There are many benefits associated with attending a trade show or conference. For example, it can provide you with an opportunity to:
- Expand your professional network by connecting with other business owners and industry leaders.
- Attract new customers by positioning yourself as a key player within your industry.
- Help you to learn more about industry trends and developments so that you can ensure that your business remains ahead of the curve.
- Improve brand awareness, with 70% of businesses generating new leads from trade shows and events.
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However, in order to enjoy the benefits listed above, you must ensure that you set yourself (and your brand) up for success at the trade show itself – simply being in attendance is not enough. With that in mind, here are some simple ways to ensure that you impress at your next conference or trade show.
Set up an eye-catching stand.
Customers will pass by hundreds of stalls at a conference, which means that you need to find a way to stand out from the crowd. As such, you may want to work with a company that specialises in exhibition stand design to create an eye-catching stand that will draw in customers as opposed to letting them pass you by. For example, you may want to look into Modular exhibition stand design that features your company logo and branding.
Hand out free products.
While you may attend the trade show with the intention of boosting your sales and shifting some products, you should also be willing to hand out some free samples during the course of the day. This is often one of the easiest ways to get people to visit your stall and have a conversation with your team. Furthermore, if they try out a free sample of your product and end up loving it, they’re far more likely to buy it in the future.
You can also make handing out samples worth your while by requiring people to follow you on social media in exchange for their goodie bag. This way, you are growing your following!
Send your best sellers.
When deciding which staff you’d like to represent you at the trade show, it’s important that you send your best sellers. This will increase the chances of you selling lots of products throughout the course of the day so that you stay on target and recoup the costs incurred by attending the event. It’s also important that you send staff who are confident and able to encourage attendees to visit the stall.
Give a speech.
Giving a speech or presentation during the trade show is another great way to increase your success. After all, this gives you the chance to present yourself as an industry/leader or expert, which means attendees are likely to remember your brand moving forward. Furthermore, you could use this as an opportunity to generate buzz around your products/services, whether that be through product demonstrations or a simple discussion and Q&A.