Plan:
The golden rule to optimize the investment of a trade show is to choose the right one! Every year companies receive rents lists of trade fairs to which they are invited to participate as exhibitors or visitors. It is therefore well, earlier this year, to program any event in which the company intends to adhere, calculating a budget to devote to each appointment.
Once you have planned the calendar of fairs is necessary to act in time to prepare everything in detail: transport and accommodation must be booked in advance to take advantage of affordable rates; the preparation of the material for the exhibition must be studied slowly to ensure you do not forget anything, perhaps acting in a rush at the last minute; we must invite, with a minimum of notice, customers, both existing ones and those potentials, and let them know through newsletters, post, or banner ads that the company will attend the event and will be glad to meet with anyone interested in his business.
Last trick: always predict plan B for everything. Unforeseen captain, but a serious company does not unprepared.
Center the target:
Different countries, show that you can find. it is important to be prepared about the customs of the country that will host the event and hit the target customer who usually attend the event. Not only is it important that the staff who will be present at the stand will be able to hold a conversation in English, or in the most spoken language in each particular fair, but also information about the company that will be distributed during the event must be understandable the highest number of visitors. More importantly, in this sense, the care of the stand: posters, billboards or posters advertising must surely be effective in terms of marketing, but above all accessible to visitors of the stand.
Be transparent:
Needless to lie, even counterproductive. If you have recounted wonders of which you can not follow up once back home the potential client will certainly be angry, and you can hardly offer a second time, even if you should change/expand. It is important to be direct with stakeholders and be clear about what are the strengths and weaknesses of your company and know exactly what you can actually offer their customers.
Clearly, we must not sin in excessive modesty, diminishing the quality of his business, otherwise you risk appearing weak and unconvincing.
Impressing:
A few square meters stand immersed in long corridors full of attraction is like a drop in the sea: to amaze certainly can not be blue. Products must be placed strategically, the furniture should be planned in detail (even the garment bag can not be placed at random and in plain sight), the stand walls must be treated with aesthetic taste (not too empty, but even full and chaotic), information material must have a pleasant and attractive graphics, and finally you have to submit original gadgets (the ballpoint pens are always useful, but maybe a little ‘outdated. By themselves are not enough).
Embarking but gracefully:
One of the most common mistakes during the early hours of the fair is to restrain themselves by shyness: a minimum of “running” is physiological, but usually these events last a few days, so it’s important to use every minute available. Who looks at a trade show has nothing to lose and everything to gain, for this reason it is essential to be found in open attitude, friendly and courteous without ever attacking passers-by imposing a brochure or a flyer, then they will end inevitably in dumpster immediately around the corner.
Teaming up:
The fair runs if the team works: even before the start you need to make a few meetings to share the objectives of the event and the preparation of the same, so as to sound all the same music and communicate to potential customers a feeling of unity and reliability.
Keep in touch:
Once the doors of the fair closed and also dismantled the last stand, you have to follow up the contacts acquired during the event (which will have been duly collected in an orderly manner and digitized hopefully).
Each contact may be the right one, then going back home it is crucial to recall all, send catalogs and samples and follow each project with particular attention: the only way you can be sure to realize a tangible return on your investment!