Do you feel you didn’t get the most out of your last event? Perhaps the your stand was in the wrong place, or your marketing materials were out of date and maybe even that your competitors stood out more from the crowd and attracting more prospective customers than you did?
There is no doubt that any event is an opportunity to promote your business, sell your service and to even test out new ideas on prospective clients. You will be in a venue that is filled to the brim with people who have a similar interest in your product or industry. After investing this time, effort and money it is important that you plan in advance to make the most out of your event opportunity! However when it comes to live events the sheer amount of organisation it takes can often be a bit overwhelming, so here are some tips to help make some sense of it all:
Keep your Targets in Mind
Are your objectives SMART? Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely? You need to be realistic with yourselves and others about what outcome you are going to expect from attended events. In the process you can begin to explore and question who your target market are. It may sound like an obvious thought but misjudging your audience could be your biggest downfall. Make sure these people are going to be at the event you are going to!
Pick the Right Event for You
Lack of success after exhibiting at an event can often be down to poor planning and choosing the right event is the most important decision to make. Questions you need to be asking are…is it well attended and promoted? Do market leaders attend? How many delegates walked through the doors at last year’s event? Does if offer good value for money, what’s included in the cost? Once you have established all of these facts, you will be in a position to decide whether this event is worth the investment for you and your business.
Top tip: If you are going to be bringing pieces of your product to the event, make sure that you choose the right size exhibition stand, for example if you are bringing some of your solid oak dining room furniture to show at the exhibition then you will need a larger stand, however, if you are selling a service then perhaps you could buy a smaller stand and cut costs.
Now you’ve decided on the event you are going to attend, you next to pick you are going to take with you, a good team around you can make a significant difference on your sales at the event. You are looking to take people who are outgoing, good at striking up a conservation, happy, knowledgeable – people who you think will represent your company well.
Get Noticed
Knowing what you want to get out of the event is essential. Do you want to gain new leads, launch new product or test a new product on the market before launching? Be clear about the purpose of your attendance and ensure your event team understands the objectives and intention of taking a stand at the event. Once you know your objectives then design your marketing collateral to reflect those so your exhibition stand design, leaflets, posters, feather banners or flags that have consistent branding and the same message. Think about your brand colours and images carefully – as you want to attract attention!
Let’s Get Social
Social media is a the best way to get the message out about the event to a large group of people, you want to create a real buzz around your event, and by tweeting, sharing, status updating and blogging before, during and after the event will ensure a lasting memory for your consumers. Oh and if you take pictures at the event – remember to include these too in all posts about the event!
Stand Out
You want to command attention from the attendees and to do this you must stand out from the crowd, after all how else will they notice you in amongst 100’s of stands and people? Think of the message you want to convey, keep it clear and simple in order for those passing your stand to know who you are.
Top tip: try and book as far ahead as possible will allow you to choose the position of your stand, not only can you choose a prime spot but you can also capture the early bird prices if possible.