Top 10 Tips for Trade Show and Exhibition Stand Management
It is exhausting and involves a lot of hard work to design, build and run a stand at an exhibition or trade show. But if you assign the task to exhibition companies in Dubai they will make the best of it.
Whether your event is a small show or a large, professionally-organised expo, for long hours you will have to stay alert and bright. Exhibition companies in Dubai will be able to design unique stands, but to make the most impact you should put some effort in manning the stall.
1. Never go alone!
Running a stand is a full-time job, and it should never be left unattended. But it’s going to be a long day and you must get some breaks in. Take a partner with you after checking them out first for their capability to interact politely with strangers.
2. Dress appropriately
From being too cold to far too hot exhibition venues can vary all the way. So dress comfortably. A scruffy stand-staff can easily ruin the look of a fabulous product display.
3. Get there in good time
Before your event opens ensure all personal items, cables and packing materials are all out of sight. While your exhibition company will take care of setting up the stand in time, you still need to be at the venue in good time if you need a good parking space.
You can also check-out who else is taking part in the show, and can even make friends with the organisers.
4. Check your checklist
Any exhibition or trade show needs a checklist that you need to carefully prepare in advance. This should include the contact details of those whom you are going to meet, maybe invoices if you are selling goods from your stand; pens, notepads, cabling, power-point adapters, and sticky tape, a vast stack of visiting cards, product literature, and anything else you might need.
Once the event has opened it will be far too late to start looking for these.
5. Stand display
If you brief your exhibition contractor clearly about your product or service and objectives they would design a stand keeping in mind what works best for you and what doesn’t. But certain things you should keep in mind.
– NO clutter! That includes NO half-eaten sandwich left on display, or newspapers or half-drunk cups of coffee, or bored support-staff with nothing to do — You can ask them to give you the highlights by sending them around the venue
– Not too much on display — if you aren’t careful it can all become ‘meaningless noise’
– Not too little either — It should look like you are in the business and not the other way round
– Exceptionally well lit and eye-friendly displays — you are after your visitors’ ‘eye-share’ first, don’t forget that.
As relevantly as you can you need to appeal to all your visitors’ senses.
– Well-labeled displays — Visitors should understand what your business is all about within a few second.
6. Don’t pounce!
Don’t frighten your visitors away.
“Can I help you?” is perhaps the worst thing you can ask. They will mostly say “No” and go away. To bring visitors to your stall, first, just engage in eye-contact and smile. If they return the eye contact ask something neutral and general such as: “How are you?” “What do you make of the exhibition so far?”, “Have you come far?” This will build a gentle relationship.
You can try more specific questions later.
7. Qualify your visitors
Some visitors may only be time-wasters. Until you engage with them you can’t know this. Even if they seem uninterested, let common courtesy and good manners be always your watchword.
To check the right leads you must qualify them. By direct questioning you can do this gently. This can be much easier in a business-to-business transaction. Just ask: “If you don’t mind, could you please tell me your job title? “Can I just note which company you represent?”
Your goal should be to meet as many good clients and prospects as possible, and that lead to the success of a show.
8. Keep a note
The main objective of any trade show is to find well-qualified prospects and not making sales on the spot. One-off sales is not your prime goal but to win repeat business. To support your future marketing and promotion capture the details of those who show an interest in your brand.
The details of every live enquirer can be recorded on an enquiry sheet.
9. Prepare for the follow-up…
It is so tempting to pack up and go home soon after your trade show or exhibition. But this is a mistake. For most exhibitors, it is after the exhibition that the real work starts. So do prepare your standard literature and follow-up contact-messages in advance. Within the next week get these out and make all the follow-up call.
10. A little more!
Your serious stand-visitors can be offered ‘a little something’, even if it is small and inexpensive.
*Remember: Before taking part in any trade show analyze if it is going to be worth your investment! You can ask your exhibition company in Dubai for their thoughts too. They would be interested in associating with you again, so they will give you the right feedback.