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6 Quick Tips
- Choose the right show. Choose the show which best targets your key buyers.
- Book your stand early. You will have a better choice of stands, lots of time for planning and may be eligible for an early booking discount.
- Promote your participation leading up to the event. Send out letters/email/faxes to all of your current and potential clients to let them know you will be at the show.
- Design your stand so it looks professional and so your product is the most obvious feature. It is important that visitors know what you do.
- Search for qualified buyers at the show. Get your staff to be active in looking for the right people, qualifying their interest and recording their details .
- Follow up straight after the show. The show is the first big step, but to get real results you need to contact all the buyers you met at the show.
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Choose the Right Show for Your Business
- Who do you want to meet? Identify your target
audience.
- Use the Search by Industry function on this site
to identify shows related to your industry.
- Obtain a list of exhibitors from the organiser
to determine whether the show covers your particular
industry.
- Speak to companies who exhibited at the last show to gauge how successful
it was.
- Obtain a breakdown of show visitors from the organiser to see if the visitors
are your target audience.
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Match Your Objectives with Your Stand Design
- Set SMART objectives: Specific, Measurable, Attainable,
Realistic and to a Timeframe. What do you want from
this exhibition?
- Define the target audience: Who are the audience
at this show? What products and services will they
be interested in?
- Develop your message: Keep it simple and to the
point. Aim your show specific message at the target
audience.
- Attract people to your stand: Consider at show
promotions, sample giveaways, competitions, hospitality,
or launch a new product. However, don't let these
things distract from your key objectives.
- Communicate: Who you are. What you do. What benefits
you offer to your clients. The obvious needs to
be stated.
- Be clear and concise: Exhibitions are a competitive
environment. You only have seconds to attract visitors
attention and engage them with your message.
- Graphics: Larger, bolder, simpler. As a rule
of thumb, think of a size and double it. Think of
a freeway billboard. What works on the printed page
or website will not always work in an exhibition.
- Space: Leave plenty of room for visitors (buyers)
on your stand. At least 50% of your floor area should
be left for visitors.
- Storage: Incorporate ‘hidden’ storage
space on your stand to store brochures, product
etc. Boxes sitting in corners are very unattractive
and detract from the presentation of your stand.
- Involve your sales team: Brief your team on the
stand prior to the show. Give them the whole picture,
the why, what, where, who and your objectives, and
seek feedback on your exhibit for the next show
(write it down).
- Review, develop and change: Continual development
and change is a must. Visitors (buyers) may walk
past your exhibit if it "looks the same as
last time" - nothing new here!
- Capture the moment: Photograph the event. Use it in further promotion and
as a great stepping stone to your next exhibition stand.
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Book Your Stand Early
- Book early to obtain the widest choice of stands
and to gain an ‘early booking’ discount
where applicable.
- Establish how much space you ideally require
to display your products/services. Apply a 50% product,
50% space rule to ensure your stand is open and
not cluttered making it more inviting to passing
visitors.
- Select a stand with high traffic flow to gain
maximum exposure to visitors eg near entrance, adjacent
to kiosk or on a corner.
- Ideally your stand should have more frontage
than depth or open on more than one side for better
exposure to visitors.
- Who are your neighbours? Do you wish to be next
to competitors?
- After receiving your stand agreement, sign and return with your deposit
to confirm your preferred stand booking.
- If you require special services eg gas, air,
water, ensure you arrange this with the venue prior
to the show.
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Pre Show Promotion
- To gain the best value out of your exhibiting
experience, ensure that your customers know that
you are going to be there.
- Direct mail/email/fax your customers and potential
customers prior to the event notifying them of your
involvement.
- Provide show promotions/discounts to your customers
giving them a greater incentive to visit your stand.
- In all your advertising leading up to the show,
include reference to your participation in the trade
show eg See us at Stand XX at XXXX Show.
- Take advantage of the free trade invitations
provided to you by the organiser and distribute
to your customers. Include these in your monthly
invoice runs or regular correspondence to your customers.
- Create a hotlink on your corporate website to
the show site to promote your involvement.
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Planning for Your Stand
- Read your Exhibitor Manual carefully. It can
seem daunting however this document will provide
you with all the information you need to make your
exhibiting experience simple and easy.
- One of the first pages in your Exhibitor Manual
will list the preferred suppliers for that event.
Use these companies as they have been selected on
their performance and will be there to help at the
show if you need them.
- After you have defined your objectives and designed
your stand, establish a list of your requirements.
- Ask questions. Talk to the preferred suppliers
if you are not sure or need clarification or ideas
on how to present your company and your product.
- Ask for written confirmation of the things you
have ordered from suppliers.
- Ensure your stand coordinator brings a copy of
your order to the show during set-up.
- Place your orders at least four weeks prior to
the show. Last minute orders can incur late fees
and delays during set-up or you may have to compromise
due to shortage in supply.
- Keep it simple. Don't order too much for your
floor space. As a rule, at least 50% of your floor
space should be left for visitors.
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Moving In & Setting Up
- Where show stock is valuable, insure it for the
duration of the show as well as during transit.
- If using outside contract carriers/couriers,
book them four weeks in advance. Note that some
do not operate on weekends or holidays.
- Plan so that your product arrives after the construction
of your stand has been completed.
- Ensure that fragile equipment/product is safely
packaged.
- Use reputable freight forwarders, if product
is coming from interstate or overseas. Seek recommendations
from the organiser.
- Every item must be clearly labelled with your
stand number, company name and show name. There
are often several events being held at the same
time at the venue. Use the address labels provided
to you in your Exhibitor Manual.
- Get a loading dock confirmation time from the
organiser to avoid your carrier waiting in queues.
- During move out, pack all your goods then move
them out within the published time frame. All unclaimed
product will be disposed of once the organiser takes
leave of the venue.
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Staffing Your Stand
- Staffing will ultimately determine how successful the show is for you.
- Use your very best staff - those that are friendly,
motivated, and have a real knowledge of your products.
- Avoid using outside temporary staff - trade visitors
expect to get answers from experts.
- Roster staff in four hour cycles, to avoid them
getting tired and de-motivated.
- Brief staff as to the goals of your exhibiting,
so that they can focus on these.
- Set specific targets (eg $ sales, visitor contacts)
and offer rewards for achieving these.
- Instruct staff to use open body language on the
stand to maximise opportunities of attracting visitors
to your stand.
- Have a de-briefing at the end of each day, to
review results and problems.
- Avoid eating, reading, taking mobile phone calls
on your stand. Visitors want your individual attention
and are unlikely to interrupt you.
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Security
- Ensure that your insurance policies are extended
to cover the show. The organiser insures the event,
it is the responsibility of the exhibitor to insure
the product on your stand.
- Whilst thefts rarely occur at exhibitions, be
particularly alert during move in and move out.
- Always have a lockable cupboard or storage area
on your stand, for personal valuables eg wallets,
phones, handbags.
- Co-operate with security guards employed by the
organiser, as they are there to protect your property.
- Report any thefts immediately to the organiser.
- Never leave small, portable, valuable items unattended
on your stand eg laptop, mobile phones, handbags.
- During move out, station somebody on your stand
until all product is removed.
- Don't leave commercially sensitive material on
your stand eg pricing folders, client lists.
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Follow Up
- Follow up, follow up, follow up! Your work doesn’t
finish when the show closes. Research indicates
that 83% of leads generated at trade shows are not
followed up!
- Before you arrive at the show, have a structured
program in place for the collection and follow up
of leads immediately after the event.
- Disseminate the leads across your entire sales
team so that prompt follow up is guaranteed.
- Review your objectives with a view to your participation
in future shows.
- Hiring a tracker machine from the registration
company allows you immediate follow up and is a
very cost effective means of generating leads electronically.
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OH&S
- Businesses are under increasing pressure to implement extremely high levels of OH&S.
- Venues are strict in their enforcement of the OH&S requirements which affects all companies involved in exhibitions including organisers, stand builders, logistics companies and exhibitors.
- During Move In and Move Out times, the exhibition hall is deemed a construction zone and clearly identifiable safety clothing is to be worn at all times. Children are not permitted in the exhibition hall at these times.
- The Exhibitor Manual has details of OH&S requirements of exhibitors and the companies they appoint to assist in their involvement in the show.
- Exhibitors are responsible for passing this information on to these companies.
- Additional copies of the manual are available for the exhibiting companies to pass onto their suppliers.
- Minimum 3 metre clear aisles must be maintained at all times.
- Special rules apply in constructing stands with double storeys, using flammable materials or housing dangerous/hazardous goods. Seek advice and clarification from the organiser or venue as sometimes written approval is required prior to Move In.
During the Move In and Move Out of an event, the following OH&S requirements are industry standard and must be adhered to:
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High Visibility Vests must be worn by all Exhibitors within the Exhibition Hall/s and on the Loading Dock at all times;
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Appropriate Footwear (closed-toe) must be worn by all persons within the Exhibition Hall/s and on the Loading Dock at all times;
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Children under 16 are not permitted within the Exhibition Hall/s or on the Loading Dock at any time throughout the Move In and Move Out of an event return to top
Frequently Used Terms
- Darling Harbour: Generally refers to the Sydney Convention
& Exhibition Centre which is located in the Darling Harbour precinct,
a short walk from the city centre.
- Floor Space Only: Exhibition stand supplied as bare floorspace.
You will need to build your own stand (including adjoining walls).
- Floorplan: The layout of an exhibition or event showing
all the stands and major venue features.
- Frontrunner: Also known as Corinth, this is the type of
walls incorporated in most Pre Built Stand packages. Covered in velcro compatible
fabric.
- Loading Dock: The area normally located at the back of
the venue where goods may be unloaded and brought into the venue. Normally
there is a wait during peak times. Forklift services or trolley hire may be
available for a small charge. Check with the organiser.
- Manual: Most organisers issue an Exhibitor Manual to each
exhibitor once they have contracted to an event. The manual will generally
include an information section, checklists, order forms and catalogues for
additional services.
- Move In/Move Out: The period where exhibitors are given
access to the venue to set up and pull down their stands.
- Octonorm: An internationally recognised modular construction
system for exhibition stands. Comprises eight sided poles, flat panels and
other accessories for flexible yet affordable stand design.
- Organiser: A company who puts events together. Some organisers
own the events they run while others organise events on behalf of third parties
eg. industry associations. They rent exhibition space from the venue in order
to run the events.
- Pits: Service ducts located in the floor of an exhibition
venue. Most would have power and telephone connections. Some have water, waste,
compressed air or gas.
- Pre Built Stands: Exhibition Space supplied with a basic
stand. Often includes carpet, walls, lighting and a company name sign. Sometimes
includes a powerpoint but not always. Sometimes referred to as Shell Scheme.
- Registration: The process of collecting visitor details
before they enter the show. Common at trade shows but not public exhibitions.
- Rigging: The process of hanging lights or banners from
the ceiling of a venue. Generally allowed above your own stand at an additional
cost.
- Stand Agreement: Contractual agreement between the exhibitor
and organiser confirming the stand booking, costs and payment structure for
an event.
- Stand Application Form: The form you need to complete
to apply for an exhibition stand. Once accepted by the organiser you will
be issued with a stand agreement advising your stand location. To confirm
this you need to sign and return with your deposit within the timeframe advised.
- Stand Builder: The company appointed to build the exhibition,
they provide a ‘one stop shop’ with services including stand design,
lighting, signage, furniture & plant hire.
- Supplier: A company who provides services to the exhibition
industry. For example furniture, stand design, rigging, transport or signage.
- Tracker: Refers to a machine which scans visitor name-badges
and prints to an address label or saves to a floppy disk. Available for hire
at trade shows.
- Venue: The building where events are held.
return to top Source: Exhibitions & Events Association of Australasia
website
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