It is always a big step to plan on having a successful trade show in whichever sector you belong to. From getting sponsors to tent applicants and having the day start and end, it takes a lot of effort and commitment. However, it does not have to be hard. With the right steps and a clear checklist, you will be able to have events and exhibitions planned out and run smoothly. Here are some of the things you will need to do.
Start Early
According to statistics done in 2017 around the activities within the planning and execution of a trade show, only 18% of planners are very prepared for their trade shows by having 4 to 6 months of preparations. This means most people who plan for exhibitions get surprised by things they should have done weeks ago when the time for the trade show is near. This causes panic and execution energy is compromised. To avoid such situations, you need to start planning at least four months before the scheduled date. Remember, it is never too early to think ahead. The earlier you start, the more relaxed you will be during the planning process.
What is Your Budget?
The next thing you need to look into as you think about having a trade show, whether you are the host or an attendee is the money you need to spare for the trade show to happen — research the equipment you have and what you will need to hire including human resources. Note everything down to make sure resource and budget allocation is accurate, and nothing is getting left out.
The Team
Pulling out a trade show that becomes the talk of the industry can never be a one-man’s effort. As much as you are the vision bearer, you will need several people to help you execute your plans. You will need financial experts, people who are good at logistics and pitching to investors. By having a team of committed members, your work will only be to delegate duties and follow up on the progress plus meeting up with sponsors.
Getting Sponsors and Partners
Trade shows require not only financial help but also all the industrial influencers you can get to help you get the word out and some sense of brand recognition. Not everyone will make the right partner or sponsor so you need to vet your options and go with the people who will bring in the most beneficial support. Make your pitching presentation ready and well-researched, then present it before the prospects. The earlier you can do so, the more steady the planning gets as the posters can now be designed and shared widely with the sponsors on them.
Social Media Marketing
In this day and age, you cannot afford to ignore the importance of social media for trade shows. Social media marketing not only works when you are trying to promote a product but also when you are promoting events and exhibitions. It is one of the easiest ways to get the word out concerning your trade show and also shares promotions and free tickets to attract people to sign up for the event. With most social media platforms allowing one to create and promote events, you can have more people from across the world know about the trade and even target people whose profiles show their interest in the industry.
On the Morning of the Big Day
Try as much as possible not to schedule any planning or even deliveries on the mornings of the Trade Show day. Make sure that by the time you are ending the day before, you have all the tents set up, a rehearsal has been done, and every plan has been executed. Also let the people on the ground know their roles early enough so that on the morning of the event, you only make sure that the team is present and then open the doors for the event to begin.
Follow-up after the Trade Show
It might be the first trade show you ever planned or have done before. Either way, feedback from the event helps you know what was successful and what would have been done better. It is a great idea to have attendees fill up feedback forms to help you collect statistics on the attendees as well so that the next time you are planning a Trade Show, you will use this feedback to make the event bigger and better. Your team can also fill out a separate feedback form to see where you could improve on team activities and how the planning process could be more effective.
