If you have been following our recent series on training booth staff, thus far we have covered the importance of preparing your staff so they understand the company’s marketing strategy and exhibiting goals, booth staff behavior and etiquette and how to familiarize them with the exhibit layout, demonstrations, badge scanners, promotional items, and collateral.
Today’s final post in the series, covers last minute checklist to make sure your next event goes off without a hitch.
- Instruct staffers where and when to pick up badges at exhibitor registration. While veteran staffers will likely be able to find the registration desk on their own, newbies might get overwhelmed.
- Go over show dates and hours and when staffers need to be at the booth. Discuss what staffers should do if they are running late for their assigned time or are unable to make it to the show floor. Consider scheduling a few floaters for every shift in case of no-shows and last-minute schedule changes.
- Present ground-transportation options, directions to the trade show venue (if walking or driving), and an estimate of how long it might take to travel from the hotel to the convention center on show days. This is especially helpful if booth staffers will be relying on show shuttles to and from the exhibit hall, since they generally take longer and often make multiple stops en route.
- Reinforce your company’s dress code and distribute booth uniforms (such as branded shirts) if you’re using them. Distributing uniforms during the training session is a good way to encourage staffers to attend the training session.
- Point out that exhibit storage for personal items is limited. You don’t want purses, laptops, and other personal belongings sitting out in the open. Not only does it make your exhibit appear messy and unkempt, but also it’s not secure.
- Discuss the schedule (and location) of end-of-day debrief meetings to review what worked and what didn’t work in the exhibit that day. These debriefs are a great time to get feedback from your team and brainstorm any necessary mid-course corrections to be implemented for the remainder of the trade show.
- Review the schedule and responsibilities for exhibit teardown. Booth staffers have a way of disappearing toward the end of the show, so assigning tasks ahead of time ensures your crew is there when you need them.
It is impossible to cover all the situations and possibilities that might arise at a trade show. Our team of event planners has decades of experience and has seen it all. If you would like help in preparing for an upcoming trade show or other event, contact us for a free consultation.