Your trade show toolkit for Charlotte is not something that includes the Velcro snaps to hold your banners or the scissors you might need to cut off an errant strand on your throws. Rather, it is a mix of tangibles and intangibles that have the power to spell success or failure for your expo season this year. Since the Charlotte circuit is just about to start, it is a good idea to check this toolkit and fortify yourself with the knowledge needed to make this year your best one yet.
The Game Plan
Do you have a game plan? It is easy to get caught up in the show prep and then neglect to do the public relations work that leads up to the show. While we encourage you to contact our trade show experts to ensure that you have the cutting edge displays for this year, we also urge you to pay attention to your PR work. Issue press releases – multiple ones! – as the shows draw nearer. Search out different angles in these releases, which appeal to fellow exhibitors as well as consumers and resellers.
The Best Booth for the Show
It is virtually impossible to have one display booth that appeals to all audiences at this season’s shows. Rather, there are mix and match style elements that you choose and show judiciously. Customization is king in this setting. We gladly work with you to put together displays for the upcoming expo season so that you can simply grab the pre-fabricated stack of banners and posters while the actual booth setup remains the same. The goal is to shake things up at each show and present yourself differently so as to appeal to a maximum number of visitors.
The Best Staff for the Job
Even the best booth display will be of little use if you select the wrong staff members to operate it. While your introverted backroom worker is a whiz at getting her job done ahead of schedule and under budget, she may not be the best choice to represent your company at a trade show. This is something for the bubbly worker with the outgoing personality who is just tickled pink to be showing off your gadgets. Select booth workers who are knowledgeable, outgoing, patient, not easily frazzled by a loud and chaotic atmosphere, and willing to mix and mingle with countless attendees.
The Wooing and Following Up
Interestingly, this is where quite a few trade show attendees make their biggest mistakes. It is not enough to hand out business cards and brochures. Rather, you need to have some kind of system for getting contact information for potential leads. Qualified leads will gladly hand over a business card or be receptive to having their contact information captured electronically. The trick here is to have some type of lead tracking system in place. The next step is the post-event follow-up. Do you have a plan in place for contacting your qualified leads within a short period of time after the event? Industry insiders cite a three-day cut-off, after which the leads are considered old. By the way, this includes a division of labor, which means that some of your staff members who worked the booth will also be instrumental in continuing their interactions. Have you identified them and tasked them accordingly?
The Sign Factory is committed to helping you put your best foot forward on the trade show circuit. Contact us today for more information on how to be successful at your Charlotte trade show.
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