Define & Manage

HINT 1 – Manage Costs

Remember, exhibiting is a marketing activity, use marketing principles and practices.

Create a budget covering expenses for design, build lead time, capital costs,recurring costs and operational processes, to verify the odds stack in your favour early on.

If you are a first time exhibitor consider renting an exhibit, if you intend to facilitate two or more exhibits consider a purchase approach (rental is expensive), and if you purchase, is the exhibit you envisage fit for purpose (adaptable, creates market impact, is measurable in terms of lead generation versus ongoing budget/operational costs).

Does it pay to take a multi-exhibition or trade show view in establishing your business case for an Exhibition Stand.

This balanced scorecard approach may highlight how a perceived "cheap" exhibition stand turns out to be expensive when you include storage and transportation costs.

Exhibition Venues and Trade shows will often prepare an exhibitor manual with a list of preferred suppliers/ exhibition stand packages and many other items you may need to get. This is how they extend their revenue share of your pocket. Remember, as the exhibitor you are free to choose to buy or rent exhibition stands and any other services from whomever you like, in most cases you will be saving money and receive better advice.

HINT 2 – Create Goals

Before purchasing or renting an exhibition stand, think on your objectives. Your stand is a marketing platform that needs to suit your set of requirements and objectives.

Will your exhibition stand support your staff members and their roles during the show, including the right place to stand in order to have a conversation, access to look and feel models (requiring physical space) or virtual models (requiring technology including power/data cabling, audio-visual equipment) and places for the private reflection of your customers (demonstration, tables or stands for meetings or to take down details).

HINT 3 – Use a Supply List

A supply list should typically include....

Health & Safety compliance, in particular the type of cables and power rating (5/10/15/20 amperage) or how many (single, 3 or 5 phase) power circuits used will determine where and how this cabling will need to be positioned (e.g. the higher the circuit rating or number of cabling paths, may require you to raise the floor of the stand so that cabling is placed under the floor).

On many occasions, cost overruns can be attributed to unplanned effort for covering cabling at the exhibition venue so as to comply with site health and safety regulations.

What ancilliary facilities will be used to promote services within your stand, such as payment tools to writing utensils, booth graphics and demonstration products.

Meet with your staff 3 weeks before creating/manufacturing a stand or holding an event to confirm their requirements. This is often agreed within a schedule outlining responsibilities including managing your business when key resources are distributed across the exhibition site and your business sites.

Reconfirm your Goals before the event including how success is to be measured, including...

a. Guidelines for direct sales or lead generation and how it is recorded (files/database);

b. Methods for strengthening the customer relationship or raising brand awareness;

c. How to generate media coverage;

d. How you will market test products;and

e. How new partners and/or distributors are recruited.