You've Signed Up As An Exhibitor. Now What?
(Tips for the pro, the novice and those in between.)

Think back to the time when you attended your first trade show. Do you remember how you felt when you walked into that room and saw the endless sea of booths? Where did you start? Which booths did you visit? Were you drawn to the booth with the music or the one with the soft lights? Did the representative with the great smile attract your attention or was it the one handing out candy? And don't forget about the booths you avoided. Did you stop at the booth that was so dark you couldn't even read what they were selling? Or how about the one where the guy was taking a catnap? You probably didn't even slow down for those booths.

Now think about your current booth and how you man it. Does it feature any of the things you liked about the booths you remembered? Or are you manning one of the booths you avoided? No matter what your current situation is, you can count on one thing -- there's always room for improvement.

That's why NAHRO has assembled the following list of tips from leading experts in the exhibit field. Tips you can use immediately to help improve your next exhibition. You'll find advice on all aspects of exhibiting, from pre-show to post-show. We've even included a list of references so you can search for more hints on your own.

So take a look at the list. We're sure you'll find at least one or two ideas you can use. Ideas that will make your next exhibition your best one yet.

Before the Show:

• Set an Objective. Before you go into any trade show you should set an objective. Your objective could be to sell a set amount of products or services, to make new contacts, to introduce a new product or even to check out the competition. What ever your objective is, make sure you convey it to your staff so they understand the role they are to play in meeting the objective.
  
  
• Start Promoting. Although show management is mainly responsible for generating show traffic, you can help too. By sending out announcements to existing customers, hot prospects, etc., you can help create interest in the show and guarantee a good turnout.
  
  
• Take a Look at Your Exhibit. Before you send your exhibit off to the next show, take a close look at it. Is it looking worn or tired? Has it been updated lately? Does it need improving? Here are a few areas to consider:
  
  
  • Lighting. Nothing is more uninviting than a dark, drab booth. With the right lighting you can snap visitors to attention and lift your exhibit from its surroundings. Lighting can be used to focus on a product or just draw people into the booth. There are many techniques to make your exhibit glow. For instance, floodlighting can make a space seem bright and cheery while uplighting can give your space even light with little glare. Wall washing and sidelighting can change the appearance of your display, and frontlighting and backlighting can help focus attention on a product. Whichever lighting technique you choose, you'll be sure to draw in visitors. Nothing is more inviting than a warm welcoming glow.
    
    
  • Color. Color used in displays can emphasize a message and draw visitors to a booth. Bright colors are said to imply importance, while neutral colors say things are dull. Take a look at the colors you are currently using in your display. Are they sending out the right message? If not, you might want to think about changing them.
    
    
  • Benefits. When people see your booth for the first time, do they know what product or service you have to offer? Or do they see your company name in big letters? Unless the name describes your product or service, it has little value to a buyer looking for a solution to a problem. Featuring the benefits of your product or service in large type helps you attract the right visitors - the ones interested in your specific product or service.

During the Show:

• Smile. A smile attracts attention and makes people visually connect with you. Once that connection is made, the more likely it is that they'll stop to see what you have to offer.
  
  
• Be Ready with a Conversation Starter. Never greet visitors with, "May I help you?" All you'll hear is, "No, just looking." Instead, establish a greeting that requires a response other than a yes or a no answer. For instance, you could say, "Welcome to our booth.Which products attracted your attention?" This creates a friendly tone, while at the same time steering the conversation in the right direction.
  
  
• Watch Your Body Language. If you are sitting down, slouching, leaning, or heaven forbid, sleeping at your booth, not only are you telling visitors that you're bored with your product or service, you give the impression that they will be too. So move to the edge of your booth when you're free, make eye contact with visitors passing by, start a conversation with a likely prospect, and always remember to smile. By creating a more positive image, you have a better chance of getting the response you desire.
  
  
• Staff Your Booth Accordingly. If you have too many people, your staff could become bored and lose interest. If you have too few people, your staff could tire easily and perform poorly. A good rule of thumb is two people on duty for each 100 square feet of exhibit area.
  
  
• Increase the Value of Your Promotional Items. If you display your promotional items on your counter, many people will walk by, pick one up and then keep on going. By keeping a few of them in your hand or your pocket and only distributing them after a demonstration or conversation, you place a higher value on them. They are now seen as a token of appreciation instead of a grab-n-go item, and your visitors will notice the difference.
  
  
• Give a Demonstration. People love to be entertained, and demonstrations are a good way to attract an audience. Demonstrations also allow you to show why your product is superior or different from the rest. Is your product stronger, less time consuming, more reliable? Whatever your product's advantage is, demonstrate it. You're sure to get a response.
  
  
• Work the Crowd. If you're in the middle of a demonstration and new people approach, acknowledge their presence with eye contact and a smile. Try to make them feel involved until you can give them your undivided attention. And to keep demonstrations on target, ask your visitors if there are any particular features they'd like to see or if they have any questions. Not only does this help you stay on track, but it also makes your visitors feel more involved in the demonstration.
  
  
• Monitor Your Booth's Activity. Keep a close eye on what works and what doesn't work. Are people ignoring your signs? Maybe you should change them. Is your staff tiring easily? Maybe you should lengthen breaks or rotate staff more often. Remember that every show is different and you should be flexible enough to make changes as needed.
  
  
• Check out the Competition. Take some time to examine the other booths. Listen to their sales pitches. Check out their displays. Watch their demonstrations. Find out what worked and didn't work for them and why. Not only will you know what things to avoid; you'll get some great ideas for your next show.

After the Show:

• Conduct a Post-Show Evaluation. Once the show is over, and its still fresh in everyone's mind, evaluate everything you did and what happened at the show. It doesn't take very long, and you'll get some good insight into what you need to work on for the next show.
  
  
• Send Follow-up Letters. About two weeks after the show, it's a good idea to send out a follow-up letter along with some promotional material to everyone who stopped by your booth. Not only will it let them know you appreciated the time they spent with you; it also keeps your company name fresh in their minds.

For more information on these and other trade show exhibit tips, see the following references:

How to Design a "WOW!" Trade Show Booth without Spending a Fortune
By Steve Miller and Robert Sjoquist

Show and Sell: 133 Business Building Ways to Promote Your Trade Show and Exhibit
By Margit B. Weisgal

Center for Exhibition Industry Research at http://www.ceir.org

Exhibitor Online at http://www.exhibitoronline.com/news/shownews.asp