Exhibit Booths: The Do’s and Don’ts of Exhibit Booths and Trade Show Exhibits

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1. Check current bookings for trade shows, as this is usually one of the best indicators of how successful a particular trade show or event is. Find out if your competitors have signed up. You could even try to find out if any major companies have recently folded or registered. The main idea is to establish if the state of the show is decreasing or increasing.

2. Get in touch with other exhibitors, as trade shows are all about developing connections and networks with visitors and other businesses. Trade associations, other exhibitors or sponsoring media may not always be on your side, but since they are at the trade show to conduct business, an open dialogue about all aspects of your particular industry can be beneficial.

3. Make sure your exhibition stands are different. Be creative in thinking of ways to attract attendees’ attention when they walk by your booth and the best strategies for qualifying leads. A unique theme, interesting contest or promotional activity will draw people to your booth and help your staff start conversations with visitors.

4. Train and motivate your booth staff. Provide them with the usual drill covering the basic rules for exhibits; no food at the booth, asking open-ended questions, not seeming too excited, establishing whether the visitor is a qualified prospect, and so on. Choose people among your staff who have pleasant dispositions and are trained in customer service.

5. Although getting sales and leads is the basic goal of trade shows, getting your name out there is just as important. Try to get maximum exposure for your company name and brand.

not to do

1. Never be afraid to negotiate with the sales staff while booking your booth. Since fair organizers face stiff competition, they are willing to offer many additional facilities. Some facilities may be on sale with booth space, while others may be purchased through astute negotiations or at additional cost.

2. Don’t assume things will fit together. Plan every detail meticulously, so that when you arrive at your booth on show day, each item or service is delivered promptly.

3. Don’t waste time with occasional visitors just to pass the time. Expo organizers like to focus more on quality audiences. The details of the previous visitor lists can tell you about the kind of visitors you can expect at the exhibition stands.

4. Don’t abandon personal service just to embrace technology. Recent technological advances such as online and mobile communication have made trade shows even more dynamic and exciting. Use them wisely so that you get additional benefits.

5. Never ignore the efforts of your booth staff members. The competitive and extremely exhausting environment of trade shows is a great place to build and motivate your team. Provide meals, tickets to the exhibition party or special workshops according to their areas of interest. Acknowledge their efforts.