Getting the most out of exhibiting at events means you have to find every opportunity you can to get involved from the moment you book your stand.
Now, we might be a little biased, but exhibitions such as Blackpool Business Expo, are the perfect place to meet your customers face to face, raise your brand awareness and build trust with your audience.
“Experiential marketing, which also includes trade shows and in-person events, is now one of the top 5 most important marketing strategies for businesses.”
Hubspot
As a small business ourselves, we get that exhibiting can be a significant investment of your time and money.
However, exhibiting at events is one of the most cost-effective forms of generating leads and sales.
So, don’t waste a second and make that investment count!
Follow these 5 simple steps to get the most out of exhibiting at events.
Have a plan from day 1
From the moment you book your stand, you need to start planning.
Don’t be complacent. If you think once you’ve booked your exhibition space it’s simply a case of turning up on event day, chatting to a few select attendees and, hey presto, the sales will roll in, you couldn’t be more wrong. In fact, a lot of the hard work is done in the run up to an event.
Make sure you’ve identified your companies’ goals and objectives in advance and what you need to put in place to achieve these.
Think about how you will grab visitors’ attention on the day.
Will you run a competition, have merch to give away, etc.
Don’t leave it to the last minute.
Make a plan, then take action.
Take advantage of every opportunity
When you exhibit at one of our events, we market your business across all our available channels before, during, and after the event, as standard.
We‘ve always considered ourselves an extension of our exhibitor’s marketing team, and we mean it. But you’d be surprised to learn just how many exhibitors fail to tap into free marketing and PR opportunities.
Yes FREE.
Don’t let that be you.
Tell the event organiser your news, share blogs and basically keep in touch.
Are there any marketing campaigns and advertising opportunities you can take advantage off to create brand awareness for your business.
Make it your business to find out.
Getting involved and promoting your business in the run up to events will mean maximum footfall to your stand and increase that all important recognition for your brand, before the doors have even opened.
Plus, event organisers love those who get involved – believe me.
Appearances matter
The way your organisation is represented in person matters.
From your business cards and handouts to what your staff wear, say or do, or don’t do.
It might be cliché but, you only get one chance to make a first impression.
Think about who will represent your business on the day.
Staff out for a jolly from the office might not be the best choice. We’re all about the fun but nothing is less approachable than a miserable disinterested face or someone sat down reading the paper.
I mean, is this the best use of your investment?
Instead, I’d recommend having a key decision maker on hand to speak to your potential customers.
Remember, Expo’s are a perfect face to face networking opportunity for you. You’ve not only got visitors to network with but a room full of other exhibitors.
When was the last time you were in a room full of 100’s of businesspeople?
Who better to tell someone about your business than you?
Be memorable
‘He who shouts loudest gets heard’ does not apply when it comes to exhibitions.
It’s what you shout about that matters…
When you’re exhibiting at events, make the experience of visiting your stand an exciting one by having fun and being interactive.
Don’t be afraid to start a conversation with passers-by, find some common ground and tell them about your business.
If delegates aren’t engaging with you then they’re already introducing themselves to the next business.
To give yourself the best chance of getting visitors to your stand you could offer a free giveaway, play a fun game, run a competition or offer promotional gifts.
Trust us, you’ll leave a lasting impression if you get them involved.
Visitors may forget what you said to them, but they’ll always remember how you made them feel.
Follow up
The finishing line is in sight, but you’d be surprised how many businesses fall at the final hurdle by not following up on potential leads after exhibiting.
Refer again to ‘step one’ and make sure you include how and when you’ll follow-up on these new prospects.
Save yourself the time and headache after the event by creating email templates ahead of time, ready to add the data and send after, but always try to make it personal.
No one likes to get a generic email in their inbox the next day when they had what they considered a great conversation with you.
When collecting cards, make a note on the back to remind you of what you talked about, or staple it into a notebook with a more detailed reminder.
To find out more about visiting, exhibiting, or sponsoring Blackpool Business Expo, Click HERE.
