Deciding that you’re ready to exhibit at your first event is a big deal. It’s an exhilarating decision to have made, and you’ll no doubt be aware that there’s a lot of preparation ahead of you before you’re ready for the big day. Figuring out which steps to take next can be a bit overwhelming, and you’ll need all the resources you can get your hands on to do it right. With that in mind, here are our 4 top insider tips to make the most of exhibiting at your first event.
1. Research your target audience
One of the most important things to focus on when exhibiting at your first event is researching your target audience. How you approach the whole thing depends to a large extent on the kinds of people you’re going to be presenting to, and you want to have a thorough understanding of that before you get started.
Hopefully, there will already be research on that audience that you can use, once you’ve identified who it is that you’re targeting. It’s crucial to make your research as specific as possible – focusing on things like pain points, that make it easier to really speak to their needs.
2. Prepare your stage
To exhibit anything properly, you need to prepare your stage. In a business context, this typically means coming up with some kind of exhibition stand that suits your business more generally, and your event goals in particular.
In most cases, you’ll want to do this in collaboration with a design specialist such as Focal Exhibitions. You’ll be able to consult them on the kinds of goals you have for your first event – and other events in the future – and then have them build you a custom stage that you can use for years to come.
3. Train your team
There’s more to exhibiting than just having a good stage, of course: you also need to train your actors. Consider who in your organisation is best suited to representing your brand, and then make sure that you provide them with appropriate training for the big day.
This should be more general training, such as how to appropriately engage strangers and get contact information, and more specific instruction in topics including the specific services and products they’ll be showing off.
4. Don’t stop at the event itself
It’s crucial that you don’t just exhibit at the event, pat yourself on the shoulder and then move on. In many cases, you’ll still have a lot to do, and you’ll need to get on with those additional tasks as soon as possible. Whether that’s chasing up leads or going through feedback you’ve received, the success of your exhibition often hinges on these post-event tasks.
Getting ready for your first exhibition needn’t be too difficult, so long as you’re focused on how you prepare. By taking these 4 tips to heart, you can maximise the efficacy of your exhibit, making sure that you focus on a real, tangible set of achievable goals.
Featured Image by rawpixel from Pixabay
