Something that all businesses should indulge in at least once is the chance to do a trade show. Being able to show off your skills and your business ware in the same place, around people who are interested in what you can do is a great way to get your business name on the map. The thing is, trade shows are a huge commitment and you need to commit both your budget and your time to making your spot at the trade show a worthy one. As a business leader, this means taking the time to learn how to make yourself stand out.

You want to get a good return on your investment, and whether you are cannoning cheap custom t-shirts across the trade show hall or you are lighting up neon signs you have invested in, you need to get your business noticed. Pulling off a successful trade show is not the easiest thing to do but when you do it, you will never feel like coming down off the cloud you’ll be floating on. You want to have a successful shot at a trade show, and that means looking at the tips below to make it happen for you.

  • Always have objectives to follow. As with any project, you need to have goals and your objectives for your trade show should be clear. Are you trying to build a networking list of clients or are you trying to get more information about your project out there? Whatever your goal may be, you need to remember that showing up and expecting greatness is not the way to go. You need a focus and your trade show experience is supposed to be one that is positive for your business. If you understand what you want to achieve in the first place, you’re going to have much more luck at being a success. Keep a list of goals on the back of your clipboard and make sure that your entire team is involved in making those goals happen!
  • Make sure that you can offer an excellent first impression. Your exhibition is going to be something that stands out to current and future customers. If you have a budget to keep to, you need to think about how you can maximize it. You need the right stand size, the right branding and the right collateral and you need to think about what the requirements are to deliver the message you’re trying to send. For example, are you trying to visually impress or audio-impress? What are people wearing to promote your company? All of these things should be a consideration.
  • What do you do for work? This is the message you want to get out there and you need to make it clear what you do for your business so that others know about it. When people understand what you are offering, they will gravitate towards you but it’s really up to you to ensure that you show off a little. If you can show people what you’re offering, they’re more likely to want to come and see for themselves. It is so important you can show what your company DOES and not the million and one benefits of each product. If your booth isn’t conveying to people what you can do, you’re going to find it hard to rally the troops and get them interested in what you’re doing.
  • Make sure that you have the right team on your side. You cannot be an island when it comes to your trade show and you need to surround yourself with the right team to make it happen. You should also train them on what you are trying to get out of it so that they hold the same goals that you do. It’s not enough to have a good team, however, but you have to make sure that your team is properly ready to do the job. You shouldn’t leave things like this to chance, however, no matter how tempting it may be. Make sure that you are setting out clear instructions, as you want to ensure that everyone is on the same page. If you make sure that your team is sharing the objectives you’re going to find far more success in ensuring that you pull off a successful trade show. You should make it clear how your product should be advertised and distributed and if you have any freebies, everyone should be aware of how to sell what you’ve got. Make it very clear that you are trying to hit your objectives and what those objectives were. Always have clearly defined roles and goals that everyone understands so that the trade show is easy to pull off.
  • Remove the distractions. You do not need to have a team of people standing around looking unmotivated and staring at their phones. What you need is a team that are engaged and happy to be there, and a trade show of people that show this are those who are more likely to be successful. Ban phones and laptops on the trade floor unless they are working ones that are used for the express collection of information for the business. Make sure that you allocate breaks for everyone working the show and you’ll be able to keep everyone happy. Your team should be obviously open and happy, excited to learn and more.
  • Make sure that you’re on socials. You need social proof to have a successful exhibition and you should get yourself onto socials and use live posting during the event. You want to make sure that you gather the right crowd, which means that you are going to need to get yourself noticed for all the positive reasons possible.it’s the biggest secret to a successful trade show, and you can use it to make your experience a positive one, too. When people are talking about your business for all the right reasons, you’re going to watch as people flock to your business. You can use games, competitions and interactive displays while you showcase what you’re offering on social media. If you take the time to get on socials and you allocate members of the team to building it up during the day, you can really show people what you are capable of.
  • Keep your message going. You don’t have to limit the message you’re putting out there just to your trade show stand. Having your team roving and moving through the exhibition with the right advertising will mean that you are able to get your business name out there far and wide. This is what you want to achieve for a more successful trade show and that means you are spreading your message far and wide. When you are using branded items to give out, too, and wearing your brand and your message, you’re going to keep that message flowing throughout the trade show and that will keep your name on the minds of everyone there. Branded merch is a great way to get your message past the edge of your trade stand. When you consider having your message in the subconscious of others, you can guarantee that people will want to show up and sign up to what you’re doing. Your message has to be very clear so that you can gain the right leads, the right connections and the right future for your business after the event.
  • Know how you will get the information you need. As part of a trade show, you’re going to need to gather leads and network. The more leads you gather, the more you can gain new customers. For many, the objective is to get a lead list of people lined up and this will hopefully lead to future customers. When you do this in a trade show, you are more likely to have the technology in place to gather the information needed. People can sign up with you and can benefit from your knowledge and your products or services. Plan in advance how you’re going to do this, though, so that you can ensure that everyone is well-briefed on what to do and when. It’s as simple as a pen and paper list, or you can use an iPad. Either way, you need a method in which you can gather good leads that you know you will be using! When you do this with advanced planning, you can ensure that your trade show efforts were not for nothing. If you are using technology, have a back up option in case tech of the Internet goes down.
  • Always follow up. It’s vital that you plan for your gathered leads. Now you’ve got them, what do you want to do next with that information? You shouldn’t leave anything to chance, however, not when you have spent all that time gathering information. You have the leads, so let’s take the time to track the results and start working toward what you set out to achieve in the first place.