The noise, the excitement, the weeks of preparation and planning – as the days leading up to your first tradeshow arrive, you may be feeling a bit intimidated. Rest assured that everyone feels somewhat out of place at a premiere tradeshow event. The best thing that you can do to get rid of those nerves is to start preparing for the event as far in advance as possible. How? Check out our tips below!
Image courtesy of andrechinn via Flickr1. Research the floor plan. Get a copy of the tradeshow floor plan, and find the best possible spot for your booth.
2. Have a gameplan. Don’t go to a tradeshow alone. Bring along your sales team or a few people that are comfortable talking to strangers and pitching your product.
3. Have a killer exhibit. Your table displays and overall booth design should include a colorful element, something that people will want to play with (like an interactive display), your logo, and a few other features that make standing at your booth and browsing a lot of fun.
4. Go through your pitch. The worst thing that you can do is corner the people that walk into your booth. While it can be tempting to jump on someone that represents a potential client, resist this urge. Plan out your pitch and how you (or your team) will approach someone before the show day. This way, you can reel it in if you’re being a little over the top.
5. Bring in familiar faces. Let your existing clients know that you will be attending an event, and ask them to show up. You can do this through social media or word of mouth (the method doesn’t really matter).
6. Prepare your body! Standing up at a show all day long can be exhausting. Even if you can’t sleep the night before, try and find a few hours to rest. A mixture of fatigue and nervous energy is never a good thing!
7. Make a schedule. If you’re brining a big team with you, schedule in breaks and lunches. You can’t expect everyone to skip lunch and work, and you should give your team plenty of breaks too. Planning is the best way to get through a show without becoming overly exhausted.
8. Learn. Keep in mind that the first show you attend will be a learning experience. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself by expecting this show to go off without a hitch. Learn and experience as much as you can, and don’t worry if things don’t go as planned –there’s always the next show!
How Blazer Exhibits Can Make It Easier
If you have a booth or portable display that stands out, displays that cause a buzz, and things that people want to see, your product or service practically sells itself. Our goal is to set you up with an exhibit display that shows people who you are and what you stand for right away. All you have to do is bring it home by showing people that you have an excellent product or service – that’s easy enough to do, right?
We specialize in custom displays by setting up every one of our clients with a member of our design team. Whether you want a new logo, a portable display, or you want to create something entirely unique, we can make it happen quickly. We also sell used and portable displays if those are of interest to you – anything that we sell can be customized. Attending your first show can be really nerve-wracking, but you can make it a lot simpler by showing up with table displays or other setups that stand out. If you have any questions about our work or need some estimates, don’t hesitate to give us a call.
We’d also love to hear any first time show stories! Do you have a story about your first tradeshow? Let us know how it went, and what you have done differently since that first show. Call us today, and make sure to leave a note below!