Tradeshows Part 2: Preparing Your Exhibit

Before you purchase any banners, brochures or signs, you must determine what your purpose is for entering your exhibit into this tradeshow. Are you planning to launch a new product, highlight new features of an existing product, or just create general awareness?

Next, consider what you will give to leads that visit your booth to make sure your company name sticks. Will you be using company promotional items like pens, letter openers or stress balls? What about collateral like sales sheets, product sheets, or company information sheets? Will you be allowing product sampling?

It's also important to consider the size of your display. Because it is essential in grabbing the attention of your audience, you must consider your needs. Would you like your display to be elaborate or simple? Will you have banners? What kind of signage do you need? Do you prefer to purchase a customized company table cloth? Think versatility: the ability to mix and match for other shows and similar venues while remaining consistent.

Considering your lighting needs is more important than you might think. Many tradeshows are held in warehouse-type spaces: tall ceilings, concrete floors. Others are held in ballroom areas in hotels. These types of spaces usually have dim lighting that just won't do your product justice. It's always a good investment to purchase up-lights to place on the floor near your exhibit or clip lights to attach to your product displays.

You will probably want to collect information on the folks that come to visit your booth so it's imperative that you prepare for that. Create a registration form and bring a fish bowl or some other decorative bowl to collect them in. It also never hurts to offer attendees a free prize of some sort for doing so (this will make them much more apt to do it!). As part of the information fish bowl process, you might also want to do some sort of drawing for a gift card or other prize that a chosen winner will receive.

Lastly, never forget business cards. Every participant at your tradeshow exhibit should have business cards to hand out to those who visit your booth.

Scheduling and Arrangements

A large part of preparation for a tradeshow is scheduling and arrangements. It's likely that others from your office will be attending the show and helping out, so you'll have to make arrangements for them as well. Below are things to consider in scheduling:

• Register your participants with the tradeshow.
• Determine the due dates for materials to be shipped.
• Set a schedule for those working your booth. Have people work in shifts to avoid fatigue.
• Determine where you will be shipping your materials. Will you be shipping to the show or another destination? It may be cheaper to send the materials to your hotel.
• Will you be setting your materials up yourself or having the tradeshow employees do it? Keep in mind that there will be extra cost associated with the tradeshow doing it, but it's much easier.
• Make hotel reservations.
• Create a tradeshow overview for participants.

Office in a Box

This box will be your emergency got-a-tear-in-the-table-cloth, need-to-cut-a-stray-string-from-the-banner, and now I-have-a-runny-nose kit. I know it sounds silly, but you'll thank me. Your box should include:

• Tape - packing, duct, and scotch
• Scissors
• Zip ties
• Paper clips
• Staples
• Stapler
• Camera
• Shipping labels
• Kleenex
• Hand sanitizer
• Calculator
• Envelopes
• Pens (writing & highlighters)
• Extension cord

You can also use our template to help get your Office in a Box organized.

Join me tomorrow as we delve into the presentation of your exhibit and the process of wrapping it up and getting everything back to the office, safely.