Exhibitions can deliver real value... but how do you make the most of them?

Preparing the ground before the show.

Exhibitions offer a great chance to make contact with hundreds of people in a short space of time, so spend some time planning before the show, so you can reap the rewards afterwards. 

What is your most important goal?

The more specific and measurable your goals the better.  

Are you aiming:

• to generate sales?
• target specific sectors?
• raise your profile generally?
• launch a new product?
• distribute samples?

Plan your stand

What's on your stand should tie in your goals for the show, but also think about:

• Who's going to staff your stand?
• How many people do you need throughout the day?
• Do you need staff with specific product or technical knowledge?
• Do you need decision-makers?

Make your stand a fun & engaging experience

Brief your staff

The people on your stand will make or break the show for you.  Make sure your team understands your goals for being at the show & make sure they're well trained for the job. 

A well briefed and motivated team can make the difference between an average and a great show.

Tell people that you're at the show and why they should come to your stand. Use email and social media channels

"Exhibitors who do well from our shows are more often than not, the ones who have taken time to promote the event to customers & prospects"

On the big day...

Be positive and cheerful at all times.  There's no point in being there if you're going to sit down behind a table with your arms folded or just stand and chat to colleagues.

Body Language is Key! 

Smile, make eye contact, ask open-ended questions! Most people know this, but few actually do it.  

Who are your targets? 

Not all of the other exhibitors or visitors will be relevant to you.  Spend some time looking at the 'exhibitor listing' for each show to find out who else is there.  

Ask some clear, brief questions to quickly establish whether they are one of your key targets.  If they're not, take their details and move on. 

How many targets do you want to generate on the day?  

Have a system in place to categorise your leads: 

• Ready to buy now
• Ready to buy with some post-event follow up
• Add details to your CRM / send newsletter
• No action required
• Time-waster

And what to do afterwards...

To reap the maximum benefit from the show, make sure you: 

• Chat with you team about what worked and what didn't
• Measure your success against your goals prior to the show
• Work your way through the leads generated and allocate the appropriate follow up. 

"Every exhibitor to your stand should receive some sort of follow up after the show - whether it's an email, phone call or appointment" 

Remember to track the leads generated on the day.  Look at them after a month, 3 months and 6 months after the exhibition.

"So many exhibitors generate business 6+ months after a show.  Don't assume that because you haven't sold something within a week of the show, it's not been a success. " 

Good luck and follow up. Follow up. Follow up!

Jonathan Dolding, Head of Marketing & Events, Let’s Do Business Group.

www.letsdobusiness.org/brighton