No doubt, exhibitions let businesses meet their customers one-on-one! A recent survey shows that 92% of attendees’ goal at exhibitions is to discover new businesses. They are willing to learn about new businesses and trade with them. This alone shows the immense potential exhibitions hold for businesses!
But it’s also easy to get bored at an exhibition as an attendee. One may end up wandering aimlessly if one doesn’t feel any connection with the exhibitors. We all can relate to this feeling in some way or another.
So the question is, where do businesses lack?
The answer is simple: lack of strategic planning and thoughtful product presentation. Due to rising consumerism, especially in 2024, attendees are looking for the wow factor. Companies should focus on creating unique and engaging experiences for customers. But how? And what are the common issues leading to this situation.
Let’s discuss some common problems of exhibition planning and the best practices to win all events.
THE COMMON PROBLEMS OF EXHIBITION PLANNING
Exhibition planners face many challenges daily that drain business resources and budgets. Hence, experts advise you to plan your event carefully. It will help you to tackle hurdles and stand out from the competition. Some of the most common challenges are the following:
Prime Location: Securing a prime location is the biggest challenge.
Creative Marketing: Fails to market their event and attract the audience creatively.
Outdated Technology: Do not use technologies like LED walls, AV equipment, etc.
Refreshments: Catering to diverse tastes and cuisines while keeping costs in check.
Staff: Recruiting competent and skilled enough staff to manage all operations.
Blending strategic planning with creativity is vital to optimising the exhibition’s results. Also, do not forget to get your hands on advanced equipment. This will help your exhibition leave a strong and lasting impression on the audience.
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE ON HOW TO PLAN YOUR EXHIBITION
The goal here is to provide an engaging, unique experience to your visitors. That will help you turn your visitors into your customers and reach your business goals. So, we will plan our exhibition in the following way:
STEP 1: PRE-PLAN THE WHOLE EXHIBITION
Our first step is to draft a well-researched and comprehensive exhibition plan. This will include everything about the exhibition, from venue to marketing. For this, we will get a complete understanding of the target market. To ensure our plan is aligning with the target audience.
DEFINE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Define why you are becoming part of this exhibition? What do you want to achieve through this event? Clear goals will guide your exhibition strategy in the right direction. Further, understand the pain points of your audience. Tapping into their needs will help you assess your position better.
CHOOSE RIGHT EXHIBITION
Choose the right exhibition that aligns with your business niche. Experts advise you to always understand the potential of the exhibition. Also, consider its demographics, costs, and past success stories. It will help you a lot to choose the right one for your organisation.
DEFINE BUDGET
What is your budget for this exhibition? Assess your budget limit and cross-check this with all the costs related to the exhibitions. Also include direct and indirect costs related to the exhibitions.
This will help you alot in budgeting for the exhibition. Additionally, set aside the emergency fund for the unseen costs. Sometimes, estimating ROI from the trade show helps too.
STEP 2: DECIDE ON VENUE AND LOGISTICS
The second step is to choose the venue and plan logistics. Always decide the venue based on the size of the exhibition, budget, and target audience. Additionally, check the amenities available at the venue and the transportation options.
VENUE
Choose a venue that goes with your brand image, goals, and values! Further, it accommodates all expected footfalls, amenities, and accessories.
RIGHT EXHIBITION LOGISTICS FOR YOUR COMPANY
Choosing the best-fit logistics company is very important. It helps you with logistics and hiring the following:
- Shell Scheme stands
- AV Equipment
- Furniture
- Floorings
- Lightings
- Technical services, etc.
STEP 3: STRATEGIC EVENT BRANDING AND MARKETING
The key to success is marketing your presence across channels.
BRAND AWARENESS
Incorporate your brand image with the theme at the trade show. This will amplify your brand awareness and appeal to customers. You may design your booth with the company logo. Also, you may use fonts and palettes that represent your brand and values on walls.
STAY UNIQUE
Blend your business values with your audience’s needs! By tapping into customers’ pain points, you will be able to market your solutions better. That will help your audience relate to your business. Overall, it will create a memorable experience and build customer loyalty.
PROMOTE
Do not forget to promote your presence through effective marketing! Use social media, email marketing, and PR campaigns with influencers. This will help you create the buzz and get the attention of the audience. Moreover, you partner with publication sites and spread your offers.
SPONSORS
Secure some sponsorships for the best! They will not only help you with cost but also improve your customers’ experience. Also, partnering with complementary products or services will enhance your exhibition’s value.
Note: Some of the exhibition organising companies offer marketing services too.
STEP 4: PLAN EXHIBITION DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
Your booth design is your first impression! Hence, always pay attention to your booth designs and placement. Minimalist and aesthetic shell space always increases the success rate.
EXHIBITION STAND DESIGN
What are you offering? What do you want to showcase? This answer will decide the stand design. Always choose an eye-catching exhibition stand design that complements your overall event theme. To learn more about exhibition stand designs, read here.
ADOPT TECHNOLOGY
Get benefits from the advancements in technology! It will not only improve your customer’s experience but also attract them. You may choose:
- LED video walls
- AV Equipment
- Mobile apps, etc.
Further, it will engage your audience and bring them one step closer to your goals. Technology has the power to transform your static booth into a fun space. Also, it will help you to create an unforgettable experience for your customers. That will help your brand apart from the rest and leave a lasting impression.
STEP 5: PLAN EXECUTION
Time to execute your comprehensive exhibition plan! Also, to ensure everything runs smoothly and accordingly.
CREATE A VISUALISED SCHEDULE
Create a simple yet comprehensive schedule! That should be shareable and simple to understand for everyone. Further, do not forget to add:
- All milestones of the exhibition
- KPIs of the team members
- Shift hours.
STAFFING EXHIBITION TIPS
Having the right team in the right place will share half of your responsibilities. Hire a team including booth attendees, salespersons, and support persons, atleast. Further, at the time of hiring, these tips will help you:
- Hire a skilful and approachable persona that can communicate well.
- Train them before the exhibition and ensure their knowledge is good.
- Plan to hold daily briefings for your team.
STEP 6: THINGS TO DO AFTER THE EVENT
After the successful event, it’s time to reflect, analyse, and follow up! Planning this stage is as important as planning the exhibition. Dig into your data and analyse all your pros and cons of the event. Nurturing leads will allow you to measure and double your success rate. Further, it helps you learn from your mistakes and turn weaknesses into strengths.
CAPTURE DATA
Data fuels all business strategies! Hence, it’s important to collect and analyse your data. You will be able to understand the attendee’s behaviour, what you were lacking, and much more. Some of the key data metrics you need are the following:
- Numbers of leads and sources
- Booth traffic and peak traffic times
- Popular activities of attendees
- Number of visitors, leads, and sales
CHECK COMPETITION
The exhibition gives you an opportunity to observe the competition. This helps you gain insight into their strategies and conduct a SWOT analysis.
FOLLOW-UPS
Remember, following up with your leads is to double your success! Connect with all your leads at an exhibition which will bring new sales. Also, contacting attendees after the event will improve customer loyalty.
BOTTOM LINE
In short, thorough planning of every step of your exhibitions is essential! It will ensure your event’s success and deepen your relationship with your customers. Always start by defining your clear goals, and do not forget to leverage technology. Lastly, remember that:
A well-planned exhibition is not an event; it’s a powerful platform to reach your business goals.
