Beyond Trade Show Stands: Tips For A Successful Convention

Assembling quality trade show stands is just the beginning of the preparation process. To ensure a successful trip, a company has to be able to back up that display with quality information. The last thing a business wants is a reputation for being all style and no substance.

To keep the ultimate goal – attracting new business – in sight, it helps to keep a few simple tips in mind. Keep it simple, remember the goal, put in some hard work, and watch the new business roll in.

Focus On Quality Over Quantity

The common image of a business convention usually includes huge throngs of people crowding around trade show stands. That sounds like a fantastic opportunity, but it could actually be detrimental to the bigger picture. If the crowd around a booth gets to be too large, the sales staff cannot communicate effectively with potential clients.

Instead, a better scenario is to target the audience more selectively. This method won’t result in enormous crowds, but the clients who do show up will be more likely to hear the sales team’s message and follow through. The upshot will be increased sales with less effort from your employees on the floor.

Don’t Rely Too Much On Trade Show Stands

Don’t hear this wrong — trade show stands are certainly an invaluable tool for a successful convention. But they are only one of the resources available. The real value is in a quality sales team. An attractive and eye-catching booth will do the first part of the job — attracting clients’ attention — but it’s up to the sales team to seal the deal.

In order to do this, the entire team should be thoroughly trained well in advance of the convention. Everyone should understand and agree with the company’s objectives at the event, in addition to being extremely familiar with all of the marketing materials as well as the company’s products and services. After all, attendees will not remember flashy trade show stands — they will remember the sales staff, for better or for worse. Make sure it’s for better!

Keep The Energy High

Although they’re a great resource, trade shows can also be exhausting. Nobody would blame the sales team for being worn out at the end of the day. However, they must be careful not to lose too much energy. At the end of a show, serious attendees could very well be sticking around, counting on being able to connect with a vendor now that the crowds have thinned out. A tired and listless salesperson will not make a good impression on these clients. Keep the energy high at the end of the day, and a last-minute sale could put a company over the finish line.

Be Careful With The Freebies

Giveaways are a common sales tactic, but it’s important to be mindful of what it is that’s being given away. A worthless knick-knack with a company’s logo on it is likely to go straight into the garbage once the convention is over. Before designing a complimentary item to hand out to attendees, keep the target audience in mind and choose an article that will be useful and relevant to them. The best freebie is one that will be used often, so that the company’s logo is seen regularly and will stay fresh in the potential client’s mind.

Over-reliance on trade show stands is a common mistake in the industry. To truly stand out in the crowd, remember that they’re just one step, not the whole strategy. By using all of the resources available, a successful expo is practically guaranteed.