Trade Show Strategic Planning

Are you considering attending a trade show to market your brand – but you don’t know where to start with your preparations? One thing is certain—you will need professionally designed and printed signage and promotional materials to  your investment pay off. Here are a few pointers to help jump-start your trade show presentation ideas:

Preparation is Key

A key element of your preparation is choosing just the right trade shows. Company representation at a trade show entails a substantial amount of time and money, so choose wisely to get the most bang for your buck. A good place to start research into trade show news, data, research, and trends to help you make this decision is the Trade Show News Network. Once you have your target venue and audience determined, start planning fitting displays and materials. Carefully consider brand image, color, and font in your signage. Plan out the details for building, shipping and installing your booth’s components; train your staff so they can put their best foot forward when representing your company at the show; and consider pre-show social media marketing and networking meetings with attendees.

Location, Location, Location

Sometimes the exact booth location you choose in a crowded exhibit hall can make all the difference in customer traffic at your booth. Trade show spots most sought after are main isles, corner spots, and entrance area locations. If you are considering attending a trade show in the spring, you should be reserving your desired booth location by the previous fall if possible. Additionally, make sure that the basic structure of your booth will fit your presentation and signage vision – taking shape, size, scale, fixtures, and attachment/mounting into consideration. Plan your large format printed materials with these things in mind as reused materials from a previous venue could compromise your overall look.

Create a Memorable Experience

You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and trade show presence is no exception to this rule. When working on the design and setup of your large format printed materials, flyers, and promotional materials at a trade show, strive for distinctive graphics and typography that will grab attendees’ attention. Keep in mind that every other company in that exhibit hall is trying to do the same thing. If you provide giveaway promotional products at the show, make sure they are unique, relevant, and a good representation of your brand. There are so many promotional product ideas available that you may have never thought of before. Most importantly, design methods to engage those who approach your booth and ways to encourage them to linger and converse about your products and services. Finally, do your best to keep up the energy in your booth area until the very end—that may be the unexpected time you engage your best new customer.

Trade show preparation entails great effort, and you will likely find that you need some help with at least some of the elements above. Fusion Group USA offers large format printing, commercial printing, marketing services, brand development, and promotional products to help make your trade show engagement a success! Call us today or use our contact form to get started on your trade show game plan.

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