If you haven’t already started, it’s time to begin planning for the exhibition season! Preparations can be overwhelming. Getting everything in order and ready to showcase your business to the public is daunting to say the least. Your exhibition stand design needs to portray your business in its best light, look professional and be informative all at the same time.
Visual branding is crucial when it comes to your stand at an event. After all, research suggests that you and your business have just 7 seconds to make a first impression. Initial perceptions are often a make or break factor. With this in mind, getting your exhibition display just right, is vital. We share our top 5 tips to get ready for the exhibition season.
1. Research, Research, Research
First, research is essential! When you’re looking to exhibit at any conference or trade show, you need to learn everything there is to know about the event. What type of show is it? Is your value proposition relevant to visitors? Will your competitors be attending? Most importantly, what is the expected audience profile? These details are essential for you to tailor your proposition.
Another aspect to be aware of, is the exhibition floor plan. Are you in a prime spot for footfall? Do you have a large space with plenty of room to host visitors or do you need to be wise in optimising exhibition stand design in a small space? Preparation is key!
2. Budget
Showcasing your business to the world via a trade show is a great way to promote products and services. However, without the support of a substantial budget, you need to make sure every penny works hard for your trade show campaign. Exhibitions can take a lot of time and preparation to be a success – it isn’t always guaranteed to be!
Planning ahead is important and having a clear-cut budget is key to being in control. Work out what you can do with available funds to achieve the best result. Many businesses pay the big bucks to be in close proximity of the exhibition hall entrance, but you don’t have to be front and centre to accomplish results – be smart and be thrifty with available resources!
3. Marketing
Marketing your business is essential in any industry. Whether it is digital marketing or print, getting the information about your services and products out there is vital. If your target audience doesn’t know you’re at the exhibition, they’re not going to be making a beeline for your exhibition stand to discuss their next project. How about an email signature and email campaign to let your existing contacts know you’ll be at one of the biggest industry events?
One thing we all love is a freebie. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to impress your audience, you could simply give away freebies! Branded items are a smart way to encourage people over to your stand. Branded merchandise acts as a prompt to spark a conversation – handing out goodies is a win-win. Small and fun promotional materials such as stress balls, water bottles, and chargers are valuable marketing materials which, more often than not, make it back to your audience’s home or office.
Seemingly old-school but always effective; leaflets and brochures are a great way to supply information to your potential clients. Believe it or not, there is a thrill to leafing through a physical brochure. Many people still value quality print compared to scrolling through a digital brochure. It is all about user experience!
4. Exhibition Displays and Graphics
Perfecting your exhibition display is vital. Visually, exhibition displays need to be on brand, aesthetically pleasing, and engaging, to catch people’s attention. No matter the size of your stand, there are a multitude of options to tell your story.
Popup displays are a future-proofed solution to showcase your business in any small space. Roller banners, branded plinths, and digital displays are all proven methods to increase brand awareness. If you are planning to attend multiple exhibitions this season, portable exhibition displays can be used again and again. Exhibition popup displays are easy to transport to different venues, fast to construct, and pack away again. We highly recommend you make the trade show team aware of the money invested in exhibition displays, so they are handled with the utmost care.
A consistent factor that must be present in ALL exhibition stands is high-quality graphics. Working with experienced graphic designers and printers is essential to a successful trade show season.
If you are struggling to come up with exhibition stand design ideas, roll back to the basics of what you need on your stand: your logo, value proposition, and contact details are the starting point. Get a detailed brief together for your graphic designer along with high-resolution images of the products and services you are promoting.
5. The Trade Show Team
Staff working the trade show season are just as important as the exhibition stand design. The team need to know the products, services, and value proposition inside out and confidently approach and engage with stand visitors. Whether you have access to a large or small exhibition stand, this is person to person marketing. Building a rapport is the earliest stage of forging robust relationships with clients.
The trade show team credentials, expertise, and presentation – we’re talking polished shoes, fresh breath, and well-ironed branded workwear – all contribute to a foundation of mutual respect and trust. Quality exhibition stand design and a crack trade show team go hand-in-hand to achieving your objectives during the trade show season.
This all may feel daunting but putting your business out there with a well-executed exhibition plan can be exciting. Meeting new contacts and like-minded contemporaries can be exhilarating and the beginnings of highly profitable business relationships. Get out there and smash this exhibition season!
Need a hand? Team Fenti are here to support you every step of the way. As a full-service marketing agency, we’ve got in-house skills and expertise to make your exhibition plans a reality:
- Exhibition display design and printing
- Branding and logos
- Branded merchandise
- Printed and digital brochures
- Packaging design
- Copywriting
- Social media management
- Photography and video
- Digital advertising
- Website development and SEO
Need a quote? Give us a shout: 0114 2180 626 or email hello@fenti.co.uk
