FEATURE: EXHIBITIONS & CONFERENCING
show Star of the
Taking a strategic approach to exhibiting at a tradeshow can reap commercial benefits for businesses. Chamberlink offers some pointers for getting the best out of an event
a successful business. But there’s a lot more to it than setting up your stand in an exhibition hall. As with all major decisions it is essential to plan ahead before you even book exhibition space. Take time to think about what you want to achieve from attending an event and set out clearly defined aims. If you decide exhibitions are the right way to promote your products,
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you should first research which events are most appropriate for your needs. Establish their track records, ask for an analysis of previous years’ events as well as how many decision makers from your target market attended. Another issue to consider is where you are going to exhibit. There are
pros and cons when it comes to the scale of the event. A huge show at the NEC may bring in thousands of visitors, but how many of those will be particularly interested in your product and how can you make yourself stand out from the crowd? On the other hand a smaller scale event can offer focus and a stylish setting, creating an enjoyable ambience in which people can consider the merits of your offering at leisure. Calculate the total cost of running a stand at the exhibition. It’s not just
the rental of the right floor space you need to consider, but also staff costs and the expenditure on the design and production of the stand itself. Make sure you think through the arrangements well in advance. There are a number of simple details you need to take into account, but which could have a detrimental effect on your exhibit if they are overlooked. For example, when will you be setting up the stand, who is taking the brochures and where will the packing materials be stored? Prepare briefing notes for everyone who will be running the stand so
that they know how to respond to a variety of people – existing clients, potential customers, journalists, competitors and even the mildly interested visitors who may be just killing time. Ensure visitors are given a short opportunity to browse your stand
before approaching them. Try to find out which category they fall into by asking whether they use your kind of product and what role they hold in their organisation. Most exhibitors aim to make introductory contacts rather than hope to
complete sales on the spot. But it shouldn’t just be an exercise in collecting names, it’s important to qualify leads so you know where to concentrate your efforts once the exhibition is over and the real work begins!
34 CHAMBERLINK OCTOBER 2011
howing your products to customers and potential clients is a vital element in running
‘Prepare briefing notes for everyone who will be running the stand’
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