Hosting a trade show is the perfect opportunity to showcase a brand, introduce a new product or service, and interact with prospects and customers. 

With so much hinging on its success, planning your first trade show can be daunting. There’s a lot to consider, from booth location, to booth amenities and of course the promotional items. 

To ensure your event goes smoothly and your company walks away with loads of qualified leads, we’re going to outline some basic rules you want to follow. Let’s look into those below and see how you can become a pro at trade show planning. 

Choose Promotional Items that Stand Out 

To really stand out and ensure that prospects or potential partners don’t forget you, you’ll want to give them something to remember you by. You’ll also want to make sure that the items you choose give you the best return on investment (ROI).

 

Use your company’s buyer persona research to identify the best giveaways for your audience. This will allow you to choose items that they’ll hold onto, rather than disposing of immediately after the event. For example, if your audience is full of avid golfers, you may choose to include golf balls in your promo arsenal.

For something that everyone needs, particularly when walking all day on a trade show floor, consider custom labeled water bottles.  Make sure you include your company’s name and contact information on all promotional items, to help advertise your brand long after the trade show is over. 

Select the Right Location and Venue 

When selecting a venue, you’ll want to look into a location that will be convenient for your intended audience. For example, if most of your prospects are on the west coast, you’ll want to host it there to make travel easier and increase the odds of higher attendance. 

Once you have your target location, you’ll need to find a venue that will host your anticipated crowd. Secure the booking at least a year in advance to ensure you get the venue you want and make it convenient for guests to access. This means hosting near an airport, or a convention center that provides transportation to and from the airport. 

Include Entertainment

All work and no play…well, you know the rest. No one wants to spend the entire time at a trade show, regardless of how interesting it is. Don’t risk losing guests that choose to exit the show early for a night on the town, host your own entertainment onsite to persuade them to stick around.

This serves two purposes. It lets them relax and enjoy some downtime, and it enables you to continue to prospect and make potential customers. 

Follow these Tips for Successful Trade Show Planning 

Now that you know the basic rules for trade show success, you’ll be better prepared to create an event that your guests won’t soon forget. 

If you need promotional items for your show, get in touch with us today to learn more about our custom branded water bottles.