Don't be Late With Your Stress Pig

pig

“Failing to prepare, is preparing to fail”.

Never has this old adage been truer than when it comes to exhibitions and events. Big or small, the key to getting the most out of your exhibition lies in the planning.
In last month’s Circular (give the Member Success Team a call on 0121 756 5551 if you didn’t get your copy!), I talked about choosing the right show. But once you’ve booked your spot, how do you make it a roaring success?
Start, by asking yourself the following questions:

  • What does the stand need to achieve?
  • What specifications does it need to meet?
  • How will you capture customer data?
  • What messages do you want to send?

Designing is a proper job
Microsoft Word is NOT a graphic design programme. Neither is PowerPoint.
You should always enlist the help of a professional graphic designer. Even for a pullup banner, employing a professional will pay back the cost of the job many times over.
There are some simple rules for stand graphics that will save everyone involved lots of time:

  • Supply vector artwork whenever possible
  • Use high resolution images (300dpi or above)
  • Give your designer enough time to do the job

Less is definitely more.
Recreating your brochure, including the 500-word eulogy of what it is you do, on a banner is a complete waste of time. Visitors will NOT stand and read it.
Instead, opt for a short, punchy, headline and images or graphics that do all the talking for you. And when it comes to placement, keep everything above waist height, anything lower simply won’t be seen.
Milk the Social Media cow 
With the stand sorted it’s time to plan getting the most from the show.
PR and social media can and should be a big part of any exhibition.
In the build-up and during the show, get involved with the show Facebook page and their Twitter stream. Your potential customers will be, so you should too if you want to get their attention.
Make sure you have a listing in the show guide, and explore sponsorship and seminar opportunities. Many exhibits will look for guest speakers, but make sure you get in early.
And confirm your list knows that you’ll be at the show too. Add a link to your email signature, send out an email invitation, or a piece of direct mail.
And the winner is… 
“Our competition prize was an iPad; we had hundreds of entries, but when we followed them up after the show, not one sale came from it.”
A true story from an EC member. I see lots of shiny things being offered as prizes at exhibitions, and lots of people entering.
I drop my business card in every fish bowl that’s offering an iPad or laptop as a prize. And there’s the problem: shiny things with no connection to your core offering attract everyone, but do not qualify their interest at all.
If you’re running a competition, make it relevant to what you do – a discount, or a special package. That way only people who are interested in what you do will enter. You will have a smaller list to follow up after the show, but I guarantee every single one will be a hot lead.
If you’re giving out freebies from the stand use your imagination and give out something that will be memorable. A cheap pen with your name printed on it will not be remembered an hour later, let alone next week when you make a follow up call.
One of our clients ran a marketing campaign that involved a piggy bank. At the show they gave away pink pig-shaped stress balls. So successful were they that they repeated the ‘stress pig’ for the next three years!
It’s all in the list.
Data collection is key at any show. If a visitor shows interest you should not let them leave the stand until you at least have their contact details.
Better still, qualify their level of interest, what it is they are interested in, and book a follow up contact there and then on the stand.
Never just hand them a leaflet and meekly say “Call me!”; like a lovesick teenager you’ll be waiting for the phone to ring for a very long time if that’s your approach.
Some shows collect the details of every visitor and will sometimes give exhibitors that list after the show. It’s worth asking for as it’s a pre-qualified list of leads.
Work that list – they are hot leads; don’t stop until you’ve exhausted every avenue, or you’ve wasted your time exhibiting in the first place.
If you’ve made appointments to call someone after the show, or to send out brochures or samples, keep your promise.
If you’ve got any exhibition questions, or would like a hand with your next show, you can contact Mark at [email protected] or on 02476 231 841. You’ll also find more help and advice at www.mpdcreative.co.uk.
mark-powell