All too quickly the Christmas break is over and hopefully, we have all returned feeling refreshed albeit a little heavier and ready to make this year the best one yet! More importantly, those responsible for sales and marketing are looking at where to apportion their budget to get the best return for the company. One area being considered will be trade shows, conferences and exhibitions.
When these are planned and carefully executed they can be a valuable opportunity to gain new clients and reinforce the brand in what ever form to existing customers. Conversely if not done well it can be a terrible waste of resources and ultimately money. Below are a few ideas to help you get the most out of your budget:
Go for quality not cheap or quantity.
Expenses can run amuck when attending an exhibition. Not just the cost of the exhibition stand but in areas such as, travelling, hotels, restaurants, alcohol and marketing materials. If a multitude of conferences, trade shows and exhibitions are attended these costs simply multiply. So review the list tighten up your criteria and see if you really need to be at all the shows or just the ones that are really relevant. Also review the number of personnel that need to attend and keep to a minimum.
Some criteria we have found useful in the past has been.
Number of delegates, there is a huge swing show to show
Type of event; will a conference where delegates may be better than a show that is free to attend which might attract the wrong sort of person?
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Look at market sectors, will it better to vertically market rather than a scattergun approach?
How many repeat exhibitors, if many new and not many repeats that might be a sign the show does not work?
Two heads are better than one! Sit down with a colleague and take a good hard look at your planning and exhibition stand.
Once you have your list, book early! Usually, the best price is when you book straight after the previous year or soon after. Sometimes leaving it to the last minute you can pick up an unbooked space at a cheaper price but you won’t get the best spot. Booking midterm invites high prices.
Once booked remember the 6 P’s (Proper planning prevents pi** poor performance) It’s true! You only have something like 4 seconds to attract a potential client to your exhibition stand so make sure it is a quality stand that is designed by someone who has experience and knows what they are doing when it comes to attracting visitors. It must be inviting and inspire interest.
Finally, I will just touch on the importance of following up leads. Lots of figures are bandied around the industry one of the most staggering is that only 20% of exhibitors follow up the hard-earned leads taken at the show! Having done the 6 P’s and successfully garnished those expensive leads they are worthless unless followed up in a coordinated relentless fashion.
Plus Exhibition stands is well placed to help in all these areas and make life a breeze for you. Call us on 01782264110 or email [email protected] or fill in the form here.
