Baking mix for a successful trade fair appearance
Step 1: Define key messages and prepare the stand
What is the aim of the event? What message should be communicated and what arguments should be used? How can the location, date and audience of the event be used for your own purposes? Trade fair organizers should answer all these questions before they start planning the event. The exhibition stand itself also needs to be prepared: Is the logo well positioned on the exhibition wall? As it is probably the most important communication element of a company, it should be placed prominently - preferably in the upper third of the exhibition wall. In order to make the logo visible from every perspective, some designers use a logo wall with several smaller logos on the exhibition wall, similar to football perimeter advertising. The font size is also important in order to communicate marketing messages perfectly. In exhibition stand construction, this is not measured in points, but in centimetres. The rule of thumb is that 1 m reading distance requires 1 cm font size.
Step 2: Timely planning
Early planning is particularly important for events. This applies not only to the exhibition stand itself, but also to the supporting program, employees, service providers, partners, presentations and advertising materials. When planning, companies should always keep the core message and objectives in mind to ensure that the event is a success. Also important: consider production timescales. The production of an exhibition wall, for example, takes 5-7 working days. However, delivery times should also be kept in mind for other materials required for the trade fair, such as flyers, promotional gifts, etc.
Step 3: Preliminary communication
At large trade fairs in particular, it makes sense to make the target group aware of your presence before the event begins. Companies can do this with flyers or posters, for example. Existing contacts and business partners, on the other hand, should be addressed with personal invitation cards or letters. Here, companies can emphasize why a visit to the trade fair stand is worthwhile and highlight specific added value such as presentations at the stand or product demonstrations.
Step 4: On-site communication
Companies should also plan the communication at the trade fair stand itself. Employees working at the stand need to know all about the company, the products and their benefits. The design of the trade fair stand should create interest, be informative and also invite visitors to linger. This includes an exhibition counter and exhibition wall with a corporate design, as well as flexible roll-up displays that highlight the key values of the company or product or create a positive mood towards the company with well-chosen images. Texts should be used sparingly on exhibition walls. Information on products and services can be better placed in take-away materials. However, short URLs and slogans can be used. Image brochures or flyers with product and service information should be available at every trade fair stand in order to provide potential business customers with information beyond the trade fair. It is important that specific contact information is included on all advertising brochures so that stand visitors can get in touch if they have any further questions.
Step 5: Do not use a standard baking mix
Smiling sales staff can be found at almost every stand at trade fairs. To attract potential customers, companies need to leave their comfort zone and present creative ideas. This means integrating modern media and live activities - such as competitions, prize draws or talk shows. The advantages of this are that customers can, for example, use participation cards in prize draws or talk shows to visit the company's stand several times at certain times. Employees can also distribute prize codes at the trade fair that can only be redeemed at the stand and thus attract visitors. Companies should not ignore merchandising either: Trade fair visitors are usually happy to receive small gifts that they can also use in everyday life - be it a ballpoint pen, a notepad, a Post-It note or a mug. If the gifts are also distributed in a carrier bag with the company logo, the trade fair participants are also doing free advertising.
Decoration
Once the trade fair has been a success, companies should not just celebrate their success. Instead, it is important to maintain the newly established contacts and bring sales talks that have already begun to a conclusion - whether with a thank you card, an up-to-date product flyer, a personal phone call or an email.
