Confession! How NOT To Prepare For A Business Exhibition

Annoying when you find yourself not practising what you preach, right?

With an exceptionally busy past few weeks, I’ve not given as much thought as I would have liked to The Business Show at the ExCel which I’m attending in just a few days. So whilst I sit here kicking myself for a lack of preparation, I thought I’d share what I’ll do better next time!

Plan your travel early – really early!

The trek up to London isn’t something I’m particularly looking forward to. If you’re thinking about staying at a nearby hotel the night before the exhibition, book in plenty of time! As I have found out, hotel prices have gone up by as much as 450% , so I’d recommend starting a marketing calendar for the events you wish to attend next year. Otherwise, like me, you’ll be fighting for a seat on the train like everybody else with armfuls of exhibition paraphernalia!

Review what (and who) you’re taking with you

Exhibitions can be expensive, especially if you consider the opportunity cost of being out of the office for a day or two – even more so if you’re planning to take one or two members of staff along. So before you choose who’s coming, check out the holiday chart to ensure there is enough office cover whilst you’re away .

Whether it’s business cards or branded sweets, take a look at your current stock to ensure you have enough. It’s important to have that safety margin before the exhibition in case you find a spelling mistake or other issues which demands a reprint.

Just don’t get too excited – freebies can often be an expensive route to a ton of time-sapping low-quality leads ; you may be better off doing something like hiring a high-quality coffee machine so you can trade a decent cup of something hot in exchange for a chat and some contact details. If that’s too extravagant, wouldn’t an engaging whitepaper or report be more valued by a would-be prospect than a free mouse-mat?

Arrange a planning visit

Depending on the size of the exhibition, they’ll be setting up days or weeks beforehand. Arrange an early visit to get a feel for your stand in advance , find out if you can drop off heavy equipment in advance, and see who your neighbours will be.

Don’t forget to make a note of what you have access to – don’t find out on the morning of the show that you’ve only got one plug for all your equipment, or your big pitch is an online demo and the Wi-Fi is not quite stretching to your stand.

Tell people you’re going

Well, duh! It’s actually very easy to get caught up in this being a way of getting new business, but exhibitions are a great way of engaging with existing clients too, so tell them you’re going – get those email campaigns ready!

Not only could you be inviting existing clients for a catch up, there could be those potential leads you haven’t met yet. An exhibition should be showing your business in it’s best light, so seize the opportunity – why not try timing things so an enthusiastic client is there when you’ve arranged a chat with a prospect?

Plan who you want to meet

Take a look at the exhibitor list and circle who you believe are worth a chat. Being a fellow exhibitor is a perfect ice-breaker, and it’s rare to be in a place where you can find so many potential clients, suppliers and collaborators who want the same thing as you do – a busy looking stand.

Don’t forget to take some business cards and a few bags of sweets from your stand before you start the walkaround! Take your phone too; you’re bound to get a few retweets if you grab some selfies with people you meet and photos of stands you’re impressed by.

Does it all sound exhausting? Well, don’t forget that I know a certain virtual PA company that can help you out…

Clare will representing her call answering service – Miss’d Call - on Stand 1672 at The Business Show on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th November, partnering with MSP Phones . You can join the 25,000 visitors by registering for a free ticket on their website .