At Grapevine Events we have organised our fair share of exhibitions and attended some very good (and not so good) ones over the years.
Exhibitions help showcase and demonstrate company’s latest products and services and can help companies study activities of rivals and examine recent market trends and opportunities.
So, no matter what product or service you offer and what sector you are in there will be an exhibition out there for you.
The conference and business events industry is worth £36.1bn to the UK Events Market so it is worth getting your company out there and in the eye of your industry.
Here are our top 5 tips to ensure you get the most out of showcasing at an exhibition:
AIMS & OBJECTIVES
Exhibitions bring all your customers together in one place so you should make sure that you have an objective set to ensure you get what you want from the exhibition; be it making sales, market research or growing your network. Setting an objective will ensure that the people on your stand are gaining the information you need through talking to customers.
PLACEMENT
If you get the choice of where your stand is placed, take it! Depending on where a stand is, footfall can be dramatically increased. Think of places that people have to pass – entrances and exits, coffee stands and even the toilets! If you were in a restaurant the last place you would want to be is next to the toilets but in an exhibition there is guaranteed footfall, just catch them on their way out!
DATA COLLECTION
Remember the objective you set at the beginning, this can be measured. Be it through collecting business cards or information through a survey. You’re at the exhibition for a reason so don’t forget to collect valuable data while you’re there. The more information you obtain about your potential customers, the better focused your post-show activities can be.
ENGAGEMENT
Your stand needs to be engaging and memorable. This can be done many ways and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Lots of companies will bring goodies for people to take away, be it food, pens or flyers. If you don’t have a lot of money to put towards marketing materials, having the right person on the stand can do this for you. If you have someone who is truly engaging with customers, it can really stand out in people’s minds once they leave.
MEASURING ROI
All the information you collect at an exhibition can be put to use. From justifying the investment of just attending the exhibition to getting new clients from the list of contacts you now have from people in your industry. Once you have the information, always follow up! Make contact with everyone that you met at the exhibition promptly, even if you think nothing will come of it now, you don’t know about what they might need in the future.
If you, or your company, is thinking of attending an exhibition and need help with marketing, design or marketing strategy get in contact with us.
We also can help if you want to put on an exhibition of your own. Grapevine Events can bring your idea to life.
