What would you say if I were to tell you that standing by your trade show exhibit is not the only way to get exposure at a show? Hopefully, your response would be closer to ‘of course’ than ‘gwhhaaa??’ Yes, it’s true. Although they are certainly central to the experience and important in their own right, exhibits are not the only aspect of most expos. Most trade shows also offer presentations, seminars, social networking events (the old school ‘offline’ kind) and more.
While having a killer trade show exhibit can certainly get your company some exposure, one of the best trade show ideas to raise the profile of your business is to get a spot doing a presentation, giving a speech or providing a seminar. Nothing will boost confidence and raise the profile of you and your company than a successful and illuminating presentation. Of course, the reverse is also true as well.
So, once you do decide to take the plunge and get out there to do a presentation, how do you knock it out of the park? In two words: confidence and preparation. Don’t try to wing it, be prepared. And practice will build confidence in your ability to present and speak in front of crowds. If you have limited experience doing this, you will want to practice A LOT. The fear of public speaking is one of the most common phobias in America. Everything can change in an instant when you get up on that stage in front of hundreds (or thousands).
So, to build that confidence and succeed you should follow one more rule besides preparation. Keep it simple. If you are presenting in front of a thousand different business owners, managers, executives and the like, you don’t want to be trying to explain astrophysics to them. You want a simple, yet intriguing idea that they may not have heard. Take something familiar and uncontroversial and put a slightly unique spin on it. Don’t just limit yourself to trade show ideas, you can expand to discuss any shared aspect of your business.
Another important tip for maximizing the impact of a speech or presentation is to identify with your audience and then present something that everyone can relate to in a novel way. You want it to be positive and inspiring, but not trite or overplayed. Use a little humor and practice your body language and tone of voice. These unconscious signals can make or break your presentation and turn one of the best trade show ideas into a potential disaster. If you aren’t up for the job, find someone who excels in this position and take your place at the trade show exhibit instead. But, keep practicing. Especially if you are an executive or owner of a company, good public speaking is a skill that will take you farther than you can imagine.