Setting up a trade show booth display can mean an excellent networking and lead generation opportunity for your business, but sometimes attending a show just to see what’s happening in your industry is worthwhile. Some trade shows can be a tad overwhelming, so it’s best to go into a show with a plan in mind. Here are our best tips for navigating a trade show and making note of any trade show booth display that stands out for future reference.
- Get a map of the show before the day arrives. Why? Have you ever tried to weave in and out of all those trade show booth displays? It’s confusing, and you may not end up visiting the tradeshow booths that you really want to see if you don’t have some kind of plan. Most exhibition halls have websites set up specifically for shows, so take a look at those details before you go.
- Book appointments strategically. It’s really hard to do anything midday, and this logic also applies to meeting with people at a show. Figure out who you really want to network with the most, and then book those appointments at the start and end of the day, so that your schedule only consists of two booked meetings. This will leave the rest of the day open for additional appointments – it’s all about flexibility at this point.
- Note the times that people you want to hear are speaking. All trade shows have some kind of educational component to them, and you’ll probably want to hear from a few of the speakers. It’s hard to be on time for the start of a lecture if you are halfway across the hall or aren’t sure where the lecture is taking place.
- Don’t forget to schedule in some time to eat and relax. Some shows are so very packed with tradeshow booths that you may want to see more than is humanly possible in one day. If you don’t schedule time to eat and rest your feet, you will be more than a bit exhausted at the end of the day. Then after you may still have to go out at night in order to network some more, so make sure to schedule in that relaxation time.
- Remember your networking manners. If you’ve ever had a business card thrust in your face only to find that the person doing the thrusting left the moment you grabbed a card, you know how rude this kind of gesture can be. You may be in a really big rush to see as many tradeshow booths as you can, but don’t leave your manners at the door. Keep in mind a polite conversation can be worth ten rude or rushed ones.
- Make notes when it comes to competitor business. Bring something that you can use to record information on or in, and see what the other major players in your sphere are up to. See what their tradeshow booths look like, what they are selling, how they are selling it, and what they are doing to attract or repel clients. You could use some of these details during the next show that you attend.
Prepping for Future Shows
Attending a trade show just as a spectator can be invigorating. Chances are that you’ll want to jump in on the action at the next big show, and this means that you will need a great booth to display your company’s logo, and to sell what you do. This is where Blazer Exhibits can help you. Blazer offers full trade show booth design and building services in addition to storing, maintaining, and shipping your booth wherever it needs to go – we can also send one of our experts to the show to set up your booth for you.
Call us for additional details and pricing, and let us know if there’s anything that we can do for you. You can also find us on Facebook!