How to Exhibit at a Trade Show, Part One

“Scope out the event.”

• Melanie Lawson, founder, Bare Biology

Be selective with the shows in which you choose to appear.

It’s better to do two or three annually and make an impact, rather than participate in as many as possible. Find out about the nature of the show, such as its target audience, popularity, the age range of attendees, the male to female ratio and so on.

This is important, because it helps to tailor your message so that it resonates with the show’s visitors. The last thing that you want to do is bring products for middle-aged visitors to an event for children.

“Make your stand memorable.”

• Rob Hill, owner, The Stag Company

So much money is spent on getting a booth at an exhibition, it seems silly to fall over with a plain and uninspiring stand. For starters, ensure your message and brand is clear for anyone looking from at least three metres away.

Remember that it’s not just about talking to people; you’re trying to create an experience. You want people to have your brand at the forefront of their minds. Stay within your budget, but it could be virtual reality, a live demonstration of your services, or simply adding some striking images or colour to proceedings.

I look at the stand the way I do a website – fonts, colours, and the size of text and imagery can all have an effect on how people react.

Promotional material can help you to stay in people’s memories, but if you go large or noticeable, it can also highlight your brand and your stand to others at the event. Whether it’s bright wrist bands, a branded cocktail maker or T-shirts, these can have a strong impact on visitor rates.

Vocabulary:

Scope out – to look at or check an area carefully to get information before making a choice, “We went to scope out the new park before planning our picnic.”

founder – a person who starts a new company, school, or group, “The founder of the bakery welcomed the first customers.”

Be selective – to choose very carefully so that you only pick the very best things, “You should be selective when picking books to read for your report.”

appear – to take part in or be seen at a public event or show, “The famous singer will appear on television tonight.”

annually – happening once every year, “The school holds a big sports day annually in the spring.”

make an impact – to have a strong, positive, or powerful effect on someone, “Her kind words really managed to make an impact on the sad child.”

participate – to take part or join in an activity with other people, “Everyone in the class was encouraged to participate in the game.”

nature of the show – the basic character, type, or style of an event, “Because of the quiet nature of the show, visitors spoke in soft whispers.”

target audience – the specific group of people that something is made for, “The target audience for this cartoon is children aged five to eight.”

attendees – the people who go to or are present at an event, “The museum gave free maps to all the attendees.”

ratio – a comparison between two different numbers or amounts, “The ratio of girls to boys in our classroom is two to one.”

tailor your message – to change your words so they fit the exact needs of the people listening, “The teacher had to tailor her message so the younger kids could understand.”

resonates with – makes someone feel a strong connection or agreement, “The story about the loyal dog really resonates with pet owners.”

memorable – special, exciting, or unique enough to be easily remembered for a long time, “Our trip to the zoo was a highly memorable day.”

booth – a small temporary structure or table used to show or sell things at a public event, “We stopped by the food booth to buy some lemonade.”

exhibition – a large public event where people or companies show interesting things, art, or products, “My uncle took me to see the classic car exhibition.”

fall over – (idiom) to fail or make a careless mistake at an important stage, “The project will fall over if we do not finish the work on time.”

uninspiring – boring; not making people feel excited, interested, or creative, “The grey walls made the office look very uninspiring.”

For starters – a phrase used to introduce the very first point or reason in a list, “For starters, we need to wash our hands before we cook.”

at the forefront of their minds – (idiom) to be the most important thought or thing that someone is thinking about, “Safety should always be at the forefront of your mind when riding a bike.”

demonstration – an act of showing someone exactly how something works, “The store worker gave us a quick demonstration of the new blender.”

striking images – beautiful, surprising, or colorful pictures that immediately catch your eye, “The book was full of striking images of deep space.”

proceedings – the events, actions, or activities that happen at a meeting or special event, “The principal made a short speech to open the graduation proceedings.”

imagery – pictures, photos, or drawings used in a design, book, or website, “The website uses bright imagery to attract tourists.”

react – to behave, feel, or respond in a certain way because of something that happens, “How did the cat react when it saw the friendly dog?”

Promotional material – items like posters, flyers, or free pens used to advertise a business, “The staff handed out promotional material to people walking by.”

highlight – to draw special attention to something so that it is easily noticed, “Use a yellow marker to highlight the most important words in the text.”