Top Tips on how to become a Trade Show Expert

Perhaps you’ve been thinking for some time now that exhibitions are the way to build your business. We’d certainly agree with you here at Glass Shed Exhibition Stand Design London. We genuinely believe there’s no better way of getting your brand in front of targeted eyeballs than by rocking up, loud and proud, with the best stand design and strategy possible at a relevant trade or consumer show.

Just like any other form of marketing activity, the more trade shows you attend, the better you’ll become at them. Learning the industry ropes and eventually getting to that crucial point where you do more than just deliver a modest return on your investment. Instead, extracting data, contacts, and a wealth of valuable experience that could end up doubling or even tripping your ROI when you attend your next industry event.

For the trade show novices among you who aren’t yet convinced that trade shows are the way to go in 2020, Glass Shed Exhibition Stand Design in London has gone ahead and put together our top tips for success.

How to be a rockstar Trade Show Marketeer!

Below we’ve listed out 10 tried and tested tips for you to implement so that you can enjoy sizzling results from your future trade shows.

Track your experience

Keep track of the event, experience, pitfalls, and outcomes so that you can continually revise and refine your strategy. What can you do differently to a change a break-even experience into a lucrative one which will deliver a significant ROI at your next show?

Keep detailed notes

Don’t rely upon your memory alone, even if you are known for being the office brain! Be sure to keep detailed records of all your trade show leads. You’ll likely talk to hundreds of potential new prospects during a show, so detailed notes will help you connect and interact with them better post the event.

Take photographs

Take an hour to walk around the floor, and capture photos or video clips of exhibition stands you like or new marketing initiatives that make an impact. It’s a great way of tracking trends and an excellent tool for monitoring your competition.

Always follow up

E-mail all your key contacts beforehand to see if they’re attending the show. It’s an excellent opportunity to strengthen your network and improve those crucial face to face relationships.

Attend presentations

Most trade shows will offer an interesting series of presentations, pulling in well-known industry experts and researchers. It could be an opportunity for you to top up your skills and knowledge by listening to an informative and you never know, entertaining talk!

Don’t be discouraged by initial failure

As with most things in life, practise makes perfect, and not every trade show you attend will be a rip-roaring success! Keep focused on your objectives, even if you are playing to a particularly tough crowd. It’s always a valuable learning experience.

Build the best team around you

Try and stick to a core, experienced, and knowledgeable team of sales representatives and trade show personnel who understand how you and your business ticks.

Make sure your stand and marketing collateral are all on-brand

Keep your exhibit up to date and consider tweaking your marketing material to reflect the crowd, customer, goals, or space that you’re exhibiting in. Your stand must be in synchronicity with your overall business goals and objectives.

Keep a firm track on your budget

Budgeting is never easy, but it’s essential to ensure that you don’t overspend. Keep a record of all the expenses you accrued doing your first show to better influence your budgeting decisions at subsequent shows.

Make sure you enjoy the experience!

Yes, trade shows are hard work, but they also provide an excellent opportunity to escape the office for a few days and catch up with colleagues, customers and to perhaps make some new friends. So be sure to enjoy the experience.

Hopefully, those top tips from Glass Shed Exhibition Stand Design London have spurred you on to try out your first trade show in 2020. If so, we’d love to hear from you, so why not talk to us today and take advantage of our no-obligation consultation service? You’re just one phone call and your first show away from becoming a trade show expert.