How to Successfully Organize for a Trade Show

You're in charge of organizing the logistics for the annual trade show that your company attends. But what does this entail? This means you need to get a list of the company attendees and make sure they all arrive on time, have a place to stay and can man the booth at some point during the event.

In addition, it is your responsibility to ensure that the booth display and all the marketing collateral arrive on time and the booth and the employees are ready to meet visitors when the doors to the convention center open.

Now before your run off in a panic screaming wildly that it can't be done, know that many others have felt just like you and still pulled through by learning how to organize their time and efforts. It's a matter of knowing who to ask, determining what equipment and supplies you need, understanding when each step needs to take place, and how to make it all happen.

Who Can Help You?

The first place to start is by asking anyone who has done this before for their assistance. This may include past attendees, the person who organized the event the previous year, or even your boss.

Of course, when it comes to booking travel for the event, if you're working in a larger organization you will likely have an in-house or outside travel agent to book travel. It will be just a matter of you staying on top of the attendee list to ensure everyone has flight and room reservations and that someone is scheduled to man the booth at all times.

In addition, you can speak with your contact at the trade show event to walk you through the process from their end or if you need to find out about specific items for your booth such as carpeting, furniture, electrical, Internet connectivity, booth cleaning and floral arrangements.

What Do You Need?

Along with your attendee list, you may want to create a checklist of what steps you need to take and items you need to remember to bring. We've put a template together which you can adapt to your specific needs.

Along with the checklist you'll want to prepare a trade show kit or binder where you can keep all the information and forms you'll need - for this year and next.

Things you'll want to keep in your binder include:

• Copies of advance orders for services as well as checks or credit card payment receipts
• Contact information - with emergency phone numbers -- for all vendors
• Shipping manifest and return shipping labels
• Contact information and travel logistics for booth staff
• Digital copies of booth graphics in case they need to be quickly reproduced locally

As for the booth layout, you'll want a diagram of your booth space to determine placement of items - tables, chairs, posters, banners, literature, giveaways -- along with a floor plan of where your booth is in relation to other attendees, the loading entrance, power source and potential traffic patterns. Remember to keep things - especially the booth layout -- simple. You don't want to overwhelm visitors with clutter.

Your organization may also be planning hospitality events or company meetings, so you' may need to arrange for meeting rooms as well as food and beverage service.

When are Your Deadlines?

It goes without saying that knowing your deadlines are important. These can include deadlines for reserving the booth, making the initial booth deposit, making the final booth payment as well as plane and hotel reservations and arranging for ground transportation for all the attendees.

In addition, deadlines that can sometimes be overlooked include those related to ordering giveaways, creating and printing new collateral, designing a new booth display (if warranted), and shipping all your items to the event.

How Do You Make it All Come Together?

It's all about organization and planning. If you plan in advance, even for potential problems, you will find that you'll be in a much better position to deal with whatever comes your way.