With the arrival of spring, many newly engaged brides have their big day on their minds. Even more so if they are intending to walk down the aisle this summer or fall. The problem is there are so many details to think about. Between choosing a photographer, a venue, where to book the honeymoon, bridesmaid dresses, and floral arrangements, it is an overwhelming process. Many a bride end up stressed to the max, worried they are going to forget one last detail (which oftentimes happens!)
This is why most brides head to the closest bridal expo. Not only can they see the latest offerings from various wedding vendors in their area and beyond, they are able to do it all in one place. The convenience of the bridal expo cannot be matched when it comes to a frazzled bride.
Why Set Up An Exhibit Booth?
Do you offer goods or services that brides and grooms would find useful? If you do, you should be snapping up the space at the nearest bridal expo. If you aren’t, you’re missing out on a big opportunity – thousands of brides, grooms, maids of honor, and sometimes even the parents of the happy couple, won’t even know you exist.
Instead of paying for extensive radio and print advertising that may bring in a handful of potential customers, why not spend the money on space on the trade show floor? A small business just can’t let this huge opportunity pass by. Here are some tips when designing your custom display so that you get the most out of your trade show investment.
Who’s your target audience? Yes, I know that you’re targeting brides, grooms, and/or anyone else involved in the planning of the wedding. However, you need to be more specific than that. Are you going after people who are working with a limited budget, or those who spare no expense?
How will you maximize booth traffic? Obviously, you’ll want to send out an email to anyone on your mailing list and post periodic details of the expo on your social media accounts. Another great way to get more people to attend is to partner with another booth offering a separate service and do a mutual giveaway. Let’s say you sell custom, handmade veils. Another business exhibiting near you does floral arrangements. You can each advertise that you’ll be exhibiting next to each other at the show, and they can enter to win a prize package to both of your businesses – maybe they’ll win their very own veil along with a bridal bouquet, or something like that. Make it as little or as big as you want it. Either way, it’s bound to get more people into the booth to register, and since the other business is also promoting it, its customers are now aware of your business. A win-win!
Is your exhibit representative of your company? Your booth should represent your brand across all channels. This means your website, adds, mailings, newsletters, and trade show booth should all have the same look. This makes it easy for people to recognize you with just one glance. What’s more, people are more apt to purchase something from brands they recognize!
A Few Additional Tips
Look around for expos coming to an area near you. What should you look for in an expo? There really isn’t much to consider, as any expo will bring in people. However, there are a few things that set certain shows apart from the rest.
Contests. Certain expos know how great giveaways and special promotions are. Look for an expo that either runs some sort of contest requiring attendees to stop at each and every booth, or provides a special book or sheet of coupons to booths willing to participate. This gets them there for the contest, which in turn gets them looking at what you have to offer.
Website advertising. How long does your company information and website link remain on the expo website? You are looking for maximum exposure, so try to find an expo that keeps all pertinent company information complete with a link back to your website, from the day you sign the contract until at least 30 days after the show ends.
Recognition. Look for expos that are well known. It’s all about trust, so that big-name expo advertised in Brides magazine is a better choice than the one more locally advertised. While you should do both, if you are just starting out, you should start with the big name.
Vendor limit. This is huge. You need to make sure that there aren’t going to be 50 vendors offering the exact same thing you offer. Some expos set a limit for each category of vendor so that this doesn’t happen. Just be sure you sign up fast so that you aren’t one of the businesses excluded because they’ve reached their limit!
If you’re looking to get into exhibiting at trade shows but just don’t know where to start, contact us. We are happy to help you from start to finish, helping you to design the booth that these eager brides-to-be will flock to.