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Exhibitions are one of the
most expensive means of communicating with your customers, but correctly
run they can be one of the most cost effective and successful. This guides you through some of the fundamentals:
Goal and Objectives
The key to successful
exhibiting is being clear about what you wish to achieve form your
exhibition participation. What are you goals?. Goals outline what
you want to achieve and objectives identify how you are going
to achieve them. Some goal setting basics are:
1. Exhibiting goals should
support corporate objectives. As part of the marketing communications mix,
show attendance should integrate effectively into the overall
marketing aims.
2. You must consider what
end results you wish to achieve: |
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3. Goals should always be written down, since
this gains greater commitment
4. Goals should always be SMART - Specific,
Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time
framed.
Planning Guide
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6-8 Months before
- Plan Budget
- Select Shows
- Negociate and book Space
- Plan direct mailings
- Staff dress code
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4 Months before
- Determine objectives
- Create theme
- Obtain exhibitors manual
- Start stand design
- Staffing levels
- Transport of exhibits and staff
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3 Months before
- Work schedule
- Book accommodation
- Plan support literature
- Establish outside suppliers
- Plan stand communications (fax..)
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3-4 Weeks before
- Write invitations
- Finalise meeting show schedule
- Prepare stand training
- Plan catering
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1-2 Weeks before
- Collect travel tickets, supplies etc
- Ensure stand services available (electricity..)
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Before opening
- Travel to site pick up badges
- Supervise stand construction
- Conduct pre-show briefing and goals
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During the Show
- Assess daily progress
- Visit Press office
- Ensure leads are collected
- Look at other stands for ideas
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Directly after the show
- Follow up sales leads
- Send thank you letters to visitors
- Assess stand consumable usage
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3 Months After
- Evaluate show participation
- Decide on future participation
- List ideas for improvement
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Selection of Space
- Consider you space requirements - what
do want to do on your stand - entertain guests, demonstrate products,
hold meetings etc
- Types of space - Aisle/in line/linear
(1 side open) , Cross aisle (2 open sides), Peninsula (3 open sides),
Island (4 open sides)
- Look at the floorplan and establish
areas to be near and areas to avoid:
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Areas
to avoid:
- Obstructing columns
- Low ceilings
- Dark/poorly lit areas
- Over lit areas
- Loading dock and freight doors
- Dead end areas/aisles
- Corners
- Last minutes additions
- Competitors
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Consider
proximity to:
- Entrances
- Exits
- Registration area
- Restrooms/Toilets
- Food services areas
- Escalators
- Windows
- Press office
- Seminar rooms
- Power, water and air sources
- Customers
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Selecting
a stand designer
- Clearly define your goals
- Ensure that you have reserved
sufficient space and what type of space you have (space only, shell
scheme)
- Establish the build budget
- Understand the image which you wish
to portray for your company and communicate this effectively
- Check the stand builders credentials
and financial stability. Ensure they are BECA approved
- Cross check with existing customers
- Check their interpretation of the
brief and creativity
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Stand
Design
- What image best suits your company -
quality, high tech, traditional, racy, contemporary, established
- Use of colours - consider your logo
- Graphics - The show visitor needs to
know in 3 seconds, who you are, what you do and the benefits you
offer
- Use bullet points and keep
copywriting to a minimum
- Lighting - use it to draw attention
to specific areas
- Furniture - use at the back of the
stand as you want to make the stand inviting to come on to
- Special effects - look for a
"hook" to attract people to the stand
- Use of vegetation - can be used to
accentuate graphics, hide wiring etc, create a natural feel
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