Preparing For Your First Exhibition

An exhibition or trade show is the perfect opportunity to make contacts, market products using promotional tools such as roller banners, leaflets and flyers, get contracts, and get your name and trademark out there in the open.

It can be very exciting, and a good exhibition or trade show can truly give your business a big boost. However, such events also have the potential for disaster, especially if you’re ill-prepared. The worst part of it is that when a seemingly little or benign thing goes wrong, your confidence level drops and the rest of the day goes from bad to worse. So how do you make sure you’re preparing for your first exhibition? Here’s a list of the top items you should take to any exhibition or trade show for a hassle-free experience.

Preparing for your first exhibition: logistics

What do you need to adequately go about preparing for your first exhibition?  We run through a handy checklist to ensure you’re fully prepared.

1. Venue

Are you confident you know where you’re going? Can you get there in plenty of time? Have you practiced the route? It’s good to be prepared so that you have a smooth run on the day. It’s also worth checking in with the venue to ensure you know about their Covid safety policies, health and safety practices in general and emergency exits.

2. Staff

Are you staffing your booth alone? We wouldn’t recommend it! Trade shows can be very long days and the busiest times come in waves. Invest in some top quality brand ambassadors to ensure your day goes smoothly.

3. Exhibition stand

Make sure you have an eye-catching exhibition stand ready to go! We’d recommend coming prepared with a branded backdrop wide roller banner, a pop up exhibition stand and flyers and leaflets to pass out. It’s also a good idea to offer some freebies, as they will draw people to your stand.

Preparing For Your First Exhibition: Top things to take

• • Healthy food and drinks. Don’t underestimate this part. A working day at the exhibition or trade show can be tiring and stressful, so you need to keep your sugar levels up. Skip the hamburger and go for a healthy sandwich and salad instead; leave the soda aside and stick with natural juices or water. Extension cords. You may find yourself some distance away from the nearest power outlet, and it can really mess with your plans regarding lay-out and marketing. Better be prepared.

• • A notebook. Choose one with a hard cover. If you really need to work with loose leaves, then have a clipboard handy. Organise everything in folders and envelopes.

• • Bring some chairs. They’re annoying to transport at times, but you will need a place to sit, and your potential customers or partners will appreciate some time off, too.

• • Tissues and napkins. Trust me, you don’t want to be looking for them when you really need them, and either you or your team will ask for one.

• • Tool kit. You don’t need to bring everything hanging in your garage, but a screwdriver, some tape and some Allen keys are very handy at times.=

• • Mints – yes, they’re part of your winning personality.

• • Electrical extension chords and plus adaptors.

Here’s one more very important tip: think ahead when you’re packing – have the process of unpacking in mind. Unpacking can be even harder than the packing itself, simply because
you risk dragging or yanking out small items (and consequently breaking or damaging them) when taking larger items out of the boxes or bags. And remember: bubble wrap is your friend and little items that you need for personal use should be stored in a separate bag. If you’re feeling stressed just thinking about the whole project, don’t worry – remember that it’s supposed to be fun, and it’s really not difficult.

Preparation is key, confidence automatically follows.

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