Have you set your New Year resolution or business goals yet, including which Exhibition you will attend? Having plans in place for what you’re going to improve on, as well as the goals you want to achieve, can make all the difference. The beginning of the year is a great time to look at your Exhibition focus to establish which ones might be relevant to your business or industry.
So, you’ve already booked your Exhibition or Trade Show space ready for 2018. Hopefully you’ve secured a great position on the floor plan for your company.
There are some key things to consider when showcasing your company at an exhibition or trade show. Exhibition & display stands are the main factor to ensure your company stands out among the other exhibitors.
Whether you decide to use roller banners (also known as pop-up banners, pull up banners or retractable banners) or a custom-built exhibition or display stand, here at Limelight Design and Print we work with a lot of clients to ensure they stand out and look great. You might also consider using teardrop, quill and apostrophe flags to add extra impact to your stand or trade show booth. You could use vinyl banners to further enhance your brand either in the walkway or entrance to the Exhibition hall, or perhaps for an outdoor display at a local event.
This blog gives you some great pointers on how your brand can be differentiated from other Exhibitors’ display stands . Below we’ve put together our top tips from helping a number of clients in the past at various Exhibitions.
It’s always good to have a complete redesign to keep things fresh and eye-catching whilst keeping on-brand. This is especially important if you’ve added new product lines or changed your brand appearance or focus. Also, remember there’s nothing worse than arriving at a show with shabby, torn or even broken banners . Take a careful look at last years’ pull-up banners and make sure they are representing your brand in the right way.
Look at your strapline and make sure your bullet points showcase what you are trying to promote and are preferably not hidden by a large exhibit, table top, coat stand or reception desk. Keep any important message at the top of the banner or graphic. A clear, crisp image to get the attention of the exhibition attendees is always good.
It’s important to get your message across with a striking image and display. Don’t forget to utilise the front of the desk with a sharp vinyl – perhaps your company logo which Limelight Design and Print can easily provide for you.
If you’ve booked a minimum space with a tabletop then we can supply your Exhibition tablecloth, personalised and branded with your business logo for a 6ft table in top quality polyester cotton, perfect for trade shows, conferences and exhibitions.
If you want great impact take a look at our fabric banner stands – these are super-tall pop-up display stands at a whopping 3.5 . You’ll be standing head and shoulders above all the other booths and really get noticed. You can see our full range of Huddle Fabric banner stands> (NB be sure to check the Exhibition regulations to make sure of any height restrictions; although most large Exhibition halls will accommodate this height).
People buy people so having a fab exhibition or trade show stand is great but that’s only half the job; the other is to make sure you utilise the right people on your stand. These are your ambassadors for your company, so as well as the necessary technical expertise make sure everyone is welcoming, helpful & friendly – after all – your brand and graphics will lure the attendees over but an open welcome smile and simply asking if they know of your company goes a long way to encourage interaction.
You’re hunched over your laptop in the corner, don’t be. Nothing puts prospective clients off more than feeling they’re being ignored. We all have long days and late nights at exhibitions and the occasional drinks party but you need to stay perky and polite (even if you might not feel it). Visitors to your stand might not know that you’re usually energetic, enigmatic and engaging – it won’t impress if they see you leaning on the desk and looking disinterested or worse, falling asleep. Take a quick break – drink some water and come bouncing back. It’s always good to have a back-up person on the stand in case you need to go off and do emails or take a comfort break etc.
Oh, and don’t forget the corporate branded t-shirts to further promote your brand – a co-ordinated team on the stand ensures there is some coherence to the brand. Use your corporate colours and team logo on a t-shirt or fleece. If a colleague goes walkabout at the trade show make sure they take those business cards which is a quick and easy intro to another exhibition stand, who knows, they may turn out to be your next customer. At an exhibition, there’s often an opportunity to enter a prize draw if you have a business card to hand.
If a valued client has taken the trouble to stop by your stand to say ‘hi’ – then you’ll wow them if you have a relevant corporate gift for them. This ensures you remain front of mind once the event is over. Some of them already know and love your brand and are already valued customers so let them know they’re appreciated.
A useful promotional giveaway is a great prompt for someone to pick up the phone, having met you or a member of your team for the first time. Back at the office – if they have your brand right there on their desk with your website prominently displayed, they will hopefully call you first if they require something. (By then you will already have acknowledged their visit to your stand or booth). You can see a selection of branded corporate gifts here>
Do make sure you have scanned your Exhibition stand visitors badge, grabbed their business card or written down their contact details, including email. You can then follow up – hopefully either at the end of the day or the next day. Your direct leads are your most important sales and marketing tool and a great way to build your database. At the very least, make sure you follow up within a couple of days. This will act as a prompt and enable you to track which event your leads have come from. In turn, if you are attending several exhibitions, you can check which has been the most successful from any subsequent orders you receive.
Start planning your next Exhibition now. You know where we are if you need our expertise on exhibitions, banner stands and signage. You only get one chance at an exhibition to impress, so take a look at our full range of Exhibition & Display Stands here> and stand out at your next Exhibition.
Throughout January we are running an offer on our roller banners for £69 (2000 x 850 cm) – we offer superb quality and speedy delivery (within 48 hrs guaranteed) and these are excellent value.
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