You have booked an exhibition stand at a conference or trade show with your ideal target audience – great! Now what? Here are our top tips to help you get the most of your stand and drive new customers to visit you:

1. Set Your Objectives

The delivery of a successful stand is in the planning. With strong objectives in place you can ensure your stand money is working hard for you.

A few questions to think about when you are setting your objectives:

– What do you expect to get out having an exhibition stand?
– How can you use this opportunity to build customer relationships?
– How many prospective client contact details are you looking to gain?
– How much new business are you hoping to generate from being at the conference?
– What does success look like to you? What are your KPI’s?
– What are your expectations of the team who will be managing the stand?

By determining your objectives you will be clear on what the stand needs to achieve. It will allow you to create a consistent message across all stages from designing the banner and materials to how you communicate your stand presence to current and potential customers.

2. Stand Out

Think about your stand from the point of the delegate. What is going to make them come and see you? Is your message easy to understand to someone who doesn’t know your brand?

It is important to keep your stand concise and not overcrowd it. The key is to get people to visit you, so think about how welcoming your stand looks and if you are making it easy for delegates to approach you.

If you are going for a purpose-built display it is easy to make sure you stand out from the crowd, however it can prove more difficult when you choose a shell scheme.
Let’s be honest, shell schemes are not the most appealing, but there are ways to use them to your advantage. You can opt for fitted panels to showcase your brand and free-up valuable space that is otherwise taken up with a pop-up banner. Another option is to have fabric panels created that successfully hide the shell scheme and are reusable – just make sure you go for a timeless message and a standard size.

If you usually use pop-up banners and decide to try something different this time, remember to think about any clutter your banner might be hiding. Keep the stand tidy with a lockable counter to stowaway bags and additional brochures.

3. Data is Key

Using a data-capture tool such as Akkroo allows you to clearly measure how many people visited your stand, who your qualified leads are and which ones you need to follow up with.

With a tablet or phone, you can easily capture your potential clients contact details and automatically send them a personalised email – while you are still at the stand!

Even better, you can download a spreadsheet detailing every contact you have met and determine the best ways to follow up your initial email. The data available at your fingertips will allow you to show the real worth of your presence at the conference.

4. Prep Your Staff

We have all seen it before, staff that don’t want to be at a conference or think it is just a day out of the office. Ensuring your staff are aware of your key objectives will empower them to be ambassadors of your company.

Let your staff know what your expectations are of them – to be friendly, welcoming and ready to network. Ensure all your staff are prepped and knowledgeable about your key products and ready to answer delegates’ questions.

You can even put in place small incentives so help motivate staff to secure those all important leads.

5. Grab attention

Using a well thought out giveaway, which fits with your brand, is a good way to get delegates to your stand. Once they visit you, don’t miss the opportunity to speak with them about your products!

Alongside a giveaway you can also consider offering free food samples, running demonstrations or having a tasting or drinks reception. All of these options will help to increase stand traffic, and the most effective way to do this is by communicating your efforts in advance and promoting your plans throughout using the conference Twitter hashtag, targeted email & social media marketing or pre-marketing packages available from the exhibition organiser.

6. Don’t forget your PR!

Utilising your PR opportunities before, during and after the conference ensures you are getting the most out your stand and raising awareness of your brand.

Put together a press release to announce your stand and target features before the conference to maximise your coverage in key magazines. For delegates looking to find you on the day, ensure you have tailored your copy in the show guide and give them a reason to visit you.

Encourage journalists to stop by your stand with personal invites enticing them with press packs and new product launches. Showcasing a new product with a live demo or food tastings will help journalists become familiar with your product and may even lead to further coverage.

Another way to leverage your stand presence is by entering any awards the trade show or conference may run. Even better if these are announced at the event as will give journalists another reason to seek you out and more importantly, write about you.

Once the conference or trade show is over, shout about how successful it was with a post-show press release to really get the most out of your stand.

Whichever options you choose, we can help you get the most out of your next conference or trade show opportunity. At Jellybean we have 30 years of marketing experience and can tailor an approach that will ensure your stand, PR and marketing materials are working really hard for you.

Speak to us today about your next conference or trade show.