6. 2. Plan and organise:
Review the exhibition catalogue
• Find out where your target audience and competitors will be.
• Organise groups of meetings according to location.
• Advertise your attendance, look up your neighbours and establish
referral partnerships with them in advance.
7. 2. Plan and organise:
Create buzz
Ensure your target audience know you are attending/exhibiting, give them a
compelling reason to meet you, connect with your peers on social networking
sites and build momentum in the run up to the event.
8. 2. Plan and organise:
Remember it’s a marathon not a sprint
9. 2. Plan and organise:
Be early
If you are exhibiting arrive the
day before to ensure
everything is going smoothly
with your build, technical
equipment, hand-outs etc.
If you are attending, go to the
stands you have identified as
most valuable first.
11. 3. Be prepared:
Brief your team
Do make sure each member Don’t forget to brief team
of your team attending the members on what objections
tradeshow has clear goals customers may have
Do ensure they understand Don’t be afraid to cut the dead
your message and unique weight. If team members are
selling points uncomfortable engaging with
attendees send them to gather
Do master your pitch. information, attend
Practice refine and rehears presentations and report back
as much as possible.
Don’t forget to capture data
12. 3. Be prepared:
Achieve standout
Remember 90% of marketing material does not make it back to the
office, your displays, hand-outs, business cards or other materials
should be eye-catching, have a clear message/ proposition and contain
simple contact information.
13. 3. Be prepared:
Bring a pack containing all of your daily essentials
Business Cards for multiple staff
members
Water and snacks
Tickets, contact details of the
exhibition team, transport schedules,
location information
Your meeting diary
Lead capture form or notebook to
record details of who you meet
Walking shoes
Multiple phone charger and power
cables
Freshen-up kit e.g. Toothpaste, tooth
brush, plasters
If you are exhibiting box up essentials
such as scissors, tape, pens, adhesive
putty e.g. “Blu-tac” etc and send it with
your marketing material.
15. 4. Ask the Right Questions
• Engage: Avoid general questions such as “how are you?” or
questions that attendees can give single answers to “Are you
enjoying the exhibition?” find out why the person attended, what
they hope to get out of the event, what brought them to your
section.
• Qualify: Distinguish between potential customers, allies and
partners and those who are simply curios (or came along for your
iPad draw or goodie bag). Move on quickly and politely from those
who are not interested in your company/service.
• Wow: Once you have qualified potential customers or partners, it’s
show time. You’ve mastered your pitch, prepared your material now
it’s time to put it into action. But don’t hard sell, find out what the
attendee needs and explain the features and benefits that you can
deliver to satisfy that need.
17. 5. Follow up
Prepare your response strategy in advance. Ensure your follow-up
material, emails, letters, brochures etc are ready on your return from
the event. Make sure you contact your new leads and connections
within a week to 10 days of the event.
18. 5. Follow up
You have already met and discussed the benefits them so a brief
email to assess their interest or reconnect is all that is needed.
19. 5. Follow up
Create a team, brief them on the contacts you have made and
delegate responses to each member depending on requirements
and skills.