lost if you can’t see it properly. Lighting creates an impact and pulls people to your stand.
Coloured lighting effects can maximise your presence with minimum investment – test different directions, intensity and colour. Lighting really can make or break your stand so please take advice.
Full height
Some organisers will allow you to build up to 6 metres high for no extra charge. Consider using this space to stand out from the crowd as you will tower above a shell scheme and be easily seen from across the hall.
