Exhibiting at trade and industry events can be a significant investment, but the reward can be substantial if done correctly!
When it comes to having a successful event, it’s not just about having a great exhibition display stand. Sure, a fantastic-looking stand helps, but a more crucial element of a successful exhibition is having well-prepared, friendly, and knowledgeable exhibition stand staff.
Regardless of what your exhibition display stand looks like, having poor staff won’t deliver you results. To ensure your event runs smoothly, we’ve put together some top tips to help you effectively staff your exhibition stand.
Select the Right Exhibition Display Stand Staff
Choose knowledgeable individuals who are well-versed in your products or services, and can provide detailed information to visitors. If they need to touch up on their knowledge, invest in some exhibition stand staff training to fill any gaps.
Each of your staff should be personable and approachable; a friendly and enthusiastic demeanor can significantly impact a visitor’s experience!
Finally, consider who amongst your team is needed at the event to address the variety of visitor needs. This may include salespeople, technical experts, and marketing professionals. We always advise that however many staff you need on your stand at any one time, take at least 33% more.
Maintain Professionalism
- Avoid the exhibition display stand huddle -It’s not uncommon to see exhibition stand staff congregating towards the back of the stand, forming a tight huddle, chatting amongst themselves, and avoiding eye contact with exhibition visitors.
- Emphasise to your stand staff the importance of remaining engaging to all visitors, otherwise, they will miss out on a potential lead. Check out our blog to understand how engaging staff are vital for exhibition stand success.
- Your exhibition stand is not a restaurant – It’s amazing how often staff feel it’s appropriate to eat lunch on their exhibition stand. A hot drink or glass of water is acceptable in the work environment, but when your staff need lunch or a snack, ensure that they need to do it away from the stand.
Body Language
Body language is a big thing at an exhibition. In the same way that visitors will make a quick decision about your company based on your exhibition stand brand messaging, they will also be influenced by your staff and how welcoming they are.
It’s not just the display stand huddles and eating lunch that will turn people off, it’s also the way you position yourself standing at your stands. If your exhibition staff look more like nightclub security, they are not creating a welcoming energy for visitors to approach your stand
To combat this, adopt a relaxed pose with hands by your side to signal open body language. Make eye contact, smile and engage with a simple icebreaker statement.
Engage With Event Visitors Effectively
Unfortunately, your ideal lead doesn’t walk around an exhibition with a sign above their head pointing themselves out to you!
You need to identify the hot leads as quickly and easily as possible and spend your time with them. Don’t waste time on visitors who might be very chatty and friendly, but are never going to offer any business potential – to combat this, ask a quick, closed question that confirms if they have any need for your product or service.
If they do, find out their requirements and match your services with their needs. If they don’t have use for your products or services, then politely and professionally hope that they have a great show.
Find out more on how you can successfully collect and follow up exhibition leads in our blog.
Look After Your Exhibition Staff
- Adequate breaks – An event is hard work, so make your exhibition stand staff have adequate breaks to check their emails, have a snack, and catch up with old colleagues at the show. When they’re on the stand, they’ll be refreshed and ready to focus on speaking to new prospects.
- Set up a staff rota, so everyone knows when they’re due to be on the stand. If you need three people on the stand at any one time, take four people and give everyone a 15-minute break every hour and a 30-minute break for lunch.
- Consider incentives – motivate your exhibition stand staff by offering incentives for meeting specific goals or performing exceptionally well.
- Recognition – After the event, acknowledge and celebrate the hard work of your team members.
As with everything in life, you get out what you put in!
By following these tips, you can ensure that your exhibition display stand is not only well-staffed but also highly effective in attracting and engaging visitors. Remember, your team on the ground is the face of your company during the exhibition, so investing in their preparation and well-being is crucial to your success.
If you’re looking for some additional personalised staff training alongside one of Clip’s stand-out exhibition stands, contact our expert team today.
