When you are preparing to exhibit at a trade show there is a lot to think about. It is one of those situations where it is easy to lose sight of the forest because of the trees, as the saying goes. The details can become overwhelming. However, if you follow our “golden rules” for event marketing, you’ll find exhibiting is much less daunting.

• Plan Ahead - To give yourself the best opportunity for a successful event, plan ahead. In many cases, 6 to 12 months is a good amount of time to put together an in-depth plan for your show including building your booth, pre & post-show marketing strategy, Sales meetings and event logistics. If you need to put together a show in less time, you definitely may need assistance.

• Focus on Your Goals - Everything you do at a trade show should support your sales and marketing goals. While the little details are fun, don’t get carried away in things that don’t support your ultimate goal.

• Capture (the right) Data - If you are like many companies who hit the trade show circuit, your most important takeaway from the show will be the data you capture. Spend some time looking over what data is most important to your firm and figure out the best way to capture this information–this will make every lead you gather all the more important.

• Don’t Forget to Follow Up - One of the most important parts of your trade show is the follow-up. You captured those leads for a reason so make sure you follow up on them quickly while your brand is fresh in the minds of those who stopped by to see you. This is your best chance to capitalize on the traction you build.

• Analyze Your Results - What did you accomplish? Did you meet your goals? What would you do differently next time? This is one golden rule that will pay off big time in helping you plan for the future.

When it comes to managing trade show logistics, you don’t have to do it all alone. Connect with us at G.A.I. Exhibits and let us put together a trade show marketing plan for you. We can help you with booth design from start to finish, pre and post-show promotion, set-up, take-down and much more. Our goal is to take the stress out of the trade show experience, while still allowing your firm to reap all the benefits–what could be better than that?