When you are first setting up a small business, your mind is going to be all over the place. You have so much to focus on that things can become pretty hectic.
Not only are you attempting to secure domain names, copyright licenses, and trademarking or patenting, but you’re also having to conduct product testing to ensure that what you intend to sell is up to scratch and market research to ensure that the product doesn’t already exist and that it is definitely something that the consumer market will be interested in. That’s before you even get to website design, packaging design, advertising, and launching your brand.
So when all of this is finally out of the way, and your small business is finally up and running, it’s not surprising that you might want to let your hair down, kick back, and relax.
While you can probably afford to give yourself a couple of days rest, it’s important that you don’t start to slack. After all, you don’t want all of the efforts that you’ve put in so far to go to waste by neglecting your company and allowing things to flop. You need to be constantly progressing and striving to make your brand a force to be reckoned with.
So, once the ball is rolling, you’re going to want to engage in activities that help to establish your small business as a major competitor on the market. A good place to start out is at trade shows and exhibitions. Here’s everything you need to know to ensure that you make a success of even the first trade show or exhibition that you attend.
What Are Trade Shows and Exhibitions?
A trade show or exhibition is a public display of what you have to offer potential customers in real life on a face-to-face basis. Generally, they take place in a large hall. Each exhibitor will have a stall where they can set up displays and offer demonstrations. Now, general exhibitions are open to the public, and you can make plenty of sales on the day, as long as you take along enough stock to keep up with customer demand. Trade shows, on the other hand, tend to be attended by company representatives and members of the press. These are more of an opportunity to network, building up contacts who you could build a mutually beneficial working relationship with.
Get a Display Ready
The space that you rent out at an exhibition or show will usually be completely plain. This is to allow you to decorate it as you please. So make sure you have everything you need for your display before you go.
Promocolour has a wide variety of promotional materials that will help to draw attention to your stand, including banners, marquees, flags, and backdrops. You should also work out how you will best showcase your products. Make sure to bring along extra lighting or lamps to highlight your featured products. Revolving racks are a good idea if you are offering smaller items, as you can fit plenty of products into a smaller space.
Book Well in Advance
One of the keys to success when it comes to attending an exhibition or trade show is to bag yourself a good spot in the hall.
Halls can be huge, so it is often difficult to choose exactly where you want to be placed. The best spots tend to be a little more expensive, but for a good reason. They are proven to be the spots that generate the most profit. So, choose spots with high traffic and footfall where possible. The most visited stalls tend to be on main aisles. If possible, bag a spot at the end of a row, as this will allow you to draw in intersecting traffic too.
The more people who pass by, the more people you are going to expose your brand to. Try to avoid plots near the entrance or exit. When people are walking in, they are likely to feel overwhelmed and will want to wander for a while before putting any money down. Stalls near the exit tend to struggle, as people are more focused on leaving and heading home rather than browsing and buying.
While your first trade show or exhibition may be a little daunting or intimidating, as long as you do your research and are both organised and prepared, you should be absolutely fine. Things will come to you more naturally with experience, but for now, hopefully, the above information will give you a good idea of some of the basics for success.
