Standing Out at Your First Trade Show

Standing Out at Your First Trade Show

on Jun 9, 2018 in Marketing

While trade shows might not be a top priority for you when you’re first setting up your business, once you have settled into the market and intend to start making a name for yourself within your chosen field, you’re probably going to want to start attending a few.

A trade show is an exhibition for companies operating within a specific industry. So, the type that you attend will fall down to the type of business that you run. They serve as an opportunity for you to showcase and demonstrate your products and services. These shows generally aren’t open to the public, so the aim of the game isn’t necessarily to sell a load of products or sign people up to your services while you are there. Instead, they are attended by company representatives and members of the press. You should engage with these individuals in order to raise awareness of your brand, network, and maybe even get some features in specialist publications. This, of course, is all likely to be a little overwhelming for anyone who hasn’t attended a trade show before. But not to worry. Here are some tips and tricks to help you stand out from the crowd when you do attend one!


 

Purchase Decorations in Advance

When you attend a trade show, you will have to hire a booth. This is the space where you can set up once you arrive. There are likely to be numerous booths laid out in rows across the entire space that the show is held. First of all, you are going to need to make your booth eye-catching in order to draw people in. Remember that you are going to be surrounded by competitors, so you need to treat this stand in the same way that you would your shop front – you want people to head to your space rather than neighbouring spaces. So, use printing services to print you some sort of sign with your brand name on that you can hang across the front of your booth. This will let people know who you are. You could also invest in roller banners to place at either side of the front of your stand, clearly separating it off from neighbouring stands and also serving as a means of advertising at the same time.

 

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Secure a High-Footfall Location

Sometimes trade shows will set out a floor plan of their own. However, if you have the chance to secure a particular location, secure a spot early. Remember that a good location will have higher traffic and footfall, allowing you to expose your brand to as many people as possible, which is definitely worth paying a little extra for. Generally speaking, main aisles are preferable. Being located at the end of a row is also preferable, as you will gain attention from intersecting traffic.

 

While your first trade show may be a little daunting, following the above advice should help the entire process to go swimmingly. So, be prepared and make the most of the opportunity!

 

Image credit:  Pexels.com

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