Anthony Smith

Have an open and transparent with your exhibition contractor to share your show goals and available budget. Most contractors will have stock items and if we can understand what you are trying to achieve and how much you would like to spend to achieve it, we can start by utilising stock items to create the best stand design. This will leave more available budget for any specific features or stand-draws, that will help drive visitors to your stand.

We all react differently to feedback requests. Generally speaking sending a blanket email is probably not the best approach, but sometimes can work for people who would prefer to leave anonymous comments. Using feedback as part of meetings gained from the show can be useful. It can feel part of a natural conversation, and also a good meeting icebreaker, to thank people for stopping by your stand and asking them what they thought about your stand and the show in general.

Don't lose sight of the fact visitors are attending the show for a reason. Try to book post show meetings AT the event. Conversion rates can be very high, as you are already talking in detail about your proposition at the show and people are likely to book a meeting to learn more. Make sure your post-show follow up's are quick and personalised (referencing specific details gained from the show) to build on the conversations you already had. Sending generic messaging will get lost in the noise of everyone else's messages, while a line or two that references a specific conversation will mean much more. Don't get put off if you don't get an instant response. You may need to go through more than one round of follow ups before people reply.

I always approach stand design with 4 underlaying principles in mind: Light, Height, Space and Engagement. How these principles are utilised is informed by your show objectives, but as a rule of thumb your stand should be well lit, easy to navigate and doesn't feel too enclosed. Engagement is designed around your objectives, as the process of attracting 'any' attendee is different to visitors within your key client demographic.

Whilst product training is essential, always consider speaking with an external company to provide exhibition specific training. The exhibition hall is a unique environment and vastly different to other types of business meetings. There are many factors to consider when engaging show visitors, a little guidance can go a long way to ensuring you are spending the right amount of time with the right people.

Planning is an absolute must for the event. Understanding your objectives is the basis for all visitor conversations, as the type of interaction you are targeting will form your approach to each person. But don't forget the most import part of planning - sharing the results of the plan with your team, so everyone is aligned ahead of the day... and that is also being a key factor - ahead of the day. Brief your time as far in advance of the event as possible, to allow for any queries and subsequent training. Only use pre-show opening briefings at the event as a refresher to the plans and for any questions from the team.