10 top tips for successful exhibiting

1. Always arrive early the day before the exhibition or trade show starts. The halls of any UK exhibition venue usually open at 8am. Getting in before the other contractors and the exhibitors arrive gives you the chance to rectify any mistakes or to ask a colleague to bring all of those things you forgot so that you’re not rushing around at the last minute...

2. Organise staff passes and access information well before the start of the exhibition. This will ensure that all your staff get to the stand in plenty of time so that you can hit the ground running when the doors open to the public.

3. Dress smartly. Suits with no ties for men and smart business suits for women, unless you’re running a particular promotion. Dark blue and black rather than bright colours will portray a sophisticated, businesslike appearance during the show. Wear sensible, comfortable shoes but not trainers.

4. Try not to have boxes of literature, coats or bags visible anywhere on the stand. This looks untidy and inefficient. Instead, hire a lockable cabinet or a reception counter from the exhibition organisers and place your valuables and leaflets in it rather than on the stand itself.

5. Don’t eat, drink, or chew gum on the stand.
Take regular breaks - 15 mins every 1.5 hours and 1 hour for lunch - and never bring food on to the exhibition stand. Schedule breaks beforehand but be flexible because if it’s busy – you will need all of your team!

6. Always look friendly and approachable.
Stand tall at the back of the trade show stand so people can see who you are and what you do. Don’t pace around and never sit down unless you are with a customer as this looks like you don’t care. Avoid chatting together if possible.

7. Smile! Always smile when eye contact is made and have your hands behind your back unless handing out literature, giveaways or shaking hands. Don’t look at their badge to check out their position before you look at them – it’s just rude!

8. Don’t leave the stand unattended.
Doing this will encourage opportunist thieves and you could miss that all-important new customer as well as your boss who may have dropped in to the trade show at that very minute.

9. Don’t encourage visitors to your stand by handing out free drinks. This will only attract the wrong sort of visitor - the annoying ones that go on about themselves and occupy valuable space on your stand. Instead, choose valuable giveaways that are relevant to your trade show audience and have your company and contact details clearly marked on each one.

10. Take your leads away at the end of each evening and follow them up within 5 days of the show finishing. Leaving the leads on the stand makes it far too easy for them to be thrown away in the rush at the end of the show. Following them up in good time gives the customer the impression that you are efficient and that you actually want their business – not doing so has the opposite effect.

Here are the top 10 tips supplied by Rock Solid Promotions Ltd, “Large enough to cope – Small enough to care” visit www.ukexhibitionstands.co.uk for more info on successful exhibiting.