So you've booked your stand... now what?

• Matthew Larcome (B2B Expos UK)
• Wednesday 3 June 2015

Once you've booked your stand for a business show or exhibition, the first thing you should do is start creating a buzz around your attendance by spreading the word and inviting as many people along as possible.

The first thing you should do once you've booked your stand at an event is to share the news of your booking on social media. Send a tweet to spread the word and include the event hashtag to reach other people on Twitter who may already be talking about it. You should also write a status for your LinkedIn profile and business Facebook page.

It's also recommended that you add details about the event on your website. Perhaps you could be really creative and add a banner with the event logo and details of the event. Some people might think that this is simply advertising the exhibition (and surely that's the event organiser's job to do so) but what you're actually doing here, is inviting your exact audience - the people who have already visited your website - and giving them the perfect excuse to come to the event and meet you on your stand.

When you get involved with your pre-show advertising, be sure to include your stand number and the reason people should visit your stall - maybe you're planning on doing a live product demonstration or you're running a fantastic competition that your potential customers simply cannot miss.

As well as social media and your website, think about adding the event details and your stand number to your printed literature, such as leaflets, posters or your personal business cards. When you go networking or have a meeting with a prospect or existing client, invite them along to the event as well. It'll not only give you the chance to show off your business again, but the event will certainly help your contact, who may really benefit from attending the event.

Other ideas to help advertise the event and your stand at the show include adding the event to your monthly newsletter, sending out press releases to local media, writing a blog article, sending invitation cards to your database and even Google AdWords.

Most professional event organisers will have a marketing toolkit and ready to use resources that you can use to advertise your attendance. Be sure to take advantage of these tools and put a pre-event marketing plan into action.

If you've booked a stand with Memo Events and you'd like some support to kick start your pre-show marketing for your business, please get in touch or login to your Exhibitor Point account to access downloads and your event media packs.

www.memoevents.co.uk

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