Exhibiting at a trade show may seem like a great idea to boost your business, however if you do not prepare properly for the event, you may find that you are wasting good time and money. You cannot expect to arrive at a trade show and walk away at the end of it with a whole list of new customers if you have not prepared.

To ensure that the event is successful, one way that you will need to prepare is by researching and understanding ways to attract visitors to your exhibition stand. Here are my top six tips:

Go to an exhibition as a visitor

It is all good and well learning from others how to attract visitors to your own exhibition stand, but the best way to learn is by visiting an exhibition yourself.

Bring a pen and paper so you can make notes of the things that work and the things that are not that successful.

Exhibitors will use many different techniques to attempt to attract you to their stand, whilst some may be very successful, you will find some stands that struggle with their techniques.

Allow this experience to inspire you when exhibiting your business at your own show.

Location of your stand                                                      

Whilst visiting the trade show, you may begin to notice that some stands appear to be emptier whilst others are constantly full.

This is not always down to the sales pitch or the stand itself, it can sometimes be down to the location of the stand.

Stands that tend to be located near the entrance of the trade get less visitors in comparison to ones that closer to the centre of show. Choose your pitch wisely.

Visual stimulation

One of the most important factors of attending a trade show is the stand you are presenting. Whilst location of the stand and the sales pitch you have may be extremely important, the visual impact you create can make or break your trade show experience.

Invest plenty of time into the design of your stand ensuring it will stand out among your competitors. Choose a design and colours that represent your brand.

Theme

From previous experience, it shows that exhibitors that use a running theme are more successful when attracting visitors. Design uniforms that you and your employees can wear at the exhibition that match the stand.

Having a constant theme will present your business as more professional.

Avoid the full on sales pitch

Although you are attending the trade show to increase your sales, this is the first step towards this. Initially you will need to attract and pull in new customers before the final sales pitch is done.

Do not go to the trade show with a hard-up sales pitch, instead you need to show visitors that you enjoy what you do and you are good at it – this will convince the visitors that you are best the choice over your competitors.

Whilst you still need to inform visitors about your business and why they should choose you, remember to keep things fun, friendly and light – at this point they are buying into your businesses personality, not your sales pitch!

Freebies & Competitions

Everybody loves a freebie, so why not get some freebies together to give to any visitors – this is a great way to get the word out about your stand, attract visitors and to also remind visitors about your business once the event is over. 

24/7 Exhibition Services is a dedicated company and has been offering exhibition shipping services since 2004. They understand how important it is to present your stand properly to attract visitors and new customers.