Tips for exhibition success

Posted 23rd Jul 2024

Although exhibitions are a major investment in time and money, they do offer an effective platform to showcase your company and provide face-to-face access to your marketplace.

To ensure you make the most out of the opportunity, here are our top tips for success.

One year before the exhibition

• Review and identify the most relevant exhibitions, based on your business objectives
• Prepare a budget including stand and print costs, exhibition services, logistics, stand team travel and accommodation, and marketing
• Reserve your stand space, taking into account floor plans, other exhibitors, traffic patterns, services, and audience profiles

Six months before the exhibition

• Identify your exhibition goals, which may include generating ‘x number’ of sales leads, building brand awareness, or launching a new product
• Develop your marketing messages
• Get to grips with your exhibitor manual and stand plan
• Create a stand and display brief, and liaise with your selected suppliers

Three months before the exhibition

• Select your exhibition team, assigning individual tasks and responsibilities
• Book travel and accommodation
• Confirm your stand and display requirements, and raise orders with suppliers
• Book exhibition services including shell scheme (if required), carpets, electrics, catering etc.
• Identify and order company marketing material such as brochures, business cards for the stand team, product samples etc.

Two months before the exhibition

• Create and implement pre-exhibition marketing communications including press releases, adverts, client and prospect invitations

One month before the exhibition

• Check on supplier progress with the stand and display, and agree installation schedules
• Create exhibition diary including client appointments
• Create exhibition documentation such as registrations, lead forms, press packs etc.
• Hold a pre-exhibition meeting with your exhibition team to go through the arrangements and objectives

At the exhibition

• Set up the display
• Brief the stand team on the day-to-day running of the stand, for example, rotas

Post exhibition

• Immediately follow up the key leads within one week and all other leads within two
• Acknowledge and thank the exhibition team
• Carry out an evaluation of the exhibition to identify successes and areas for improvement

Need more information on exhibition print? Please contact us at our state-of-the-art commercial print facility, located between Telford and Bridgnorth.