New Year, New Approach: A Beginner’s Guide to Preparing for Exhibitions in 2017

Patience and Planning Provide the Foundations for Successful Exhibitions

The exhibitions and trade shows industry continues to thrive despite many business’ growing propensity to market online. With the focus of exhibitions varying from agriculture to zoology, these events attract millions of people through their doors every year. For 2015/2016, the UK alone hosted over 10,000 different venues with more than 85 million people in attendance. Far from the dying industry which some might suggest. Online you gain access to an unparalleled audience. An exhibition or trade show guarantees the people in attendance share an interest in the industry. It’s not just marketing teams either. Events such as these are often attended by owners, CEOs, directors and other figure heads who are the ideal people that you should be talking with to forge future partnerships.

This is not to say that exhibitions are simply about sales. If you have a small business, then it can be a great chance to gain exposure on an unprecedented level and get feedback from experienced members of the industry. This is invaluable compared to what you can receive online It is through this feedback that you can mould and shape your strategy for the year ahead. Likewise, an exhibition of any size is an excellent branding opportunity. You can promote the work that you do within a wide community. That said, the potential within exhibitions requires meticulous planning to achieve and it can certainly take a few events before you can begin perfecting the formula.

Preparing in Advance

If you have settled on the idea of attending an exhibition or trade show, then now is the ideal time to begin looking. One of the most important tips to think about when preparing for an exhibition is to plan well in advance. This ensures that the whole process runs smoothly. So when the exhibition finally arrives, you are fully prepared to make the most of the exhibition experience. Hopefully then you’ll see a return on your investment. This preparation begins with finding the right exhibition to attend. Of the 10,000 and more hosted across the UK, there are exhibitions hosted on a local, regional, national and even international stage. So it’s crucial to find the right event to achieve your goals.

Many industries are supported by exhibitions in some capacity, so research can go a long way to achieving your aspirations. Factors you should be considering include;

• size of the show
• cost of the space to exhibit
• relevance of the exhibition to your products and services.

The right combination ensures access to relevant professionals to potentially work with or to simply gather feedback on your strategy and the direction your business is heading towards.

Assembling the Pieces of Your Stand

With the exhibition agreed upon, the natural step is to begin looking towards which stand you will be taking. Generally, the exhibition you choose will provide a pitch with a set size. Keep this under consideration when looking at how to make the most of the space which are provided with. For smaller events, a simple display board is often sufficient to include your promotional material. Whereas larger events may require something more complex. The usual go-to option is the Pop Up Stand which is designed to be easy to use while providing a clean and professional finish.

As a novice in the exhibitions industry, it is always best to look towards more cost-effective options. Bespoke display stands can quickly consume your budget with no guarantee of success. Systems such as the Streamline Exhibition Stand aim to strike a balance in this sense as they provide the flexible nature of a custom exhibition stand without the expensive price tag.

Any great exhibition stand will require impressive graphic design and it is highly recommended that this is done professionally. Considering the potential costs of a pop up stand or modular exhibition stand, there is no bigger shame than seeing them equipped with a sloppy, blurry design which will ultimately do more to harm to the brand than good. Ideally, you should lookout for manufacturers who have designers in house and are experienced in creating designs tailored to exhibitions. This way you can work with them to develop your ideas and see an eye-catching design come to life.

Tying Together the Loose Ends

With all of that done, you are finished with the fundamentals of preparing for an exhibition. There are still some other factors to consider. Firstly, you should outline early on who you will be taking with you. Whether you go by yourself or part of a small team, it’s worth remembering the logistics of the whole operation. When the day comes, you do not want to be over-encumbered with a huge exhibition stand which zaps your energy. Many of the stands suggested above tend to feature a lightweight and compact design. It’s still worth bearing this in mind before committing to your exhibition stand.

Finally, one aspect which many novices forget for their first attendance is a means to get people to remember you. While your stand should do a great job at grabbing people’s attention, it is rarely enough to make you truly memorable. In this sense, business cards appear to be a great solution; except the fact that most attendees may go home with 10, 20 or even 100 cards. How can you stand out? The natural next step to consider would be promotional pamphlets and leaflets. These will provide a visual representation of the products you provide. If you are feeling ambitious, then the exhibition stands which truly live long in the memory employ demonstrations and unique giveaways that allow them to stand out from the competition.

At Go Displays, we work with exhibition clients from a huge range of industries and we have used our expertise over the years to create impressive exhibition stands for a variety of different events. On our site, you can find many of the products mentioned above as well as many more. If you would like expert advice on which exhibition stand would suit you, then please get in touch either by sending an e-mail to sales@go-displays.co.uk or call one of our advisors on 01733 232000.