14 key elements needed for successful trade show planning

For companies and businesses, trade shows and exhibitions are an amazing place. This is an opportunity for brands to showcase their products and services to a new audience. Networking is also important, not to mention discovering the competition. For these reasons, it makes sense for companies to participate in these types of events each year. As an exhibitor, brands need to plan every small detail to ensure they have a successful trade show.

Here are 14 key elements of successful trade show planning during all stages of planning to attend.

Before

Like in many cases, a lot of the work comes before the event. This is the chance to define the goals, plan out how to execute them, and prep everything in advance for the special event. Here are the key things to consider in the planning stage.

Determine the overall purpose

This is the most important aspect of trade show planning. Unless clear and defined goals have been set, success cannot be measured at the event.

Here are some questions and ideas to help decide on what the goals and purpose are for attending an event:

• Looking to drive sales or bring about more overall awareness?
• Who is the target audience at this event?
• How many people are expected to attend the event or booth?
• Is this customer lead focused or trying to get new clients?
• How can brands stand out from the competition?
• Does the audience expect a niche topic or product represented?

Celery define goals

It is important to clearly define these goals too. That means, coming up with specific numbers instead of descriptive words. For example:

🟢 Good example: I want 100 attendees at my booth, with 50 people signing up for the newsletter

🔴 Bad example: I want to do well at my trade show showing by meeting a lot of new people

The good example uses clear numbers that can easily be measured after the fact in terms of overall progress. Without these specific details, the impression cannot truly be determined. Lessons cannot be learned from the experience without these concrete goals to compare at the end.

Choose the right show to attend

Once these questions have been answered, the objectives become more clear. Clear goals will also help narrow down which event to attend. If the goal is sales, it might not make sense to attend a show that focuses on research and discovery.

Not only should brands consider their objectives, but they also should consider their audience as well. As a fashion company, it might not make sense to attend a tech event with presentations and demonstrations on the latest technology. Finding the niche target audience will help to achieve the overall goals.

Define & set a budget

Defining the budget can be the most difficult, frustrating, and important part of trade show planning. Planning in advance can help cut down on extra costs that can add up very quickly. When planning, be thorough and realistic too. While it can get expensive, make sure to invest the right amount into the company’s future. Time should also be considered for the budget as time is money and effort spent on something.

Here are some questions and ideas to help consider and define the budget for the event:

• What is the entrance price for attendees? What is the price to have a booth?
• How many people will need to tend the booth itself?
• What materials are needed for the booth? Does the staff need extra materials too?
• What type of promotional materials are needed and how much?
• Will there be travelling to the event? Does it make sense to fly or drive?
• Where to stay during the event if it is overnight?
• Planning to advertise for the event in advance? During? Maybe even after?

Booth design & presentation planning

Now all the analytical things out of the way, the focus can be more on the creative aspect of planning for a trade show. When designing the booth or strategy, be sure to design it around the defined goals, objectives, and budget. The more creative a campaign is, the more likely it stands out from the crowd.

Select & train the right staff

In many cases, this will be the only interaction the trade show attendees will have with a company or business. That means it should be a good one. In order to do this well and effectively, be sure to choose the right people to staff the booth.

Choose people who are outgoing and who can engage with people who come up to the counter.

Promote everywhere possible

Brands are less likely to make a lasting impression with attendees without any promotion before attending the event! Now is also the time to put on a creative thinking cap and get to brainstorming! Take advantage of traditional channels, like social media and newsletters. However, don't be afraid to think outside the box to promote attendance via print mailing or even host a small event in advance to get people excited.

Social media

Make use of the various social media channels and platforms to maximise the impact. Consider images for platforms like Facebook and Instagram. For Tik Tok or YouTube Shorts, create short videos to showcase the preparations for the event. Consider creating a hashtag and live streaming events as well.

Email and newsletter campaigns

For email subscribers, consider reaching out to them to help spread the word! Be sure to include good calls to actions to get people excited about the trade show. Since these people are part of the niche audience, they will be able to keep spreading the word around to others.

Blog

Post about the upcoming event and all the trade show planning being done right now and post it. Write a blog to engage people and perhaps give a quick introduction to what people can expect from the event booth.

Print mailing & flyers

To make an impact, consider choosing print mailing options. Send postcards to top clients alerting them of the event and the brand’s attendance. Or consider passing out flyers in brick and mortar stores. Put up flyers around the community to broadcast in high footfall areas.

No matter what actions are chosen, don't forget to include the time and date of the event. Be sure to include the booth’s location and what people can expect from the visit.

Anticipate lead generation

When lead generation is a goal for the event, be sure to do the prep work in advance. That means, when trade show planning, consider ordering some promotional giveaways. Branding or printing the brand’s logo onto products makes it more likely to have people remember the brand long after the event.

To make an even bigger impact, consider choosing unique promotional items. Bulk order items that are specific to the brand’s niche audience or industry. For example, brands working in healthcare, it might make sense to add a logo to a heart shaped stress ball. Brands will be remembered for the gift itself, especially when the product is related directly to the industry.

➥ 💡 Professional tip: Order the products well in advance to avoid stress about arrival dates. However, if for time crunches, consider ordering from the 48-hour priority production products for an even faster turnover.

During

Now that all the prep work is done, now is the time to relax, right? Wrong! This is where the fun actually takes place. This is what needs to be done during the actual trade show, expo, or exhibition.

Make something unique

Once the booth is set up and ready for visitors, it is go time. Decorate the trade show stand to make it stick out from the others. Convey the brand in a convincing and unconventional way to avoid a boring booth. Remember, these booths should encourage people to stop by. More importantly, they should leave remembering something about the stand or brand!

Draw in & engage with other attendees

In order to make that lasting impression, be sure to engage with the audience and anyone who comes up to the booth. Small touches like this can showcase field expertise. Use this as a way to make people pay attention to this brand.

Here are some popular but also out of the box ideas to try when planning a trade show booth presentation:

• ✅ Product demos of new or popular products
• ✅ A short film describing the company, the mission or services
• ✅ Trivia and other games (with prizes at the end, of course!)
• ✅ Charging station for people to connect while recharging
• ✅ Prize wheels for free promotional goodies or products
• ✅ Other interactive medias

Network with others

While trade shows are great for meeting new clients and customers, another great aspect is networking. Be sure to step out from behind the booth to meet new people in the field. This type of connection is great for long term success.

After

Now that the show is done, is this the time to relax? No way, think again! The follow up and work done after the event is just as important as the other steps when planning a trade show, exhibition, or expo.

Measure the success

Remember the goal setting? That was for this exact moment. This is the perfect way to measure success at the trade show, expo or conference. By setting these concrete goals before the event, they can now be easily measured. The goal was to hit 100 new subscribers? Well, check the sign up sheet to count how many people registered.

It is important to check the success shortly after the event so as to not forget about what took place. The longer after the event, the less the event will be fresh.

Follow up right away

Much like checking numbers, it is key to actually do the follow ups right away. The longer time passes, the more likely people will forget the interaction. A lot of hard work was done to get the lead, now make sure to clinch it.

Plan for the next event

Time rests for no one! The time to start planning the next event is right now! Okay, maybe now right away, but when the time comes, take what was learned and apply it to the next round of trade show planning.

So there it is! 14 cool and innovative ways to start trade show planning right now for whatever is upcoming.