Part 2 of 4

Don’t underestimate the time that it takes to prepare for a successful exhibit. There are many details! The keys to a good start are assigning responsibilities, having a budget and early conversations with the show organizer and your vendors.

Step 1.   Start Planning Early

Assign Responsibilities. The first thing to consider is who will be responsible for planning. Who are the decision-makers? And who is the project manager? One detail-oriented person should be responsible for managing everything. This minimizes the chance that an important detail will be missed.

Other critical staff: venue liaison, product and service sourcing, copywriting, graphic design, set-up/breakdown, staffing at the show. Some people will wear multiple hats.

Make sure you plan to have enough staff at the show so you can rotate shifts. You want the public to meet happy and enthusiastic staff. When deciding how many people need to be at the exhibit consider attendance and busy times. A good show organizer can help you with this information.

Determine Your Budget. All planning will need to be made within the constraints of your budget. It is best to do a cost/benefit analysis to figure out your overall budget for the show. Things to consider when planning your budget are travel, hotel, meals and even entertainment for staff, customers and prospects. TigerPress can provide suggestions and quotes for your display, marketing collateral, branded clothing and giveaway. Contact your sales representative for help with this.

Presentations. Ask the show organizer if they need a featured speaker or people to lead workshops. This establishes you as an expert in your field and creates trust from those who attend.

Contact Your Vendors. The earlier that you contact your vendors the better your chance of success. TigerPresscan help with your display, marketing collateral, give-aways and branded clothing. Here is some of the information we need to be most helpful:

·         Show name, dates, location and web site

·         Instructions from the organizer for shipping materials to the show

·         What is your overall concept for the exhibit and how the display, marketing materials, branded clothing and promotional items tie together?

·         Who is your ideal client?

·         What are you trying to tell them?

·         Who are the decision makers involved?

·         Who will be placing orders?

·         Who is the graphic designer?

 

In the next article we will look at anticipating what you will need for a successful exhibition.