In our previous post we discussed the value of training for your exhibit booth staff. The average company invests thousands of dollars to send key salespeople and other staff to trade shows and expos around the world. Yet without proper both staff training, the exhibit team won’t have the insights and information they need take full advantage of the unique selling opportunity exhibiting brings. In order meet your trade shows goals, event staff must be properly prepared.

The information you present during training is dependent upon many factors, including the experience level of the team staffing the exhibit, the size of the staff and their knowledge of the rest of the team’s areas of expertise, the staff’s availability for extended training before the show, the scope of products being shown and the staff’s familiarity with them, the size and complexity of the exhibit, and the promotional program planned for each show.

Comprehensive exhibit staff training consists of four parts: 1) review of marketing strategy, exhibiting goals, and products (typically presented by management); 2) exhibit-staff training; 3) in-booth exhibit orientation; and 4) housekeeping details.

Due to the confidential nature of the marketing strategy and booth training, these sessions should be held in a private meeting room away from the exhibit, such as a conference room at the convention center or hotel. The exhibit orientation is held at the booth, generally the last afternoon before show opening or the morning before the show opens when the exhibit build is complete.

Exhibitor magazine published the following set of best practices for pre-show training. In future editions of this blog, we will re-post the content. Our next month’s post will cover how to brief your booth staff on the show’s marketing objectives and goals.

Can’t wait? Contact us today for a custom consultation.

We’re going! Now who’s going?

Once you pick a show the next big dilemma is who to take and how many to take to staff your booth.

The size of your booth can help answer that question. Rules of thumb say the formula for staffing a booth is one person per 50 square feet of space, plus perhaps an extra person for the peak times of the day.  Another factor to consider:  will you be doing product demonstrations in your booth?  If so, be sure you have adequate staff to handle the demos as well as engaging with other attendees at the same time.

Your booth should be staffed with the most enthusiastic and articulate representatives of your company. We recommend sending a mix of leadership, salespeople and marketing people.  Your booth staff should mirror likely visitors so that there is someone on staff who can relate to your visitor’s role within his or her company.  You also want to have a subject matter expert on hand who can address a variety of topics that visitors may bring up.

But knowing how many people to bring is just the start of your trade show planning. Booth staff training is essential to having a successful and profitable trade show. More on that in our next blog post. Can’t wait? Contact us today for a custom consultation.

When it comes to booth design, we have seen exhibitors go to both extremes. Either they over-pay for a structure that is so customized and overly designed they may never be able to use it again or they search online for the lowest priced, pop-up display they can find.

While it is tempting to shop for booths solely on the basis of price, keep in mind the difference in the grade of materials used to manufacture the display frame and its associated hardware. To ensure you’re getting a high-quality product, contract a professional exhibit house that can tell you exactly how and of what materials their displays are made. ExpoPlus working together with the Bodden Partners Group of Companies, can design, plan, produce, and install everything you need for outstanding events of any size. We can also provide you with the necessary fire retardant and other certificates to provide to show management.

While online retailers might be able to sell you a cheap display, they won’t be able to provide you with custom services or assist you with emergency situations when you’re stuck on the show floor. ExpoPlus not only provides affordable displays, we will also assign you a dedicated account manager, who you can easily contact at any time with your needs and questions. If you exhibit at one of the many shows where we are the official general contractor, our team will be on site with you, ready to assist at a moment’s notice.

Designing your trade show display is as strategic as picking the right show or crafting your marketing message for the right audience.

Trade shows, especially the larger, well attended ones are loud and visually cluttered with aisle after aisle of vendors vying for attendee attention. The average trade show has over 400 exhibitors. Attendees spend 7 to 8 hours on the floor over a period of 2 to 3 days visiting an average of 25-31 exhibits, spending only about 5 to 15 minutes at each booth. Booth design is critical to rising above the fray, being seen and being remembered.

Designing booths is both a science and an art. It requires transforming your marketing strategy, corporate identity, and brand into a three-dimensional experience that will arrest attention and attract visitors into your space. In our next post we will discuss the strategy behind booth design.

If you would like to tap our expert guidance for your next show, contact Barbara Stroup for a custom consultation.

In recent posts we’ve shared some tips and insider secrets to finding your ideal booth location. But given the size and level of interest in some shows, you may find someone else has booked the space you want. What if you find yourself in a less than ideal location on the exhibit floor? What to do? Don’t lose hope. Even if your ideal space has already been taken, you can still have a successful trade show. Studies by market research firm Exhibit Surveys Inc. have demonstrated that effective pre-show and on-site marketing can draw a steady flow of qualified visitors to your booth and outweigh a less than ideal location on the exhibit floor.

In addition to traffic building programs, here are other tips from Exhibitor Magazine that can salvage your trade show investment. If all the good spaces are taken, ask the person in charge of booth sales to ‘cut space.’ The show organizer can re-section a group of in-line exhibits into an island or peninsula, for example, or two smaller islands can be joined to make one larger island.  Just because you don’t see it on the floor plans doesn’t mean show management can’t draw it in.

Another option is wait listing. You can tentatively contract for a space you don’t love, but could live with, and then note on your contract that you want to be wait listed for space of a specific size or configuration. You’ll then have the option to switch if and when it becomes available.

As you can see from this series, selecting a booth location is one of many decisions that will greatly impact whether you show is a success or not. If you would like to tap our expert guidance for your next show, contact Barbara Stroup for a custom consultation.

TSNN has published a very comprehensive article on how to avoid some of the most common problems that take place during trade show setup. Some of the tips and suggestions include:

• Check the ceiling height and restrictions. Will your booth or banner fit? Is it allowed? Some sites have ceilings that dip and jut skyward in different areas so it pays to avoid surprises on the show floor
• Order your electrical needs early from the show site contractor – late orders are very expensive and tend to get lost. Incorrect placement of electric drops is the #1 cause of delays and cost overruns
• To minimize installation and dismantle labor costs, number your crates according to content, attach a diagram with instructions for exhibit set-up and include electrical requirements and repacking instructions.
• If you exhibit in multiple shows, use the same freight carrier and negotiate volume discounts.

For more expert solutions, contact our experienced events and trade show team at ExpoPlus.

In our previous post, we provided some tips on deciding where to place your booth. Exhibitor magazine wrote what we consider to be one of the best pieces of advice about booth location. Here is an excerpt:

First, decide how much space you need. The space required should be dictated by what you need to display in your exhibit, how you will disseminate your message (a theater presentation, for example, may require more room for a stage and the crowds that will gather), and the number of staff members you’ll need in your exhibit. The industry rule of thumb is to have one staffer per 50 square feet of open space. (This does not include people tied to a demo station or information counter.)

If you need more space but can’t afford the hefty price tag that comes with a larger footprint, consider moving upward instead of outward. Some fairly small exhibitors sometimes find it preferable to opt for the extra installation-and-dismantle costs to build a two-story exhibit rather than pay for more space. Some shows have caught on to this tactic and are now charging a premium for using a multi-story exhibit. Before planning a multi-story structure, check with show management on additional costs and height restrictions before signing on the dotted line.

Don’t despair if your ideal space has already been taken. Studies by market-research firm Exhibit Surveys Inc. show that effective pre-show and on-site promotions can overcome the obstacles posed by an out-of-the-way exhibit space, and draw your target audience to you, regardless of your location.

For more help with your exhibiting logistics, contact Barbara Stroup for a custom consultation.

Once you pick a show(s), the next task is deciding where you would like to place your booth. With so much riding on a successful show, many exhibitors turn to us for help with this crucial decision. Our team of event counselors can help you navigate the floor plan options to find the ideal location for your company.

The average trade show has over 400 exhibitors, each of whom is vying to be seen and heard above the fray. Prime locations are offered on the basis of seniority, which gives previous exhibitors the advantage. However, by taking a strategic approach to booth selection, you can still attract a steady flow of potential customers.

Studies by market-research firm Exhibit Surveys Inc. show that effective pre-show and on-site promotions can overcome the obstacles posed by an out-of-the-way exhibit space, and draw your target audience to you, regardless of your location.

In order to determine your booth’s ideal location you first need to revisit your exhibit strategy. Are you exhibiting to demo a new product? If so, you may need more space than if you working on building relationships in the industry, generating leads or gathering competitive intelligence.

In our next post, we will discuss more industry secrets for picking the right booth location. If you need immediate assistance, contact us for a free custom consultation.