Setting a clear tradeshow goal is the only way to go about attending and planning an upcoming show. Otherwise, you’ll just be attending a show with no clear plan, and that’s not a particularly good idea. If you have a goal in place, the next step is to make sure that your staff is on board with your goal, your ideas, and that they know how to handle everything that will happen during a show.
1. What to do with leads. Does your staff know what to do with new leads? Do you have a business card bucket set up, or do you want all of your leads to be entered into a computer system? Show your staff what to do with the leads that you will get during a show, and make sure that this system is clearly understood.
2. Share your plan. Here’s where some staff members might get lost. Let’s say that you’ve come up with a really whacky marketing scheme for the show. Now, you have to get your staff members on board with that plan, and that means explaining the purpose behind your scheme. For example: if you’re hiring jugglers to entertain guests, explain to your staff that the real goal is to hand out literature to anyone that stops by, so that your goal of awareness can be reached.
3. Make sure that everyone has a clear goal and plan of their own. Each person that attends the show with you should have a clear purpose for being there. Some people entertain, other people gather leads, and others may be there to sell or sign people up – all goals should be understood in advance.
4. Go over your schedule. All too often, we see businesses set up booths with plenty of staff members, but those staff members have no idea what the conference schedule is or how things will progress and unfold. This can be an issue if you expect your staff to meet up in one spot, do something at a certain time, or be somewhere at a certain hour – if your staff members don’t know what the plan is, they can’t be expected to be on time or to show up, right? But, don’t want for the last minute to explain details. Let your staff know what the schedule is well in advance.
5. Spark enthusiasm. Everyone that attends your show on behalf of your company should be happy and enthusiastic about the show, your goals, and what you have planned for the show. If you sense that someone isn’t into your plan, you may want to swap that person out for someone that gets what you’re doing. It’s really important that the excitement for your overall show plan and strategy shows through – why would potential clients want to sign up with a company that doesn’t believe in its own marketing?
6. Know how your booth goes together. Everyone that’s on your team should know how your exhibit goes together, technically. If you can’t be there to put something up or run something, someone else should be able to take over without an issue. It never hurts to designate someone in charge if you have to leave, but it’s also a good idea to make sure that all staff members understand how your booth should be set up.
Let Blazer Help
At Blazer Exhibits, our goal is to create custom displays and trade show booths that really stand out. We’ve been doing this for many years now, and out clients are always happy with what we put together. If you have any questions about a booth, how to set up a catchy custom displays, or what you need to get it all going, contact Blazer today. We’re more than happy to provide you with samples, and to show you how to get the custom displays that you deserve to have.
In the meantime, go over your plan with your staff, make sure that everyone is on your page, and get ready to have one heck of a great show! Keep in mind that we also offer portable displays – portable displays are easy to carry, just ask us!