Planning & Preparing For A Successful Trade Show (Trade Shows – 1)

A trade fair (trade show, trade exhibition or expo) is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products or services, study activities of competitors and examine recent market trends and opportunities. These events have huge impacts on business. A tradeshow creates a chance to develop and/or expand the customer base, establish partnerships, learn better ways to improve operations and many more methods by which to improve your RoI. It is an excellent opportunity for an organization to boost its profile or reputation and increase sales. There are a few things to be kept in mind while preparing to participate in a trade show:

1.     Proper planning is key to the success of any endeavor.  In this case, planning well means having a creative display, a well-defined budget and a highly trained staff. It is a good idea to take help from professional convention planning experts. Here is a checklist to help you in the preparation:

a.     Have you reserved your booth at the trade show?

b.    Have you set aside your budget for meals, transport and other essentials?

c.     Have you arranged for all the accessories you will need during the show? You may need banners, seating, lighting, etc.

d.    If travel is involved, have you made the required arrangements? Booking flight tickets and accommodation in hotels and arranging for your transport in that city.

e.     Is the promotional material you will use in the show ready? If not, place your order for the brochures and other material. Remember to review it well before it is printed. Proof reading is another important aspect which is often overlooked.

f.     Discuss and finalize your display at the tradeshow.

g.    Train your staff thoroughly. Well trained personnel are crucial to the success of your booth at the tradeshow.

2.     Proper event marketing is essential to the success of your booth at the tradeshow. Remember to use all online and offline resources to advertise your event.

3.     Do you have any new products to launch or any announcements to make at the tradeshow? If yes, the tradeshow can be an ideal platform for you to let your existing and potential customers know about the news.

As any corporate event planners will tell you, there are two main factors for your booth at the tradeshow to be successful:

1.     What you are selling is very important and has to be on par or better than the products or services offered by your competitors.

2.     Whom your customers see at your booth are your staff. They have to present themselves and your goods in a very professional manner.

Plan well so that failure to plan is not the reason for the failure of your booth. You can also get help in your planning by engaging a good event management company, like Plan Ahead Events, who have the necessary experience and exposure to ensure that your event is a success.