Trade shows and exhibitions are specialist market places that allow exhibitors to:
They also give visitors the opportunity to find out about the products and services on display.
Trade shows and exhibitions allow you to network and make useful contacts with other people working in your industry.
This guide outlines the pros and cons of exhibitions and trade shows [1]. It explains how to choose the right trade fair [2]. This guide also includes tips for exhibiting at trade shows [3].
Exhibiting at trade shows can bring benefits to your business. You can meet directly with potential customers and generate leads. However, success is not guaranteed and there are costs involved. Consider the pros and cons before you decide to invest your time and money.
The benefits of exhibiting include:
Some of the downsides of taking a stand at an exhibition include:
Finding the right trade fair is essential. If the area of interest it covers is too specialist or too broad, it is unlikely to attract visitors who want to buy what you have to sell. Not all events will attract large numbers of delegates. Do you research and find out how popular an exhibition has been in previous years.
Start by making a profile of the customers you want to reach. Identify their special interests and where they are located. Then take a look at the most likely trade fairs for your industry sector, and try to match them with these customers. See understand your customers’ needs [6].
Most established exhibitions will be able to provide a detailed breakdown of the number and type of visitors from previous years. This will give you a good idea of whether the types of customers you are targeting are likely to be there.
Work out what you want to achieve before you go. What kinds of product or service do you want to find out about? Who do you want to meet? Match your requirements against what the most likely trade fairs have to offer. You should be able to get a list of the companies planning to exhibit before you attend. This will help you avoid a wasted journey.
You can also contact specific venues, ask a relevant trade association or contact your local Chamber of Commerce [7] to find out what's on in your area.
Before booking, find out more about the characteristics of any fairs that look promising. Consider:
The organisers of a good trade fair should be able to supply this kind of information.
Search for business events in Northern Ireland on the Events Finder [8].
When exhibiting at a trade fair you must ensure your stand:
When designing your exhibition stand you should ask yourself:
If you are intending to sell goods or services directly from the exhibition, you should also consider:
Attending trade fairs abroad, either as an exhibitor or a customer, can be an excellent way to test and open up foreign markets and find new suppliers.
If you're thinking of exhibiting, it's a good idea to make an exploratory visit first. This allows you to:
You should then be well placed to find the right fair and position your business effectively.
Some obvious issues to consider are differences in language and legislation. More difficult to pin down are cultural aspects of doing business in other countries. Try getting information from:
Read more about the available support from Invest Northern Ireland [9] to help local businesses to take part in overseas exhibitions.
Exhibiting at a trade show can help you generate new leads and build business relationships. There can be substantial costs involved, so it is important to get things right. Follow these tips to make the most of exhibiting at trade shows.
1. Do your research – it’s important to pick a trade show that will attract your target market. Find out demographic information about the delegates, for example industry and job title. You should also find out how popular and well-run an event is before committing to buying stand space. You could initially go as a delegate and decide whether to take a stand the following year. See choose the right trade fair [2].
2. Get your stand design and location right – many other businesses will also be exhibiting. This includes your competitors. You should design a stand that is eye-catching and professional. It may be worthwhile to choose and work with a designer [16]. Stand location is also important – choose a space that is near the entrance or break-out area.
3. Look out for marketing opportunities – beyond attending the event itself, there can be a number of other opportunities. Use public relations (PR) [17] and social media [18] to raise awareness that you will be attending. You may be able to work with the organiser to send email marketing [19] communications to their database of attendees.
4. Build your database – be sure to take business cards or contact details of the potential customers you meet. Exhibitions are a great way to source qualified leads. Running competitions or give-aways in exchange for contact details can be effective. Some exhibitions offer the option of using an electronic scanner to collect contact details from delegate badges. See manage your customer database [20]. Be sure to adhere to rules around personal data and direct marketing – see privacy and data protection in direct marketing [21].
5. Network – introduce yourself and speak to not just potential customers, but also suppliers and competitors. This can be a valuable source of market research. See understand your competitors [22].
6. Follow up and evaluate – a personal follow-up phone call or email to potential customers you’ve met can help turn leads into sales. Evaluate the success of your attendance to decide whether it is worth going back next year. Weigh up the number of leads and sales against the costs of attending.
Links
[1] https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/advantages-and-disadvantages-trade-shows-and-exhibitions
[2] https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/choose-right-trade-fair
[3] https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/six-tips-exhibiting-trade-shows
[4] https://www.events.nibusinessinfo.co.uk
[5] https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content-category/sales-and-marketing
[6] https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/understand-your-customers-needs
[7] https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/chambers-commerce-northern-ireland
[8] https://www.events.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/
[9] https://www.investni.com/support-for-business/take-part-in-market-visits.html
[10] https://www.events.trade.gov.uk/
[11] https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/consumer-rights-act
[12] https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/product-liability-insurance
[13] https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/weights-and-measures
[14] https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/pricing
[15] http://www.equalityni.org/Employers-Service-Providers
[16] https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/choose-and-work-designer
[17] https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/public-relations-pr
[18] https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/social-media
[19] https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/email-marketing
[20] https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/manage-your-customer-database
[21] https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/privacy-and-data-protection-direct-marketing
[22] https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/understand-your-competitors