5 Things to Do Before Attending a Tradeshow

5 Tips for Trade Show Attendees

Trade shows are making a triumphant return post-COVID, and attendees are excited to explore companies they’ve never heard of before. Plus, today’s trade shows blend real-life and virtual experiences so anyone anywhere can participate. To make an impression, be prepared to present to future clients and partners while promoting your business to everyone. Here are five trade show preparation to-dos to tackle before the next event.

P.S. Prep even more for your next trade show with our Trade Show Resources and Ideas Guide.

5 Things to Do Before Attending a Trade Show

1. Research Your Audience

Look at your current audience, including past trade show connections. To build a buyer persona — a detailed description of your target customer — you have to consider everything you can, including:

• Age
• Buying patterns
• Gender
• Income level
• Industry
• Location
• Title

It goes way beyond that, though. Describe their hobbies, interests and passions; social issues they care about; social media platforms they spend their time on; and even the books, foods or movies they like. The more you know about your target audience, the easier it will be to market directly to them. 

This is a huge help when it comes to your trade show strategy. For example, if they prefer Facebook, you won’t ask them to follow you on Instagram. If they like coffee rather than hot chocolate, you know what to offer them at your booth. 

2. Plan Out Your Trade Show Booth

Speaking of your booth, you can’t just throw up a table with a few scattered pamphlets and expect people to be wowed. You need to cover a few bases:

• Get them to notice your booth. A banner display can be eye-catching, quickly communicating what your company does.
• Entice them to stop by. A freebie, like a bottle of water (with a branded label), can encourage them to visit your booth. 
• Keep visitors there. Ask a question or two to get people talking, create a photo booth section, have them participate in a quick game for the chance at a giveaway…
• Connect post-trade show. You can offer to include them in a raffle or send them a coupon in exchange for their email address, for example.

Also check out our article about creating a memorable trade show booth, which goes into more trade show tips.

 

3. Schedule Your Travel

Don’t wait until the last minute to make those travel arrangements! Here are a few tips:

• Consider price and convenience. Saving a little bit of money will backfire if you have a long layover or stay at a hotel that’s so far from the trade show that you’ll be stuck in traffic. Don’t overspend, but don’t make your trip more difficult than necessary, either.
• Create an itinerary. Your trip is going to be jam-packed, and it may seem like you can keep everything memorized, but that’s a good way to miss something important. A detailed itinerary means you won’t be scrambling for a confirmation number that’s buried in your email as a line forms behind you.
• Learn about your destination. Research what’s important to you, from where the closest Starbucks is to neighborhoods to avoid because of crime. And if you’re traveling extra far from home, you may also want to learn about the customs of where you’ll be.

We love this article from CWT that has even more tips for planning a business trip.

 

4. Pre-Promote Your Trade Show Appearance

One of the biggest tips for how to plan for trade shows is to promote them in advance. First, connect with your existing audience. Send out an email blast, post on social media, message those who have opted in for SMS notifications, etc. Then, add a banner to your website so that new visitors will know that you have an upcoming event. Also, connect with trade show attendees where they hang out. For example, if you’re going to participate in ecommerce trade shows, figure out where those audiences spend their time online and start building relationships. By the time they stop by your trade show booth, you may have already connected with them digitally!

5. Order Custom Merch Ahead of Time

No trade show checklist is complete without ordering custom merch. We have tons of great options at Merchology that you can add your logo to. These custom Moleskine journals are the perfect size to take anywhere, making them a useful giveaway. There’s also the branded H2Go 28-ounce water bottle that can easily be attached to a bag with a carabiner, as well as the custom Good Value Earbuds that fit a variety of ear sizes.

If you’re looking for more merch ideas to increase brand recognition, visit our Custom Trade Show Giveaways and Promotional Products page.

Contact Us

For more trade show giveaway ideas, contact a Merchologist today!