10 tips for the right trade fair presentation

In spite of the growing popularity of online media and social media, personal contact between customers and local partners is still very important. In a direct conversation, not only with facts and standardized advantages can be convinced, but also individually addressed to the customer. In addition, personal influencing factors can play a major role in such an information and sales conversation.

In normal day-to-day marketing, this is mainly at the point-of-sale, but fairs can also be a good place to attract new customers and prospects and point out the store and the company. However, such a trade fair presence is an unusual challenge, especially for smaller local partners. With these 10 tips, the best can be made from the next booth:

1st Find The Right Fair

Not every trade fair is suitable for one's own company. Already at the beginning of the preparation each partner should think carefully about which trade fairs he would like to be represented. Fairs that are local in the local environment and are either tailored to their own specialization or address a wide audience and bring a high number of visitors are best suited. Which of the two types of fairs is more suitable, however, must be decided individually.

2nd Set goals

Choosing the right show goes hand in hand with setting the goals. These can be decisive for which event a trade fair stand pays off and on which not. It should be decided in advance whether to advertise the branch in general, to create greater public awareness, or to promote and sell a particular product.

3rd Budget planning

Depending on the size of the trade fair, the on-site exhibition stand and the number of visitors, a budget plan must be drawn up afterwards. Under certain circumstances, a fair appearance can be comparatively expensive. So it's better to calculate all expenses in advance to decide if the show fits in with the overall marketing budget or how big the stand may be.

4th Define target group

The selection of the fair and the definition of the goals should also define the most important target group. Depending on the goal, it can be beneficial to address a large number of different people. In other cases, however, it is more likely to rely on a targeted approach of the relevant persons, for example, to sell a specific product.

5th Invite customers and prospects

Especially at local companies and regional fairs, it is worthwhile not only to rely on the general trade fair visitors, but also to mobilize their own contacts. So customers and interested parties can be invited to the fair. This also makes it possible to use the trade fair appearance as an additional point of contact and to seek personal contact.

6th Coordinate structure and suppliers

After the theoretical planning of the trade fair appearance, it is also important to keep an eye on logistics. The organization of a stand as well as the coordination of the service providers, such as trade fair construction or catering, should be coordinated and planned in advance in order to guarantee a smooth and successful appearance.

7th Advertise Appearance

A fair generally appeals to a very large number of people, who in turn can be gained as potential customers. However, in order to not only rely on the casual visitors, it is well suited to provide targeted advertising or signposts for your own stand. As a result, many people can be brought to the stand.

8th The atmosphere at the booth

Arriving at the booth, the interested parties should be received with a sympathetic conversation. The atmosphere of the booth is strongly influenced by the people present. It should therefore be planned in advance, which people work on the stand and how they can approach the guests. In addition, a positive and open atmosphere can be created by providing drinks, snacks or comfortable seating.

9th Provide promotional material

In order to convince the guests not only in a personal conversation, but also to provide them with information, or to be able to convince interested parties with less time, information brochures and flyers that can be taken home. Even small attentions and gifts help to stay in the memory of the visitors long-term.

10th After the fair is before the fair

After a successful trade fair appearance, it is important not to leave it at that, but to once again reflect the stand and to work out positive and negative aspects. By detecting weaknesses or mistakes, future appearances can be optimized. In addition to the reflection, once again contact should be made with all new prospects and customers after the performance. Thus, all collected contacts can be ideally used for future advertising.