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Successful Trade Show Planning Guide
Planning a successful trade show involves several essential steps. Establishing a realistic budget is critical; this should include costs for all attending staff, travel, lodging, meals, transportation, booth rentals, show services, multimedia, and marketing materials. An effective event marketing strategy must be devised to maximize attendance. This can entail email marketing, social media campaigns, targeted giveaways, and contests aligned with the company's brand awareness objectives. Lead generation tactics such as free demos or on-site consultations can also enhance engagement. Designing a memorable trade show booth is crucial; companies need to consider space registration, exhibit requirements, necessary equipment, and whether to purchase or rent the booth. Logistics like additional setup assistance and order arrangements can be facilitated by external vendors if needed. Additionally, companies should allow ample time for exhibit design to visualize branding elements and desired attendee takeaways effectively. Staff preparation includes arranging travel, accommodations, and client meetings. Post-show follow-up strategies must be in place to nurture leads and evaluate overall performance and ROI to refine future trade show plans.We know it’s difficult to handle all the details – so allow us to assist.
ExpoSystems is among the top leading trade show exhibit companies in the nation. We can manage all or part of your trade show experience by offering you a wide range of services. This includes but is not limited to convention hall services, freight and logistics, on-site supervision and service order management. We want to make your experience as easily as possible. Let us know your trade show details, needs and objectives. We’ll take it from there, developing the trade show plan, and managing all the numerous details to ensure that you have a successful event.
Why are you exhibiting at this trade show? How does this show in particular fit into your existing marketing strategy? What goals do you have? Are you looking to make sales, get a certain number of leads, introduce a new product or perhaps give your company more exposure? It’s important not only to determine why you are there, but also to figure out how you’re going to do it. In your strategy, you should think through:
- How will you promote attendance at this event? Email marketing and social media are great ways to spread the word to your contacts and friends.
- If your goal is raising brand awareness, what tactics will you employ to get people excited about wanting to meet with you? Think about giveaways and contests that may be relevant to your target audience.
- If your goal is lead generation, what compelling offers can you give to trade show attendees to want to contact your company after the event is over? You can host a free demo or offer a 10-minute consultation onsite. Ask the event organizer if they can share a list of attendees with you prior to the trade show. No matter what you do, getting contact information from the attendees is key to follow-up after the show.
We know it’s difficult to handle all the details – so allow us to assist.
ExpoSystems is among the top leading trade show exhibit companies in the nation. We can manage all or part of your trade show experience by offering you a wide range of services. This includes but is not limited to convention hall services, freight and logistics, on-site supervision and service order management. We want to make your experience as easily as possible. Let us know your trade show details, needs and objectives. We’ll take it from there, developing the trade show plan, and managing all the numerous details to ensure that you have a successful event.
Planning a booth for a trade show is an exciting experience and opportunity for your business, but it can also be overwhelming with so much to plan and do. What is the number one thing to keep in mind? Start your trade show planning early!
Many trade show experts recommend starting your preparation a year before the show.
So what steps do you need to take to in order to get the most out of your trade show investment? Keep reading to learn how to make sure your show goes off without a hitch.
Our full assembly services make your trade show experience that much easier.
We’re here to save you time and from any unnecessary headaches! Just tell us how you want your booth to look and we’ll assist in complete installation, inspection and cleaning of your display to ensure everything is ready for the grand reveal. We’ll handle any repairs that may come up and we’ll repack and store everything for you once the show is over. Our complete installation and dismantle services are exactly what you need to remain stress-free during your trade show or event.
Come to terms with your budget.
Your budget is the first place to start before you do anything. Before you purchase the biggest exhibit space the trade show offers, be sure to work with your accounting or procurement departments to understand how much money you can have to work with. When presenting your case for this trade show, be sure to estimate:
- Cost for attending the show for all staff who will be present
- Cost of travel expenses, transportation while at the event, lodging, meals, and incidentals
- Cost of booth, show services, multimedia, rentals, and marketing materials
You can’t be successful at a trade show without a great booth. Here are a few questions to think through:
- Have you registered the space you need with the event sponsor? Do so as soon as possible to ensure you get the earliest picks on the best available space/location. Talk to the event host about specific exhibit requirements so there are no unpleasant surprises later on.
- How much space is your booth allowed to take up? What is included in the space? Will there be outlets/hookups, WiFi, etc.?
- What equipment will you need? Will you need a projector, sound equipment, a flat screen, etc.? Can the event host provide some of these? Will it be cheaper for you to bring your own equipment instead of renting it?
- Will you buy an exhibit booth that you can use over and over again? Or will renting one be more cost effective this time around?
- Do you need to hire additional help for setting up and taking down your booth? Would you like help with arranging labor, submitting the necessary forms, arranging and ordering onsite services, and handling the logistics? Outside trade show vendors may be able to assist.
- Allow yourself twice as much time as you think you’ll need to decide what you want your exhibit booth to convey. How will you want to display your logo? What images and verbiage might you want to use? What is it you want attendees to take away from being in your booth? Give your exhibit designer plenty of time to work up the perfect concept and design for you.
Insider’s Tip: To get speedy turnaround time of your graphic materials, give your vendors only items that have been proofread and are (fingers-crossed) free of errors. Provide vendors with the highest resolution of files, photos, and logos. This will prevent unnecessary back-and-forth for your vendor to get started.
Our full assembly services make your trade show experience that much easier.
We’re here to save you time and from any unnecessary headaches! Just tell us how you want your booth to look and we’ll assist in complete installation, inspection and cleaning of your display to ensure everything is ready for the grand reveal. We’ll handle any repairs that may come up and we’ll repack and store everything for you once the show is over. Our complete installation and dismantle services are exactly what you need to remain stress-free during your trade show or event.
Come to terms with your budget.
Your budget is the first place to start before you do anything. Before you purchase the biggest exhibit space the trade show offers, be sure to work with your accounting or procurement departments to understand how much money you can have to work with. When presenting your case for this trade show, be sure to estimate:
- Cost for attending the show for all staff who will be present
- Cost of travel expenses, transportation while at the event, lodging, meals, and incidentals
- Cost of booth, show services, multimedia, rentals, and marketing materials