What To Know For Your First Tradeshow

Breaking Into the Tradeshow Scene

Attending your first trade show as an exhibitor is an exciting milestone for your business! It’s a great opportunity to showcase your brand, connect with potential clients, and make a lasting impression in your industry. But before you dive in, there are some key things to consider to ensure your trade show experience is a success. The tradeshow world runs on it's own set of rules and regulations that could cause financial or logistical issues if you're not familiar with it. Here are the top things to watch out for and ask about when reserving your booth space.

Sign-Up Early

One of the biggest hurdles of exhibiting at your first tradeshow is the organizations hosting the event usually cater to companies that had attended the show in the past. When you exhibit at a show, you get the right to choose your booth for the next year's event before they open it up to the general public. So you'll want to make the decision attend a tradeshow a year in advance for the best options to select from the booth locations that are left.

If it's a last minute decision to have a display at a tradeshow and you end up stuck in the only spot left in the back corner by the bathrooms, don't fret! First of all, the bathrooms edit a lot traffic. Plus, just getting your foot in the door as an established exhibitor will give you the better advantage to signing up for the next year's event in a much better spot.

Decide On A Display

After you get your tradeshow space reserved, you can focus on what your booth will look like if you don't already have one. Tradeshow booth structures have very long lead times and depending on the location of the tradeshow, may need to be shipped to the venue weeks in advance. So it's something you'll want to start solidifying about 6 months prior to the show.

Planning your booth display should encompass a few things: what price point is appropriate for your budget, having a structure big enough to standout from the crowd, and hopefully creating something that can be reused in future years (or even in your retail shop).

When it comes to having a booth display that is "big enough," the answer really depends on the size of your space. An in-line 10ft x 10ft booth typically include a curtain that partitions you from the rest of the booths in that row. That means you may only need a few pull-up banners and a counter to dress the space.

Large booths, especially ones that are an "island" with aisles on all four sides will need more substantial structures and your own backdrop to draw people in. These types of displays can come in a variety of different ways, the most efficient styles are multi-purpose segments that can be configured in more than one configuration. It's also good to look for options that can easily be reskinned with new graphics down the road without having to repurchase the skeleton of the structure.

One more thing to keep in mind when designing your booth is to leave enough open space to allow visitors to walk in and stay awhile. If you have too much stuff in your booth, passerby's have to stand in the aisle to speech with you and they feel pressure from others to keep moving. So if you do have a table or counter to greet people, be sure to recess it into your floor plan so people are actually standing in your area.

Schedule On-Site Logistics

Industry tradeshows have a lot to plan for and will often hire outside contractors to help transform a convention hall into a whole new world. This includes measuring out all of the booth spaces, getting electrical or plumbing services hooked up, hanging signage, laying carpet, and hauling in shipments of products and booth displays.

As an exhibitor, it will be your responsibility to make sure you book time with the contracting companies for any services you may need. Do not expect that you can lay your own extension chords in your space! For the safety of everyone attending the event, this must be done by the professionals to prevent fire hazards.

Typically, the organization putting on the tradeshow will have a specific online portal that only exhibitors can access that will provide instructions on how to sign up for the on-site services. This will include directions on when and where to ship any products for booth pieces. It will also give you information for any rentals they offer, such as carpeting or other floor covering.

Be sure to check their deadlines for reserving your service. Often times they will have discounts for completing your information early. Save yourself the unnecessary extra expenses by setting reminders in your calendar so you don't forget if some of the deadlines are a long way off!

It's Show Time!

Most industry tradeshows last 2-3 days for attendees to have a chance to walk through and experience all of the booths and classes available. Remember as an exhibitor you will need to plan for extra time before the show to set up your booth and after the show to dismantle it. For your first show it will take you a bit longer than you expect to get your bearings.

If you reserved any on-site labor to lay carpet, electrical, or signage, you'll also need to wait for them to complete their job before you can load in your booth and products. Unfortunately, it's hard to know ahead of time when your space will be done so be patient and flexible as they get through their list.

Tradeshows will have representatives and help desks for the on-site logistics so if there are any problems or you think you might not have signed up for something correctly ahead of time, they'll be able to help you to make sure your show is successful. Just be aware that they may charge your day-of fees that are much higher than what was on the portal booking area prior to the show.

Let Us Know If You Need Any Help

Exhibiting at a tradeshow is a big investment of time and dollars that may take a few years participating in before really becoming a game changer with your customers. But when done right, you can become a pillar in your community in a way that will truly drive sales. Whether it's designing your booth or finding creative lead generation pieces, Graphic Haven can help you plan a tradeshow appearance that will be worth the effort. Reach out today to start sharing your ideas for your next tradeshow!