Top 10 Tips for Exhibiting at Business Shows

• Stuart Russell (FindNetworkingEvents.com)
• Thursday 21 February 2013

1. Set some goals

It is important to have a clear set of goals before exhibiting, the earlier you think about these the better. What do you want to achieve from the show? How many leads do you want to collect? Who do you want to meet?

2. Choose a good location

Look carefully at the show floor plan beforehand and choose the best position that is available to maximise your visibility. Locations near catering outlets and seminar halls typically work well as they are always busy. We chose a corner stand with two open sides which meant we were visible from several directions. We also had a networking area next to us meaning we were not blocked by other stands.

3. Furniture on your stand

If you are exhibiting at a larger show then think carefully about what additional items you will need on the stand. It can be quite expensive to hire furniture and audio visual equipment from the official suppliers so if budget is an issue, look at sourcing elsewhere. We hired a couple of stools for the stand, we were actually so busy for the 2 days that we didn’t sit on them once!

4. Present a professional image

Make sure your stand and marketing materials look as professional as possible. Research all possibilities when designing your stand, there are multiple display options available at wildly varying prices. Consider whether you will be exhibiting again and therefore worth investing in something slightly better. Unless you are a creative type yourself, get a designer to produce your marketing material for maximum impact.

5. Make sure your offering is clear

Keep your messages on the stand simple, bold and clear. People need to be able quickly figure out what products or services your are promoting otherwise they will walk straight past you.

6. Collecting Data

It is likely that you will want to collect data at your show to enable you to contact potential leads later. It is important that you plan how to do this as easily and efficiently as possible.

If possible have pre-printed data capture forms stating clearly what information you need. If you only need an email address then collecting business cards is fine. Bear in mind though that some people may not have business cards. Have plenty of pens available, not only as give aways but for form filling. It is inevitable when getting people to fill in forms that a proportion will be illegible, do all you can to minimise the chance of this happening.

7. Run a Competition

To encourage people to leave their details with you run a competition on your stand, the more attractive the prize the better! Promoting the competition can be part of your pre-show build up.

8. Be friendly and approach people

It never ceases to amaze me at business shows when I see people on stands sat behind a desk staring at a laptop. Always smile and make an effort to engage with people. Don’t go in with a sales pitch, why not find out how they are enjoying the show or ask about their reasons for visiting.

9. Stay focused on your goals

Exhibiting at a business show can be an expensive process, both in terms of your time and the cost of hiring and kitting out your stand. For this reason it is important to ensure you get the maximum return on your investment by staying focused on your goals.

If your aim is to capture as many leads as possible then avoid getting into lengthy discussions at the stand, keep them for the follow up stage back at the office. There will inevitably be the time wasters who are only there for the chat and a free pen, just try and remain polite and move on if your stand is busy!

10. Follow up after the show

It goes without saying that having put so much effort into your business show you want to make sure you follow up all your leads afterwards. Have a system in place to do this and track the overall response from the show. This information is useful when deciding whether to exhibit again in the future.

Further Information

For more information and tips on exhibiting I would recommend the book below, 'Exhibit!: The SME's Guide to Using Exhibitions to Grow Your Business' by Fiona Humberstone.

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