Exhibitions and trade fairs are great for drumming up business, whether it be a product or a service that you are offering. There is the potential to come away with direct sales, new clients, contacts and free advertising, so it is important to be prepared and organised so that you can take advantage of the possibilities. 

We have put together an easy to follow guide on what you need to be thinking about leading up to the event and on the day itself.

Choose the event and book your place

Many trade fairs take place annually and will attract repeat exhibitors each year. This is why it is important to book your space as soon as you can, as places may be limited and those who have been before will be first to snap up the good pitches. 

Do some research into how many people usually attend the fair - if it is not usually that popular then it may not be worth your time or the exhibiting fee. However, a popular 2 or 3 day event may attract thousands of potential customers that are primed and ready to be sold to, so be prepared to travel and stay over if necessary.

Get the word out

Use as many avenues as you can to advertise that you will be attending the event. Some of your current customers may enjoy the opportunity to visit your stall and see you in person. Potential new customers may be curious about what you have to offer and make a special trip to the fair in order to secure some face to face time with you. Post on social media in the lead up to the event - you could even post directly from the venue to keep any interest flowing. 

If you have a business premises, use the space to put up some posters to detail the event, especially if you will be offering certain deals that are only going to be available on that day when they visit your stall. 

Order some promotional pens

Trade fairs are great places for handing out free advertising material that can be taken away and used for reference later on. Visit our website before the event, where you will be able to design and order some stylish branded pens that you can offer to visitors at your stall. They will not only love having a functional free gift, they will hold onto it so that they can easily find your contact details when they get home.

Organise your team

If the event takes place over a long day or over the course of several days, it will be crucial for you to take a couple of members of staff with you. This will allow you to take regular breaks without needing to leave your space unattended, as well as ensuring that there is always someone available to talk to people who have questions.

Make sure that everyone understands the aim of the event and knows your business inside and out. Put together some literature that they can study beforehand and refer to throughout, containing brief notes on the best selling points, deals that you are offering and reminding them to hand out pens with your contact details.

Network with other attendees

The fair that you are attending may not be full of competing businesses, so be sure to take a walk around and get to know what else is on offer. Perhaps they will need your service in the future, or you may need theirs, so take your promotional pens with you so that you can easily swap contact details. It is a great way to build contacts for the future, or even just give you an opportunity to sell them something whilst they are working themselves.

Visit our website today to secure promotional pens for your business.


Post By Kimberley Roderick