Make the most out of your expo/trade show experience

Marketing your brand or business can take many forms; from adverts to sponsorships, social media content, brochures and the list continues. However, never underestimate the power of trade shows and expos.

In a post pandemic world, SVG is once again getting ready to see the return of a well-attended Independence expo. However, unfortunately some brands or businesses often look for the immediate or instant reward of on-the-spot sales and if that doesn’t occur, they may feel discouraged.

Ultimately, expos or trade shows can have a huge impact on your bottom line but not without serious hard work and preparation. So how can you make a strong showing and attract new customers?

Here are some ways to get the most of your expo experience:

Make yourself stand out – You need a distinctive stand and a reason for people to remember you. Take some time and devise a promotion or interactive element that will drive people to your social media platforms or even a beneficial giveaway.

Be an attendee, not just an exhibitor- Yes you have a booth but you are not tied to your booth only. Be sure to have another person or a few persons at your booth so you can explore all that the expo has to offer. You can learn a lot and make contacts by just attending activities, mingling and visiting other booths.

Network! Network! – Networking is one of the biggest benefits of a trade show. The impact can be significant because it allows you to network with tonnes of people in a short amount of time. You should have a strategy for dealing with a huge amount of people stopping by your booth. Depending on the nature of your business, you may have a situation where you receive lots of business cards. In that situation, it would be beneficial, to separate the cards into different piles based on the type of contact e.g., a pile for prospective customers, pile for cross promotions etc. Or you can take photos of important contact business cards on your phone. There are even apps that can help you digitally manage business cards.

Be ready to close ‘the sale’- Always have your end game in sight when attendees visit your booth. Treat your presence at the expo as an opportunity to close. Otherwise, you will spend time, energy and money making introductions as opposed to also using the attendees’ excitement at the expo as a way to make sales. E.g., you should gather the names of everyone that pass by your booth by using a contact sheet; then send a message to persons on the sheet at the end of the first day with an offer valid for the remainder of the expo period.

Candice Sealey is the Founder & Principal Consultant at Ignite! a Full-service Marketing & PR Consultancy that helps businesses/brands to stand out and communicate the right message to the right people at the right time through Strategy, Marketing, Media services and Design solutions. She is also a freelance content writer, advertising copywriter, voiceover talent, media personality. Follow us on FB & IG @igniteresults Phone:784-432-2223. Email: igniteresults@gmail.com