Here at Clip we understand that events are stressful for even the most seasoned professionals. With so much to achieve in a very short amount of time – sticking to strict timings, ensuring that you leave with a positive result, and that your attendees leave with a positive opinion of you!
We’ve put together some quick and simple tips and tricks to ensure your event runs smoothly.
Event Day Preparation
Before the event kicks off, in the calm before the storm, try to compose yourself and get prepared. So when your attendees start flooding in, you’re ready!
- Allow lots of time to arrive and set up your stand. Start your day right, find out where the loos, café, emergency exits are. Allow time to network and make friends with your neighbours – you might have forgotten something, and so might they. These will be your best friends for the duration of the event and it’s going to far easier if you’re getting along. This will all help to reduce the stress for the rest of the event.
- Lists, lists and more lists. Ensure you don’t forget anything – from pads, paper, pens to POS, freebies and a first aid kit.
- Ensure you are well stocked with enough brochures, handouts and freebies to last the event so you don’t run out half way and have nothing to give potential customers.
Your Stand
Your stand is your biggest investment on the day and it portrays who you are as a business to all the attendees. Too empty then it looks like you aren’t prepared, too busy it makes you look messy.
- When you’re on your stand, nothing matters more than your attendees.
- Position yourself at the front of your stand – from there you can engage with attendees walking past and lead them onto your stand.
- Never leave your stand unattended – this is guaranteed lost business.
- Never leave unexperienced members alone on your stand.
- Fill your stand with lots of marketing material – keep it enticing and look prepared.
- Encourage pictures and sharing/engaging with your stand on social media. So don’t bring secret products that aren’t allowed to be shared.
- Never stand by the entrances and exits of the stand, your attendees will feel trapped – they need to feel they can come in and out freely.
- Display clear T&Cs for your data collection and also any competitions you are running. This is to cover your back, just in case someone questions it.
- Keep it interactive – make everything within reach and sight.
- Keep your stand clean at all times, no rubbish, keep whitepapers straight and visually engaging. A stand that looks professional will entice people in to find out more about your business.
Engagement
What is the main reason you’re attending this event? To network, gain customers and ensure that everyone attending knows who you are and what you do? Or purely for lead generation? Make sure you leave a positive, lasting impression.
- Greet attendees with a smile and an open question – lead into a conversation that is not product or sales related. Engage on a personal level and build up a relationship before you start pitching.
- Stand up at all times and be ready to engage – this makes you more approachable and ready for any questions or queries.
- Talk to everyone – it’s not all about sales. Network and build up relationships too. Don’t just push for sales, be someone you would want to work with yourself.
- Stand confidently with your head tall, shoulders back. You are a leader in your field so make sure your attendees know it.
- Eye contact is key – let them know you are interested in talking to them.
Capturing and qualifying leads
If you need to demonstrate an ROI on your event, then take note of this section! Events and exhibitions should be seen as an investment – a positive investment that returns a tangible value. And if you put thought and preparation into your lead generation then you’re on a winning path.
- Think about how you will qualify each engaged visitor:
- Are they a decision maker or influencer?
- Do they have authority and budget?
- Have they expressed an interest?
- Then how you’ll capture and process the lead info:
- Think about how you’ll gather the lead information. Phone and tablet apps are a great method and can often be integrated with CRM systems.
- Follow the leads up in a timely manner:
- If you snooze, you lose! You should follow up your lead within 48 hours of the live event.
Other
A few extra tips and tricks to help you ensure you give the best impression to your attendees:
- Talk about obvious…. But keep mobile phone usage to a minimum, be engaging and ready to talk to all attendees walking by. Also – this is incredibly unprofessional!
- Leave food and drinks for breaks or where attendees cannot see you. No one wants to talk to you with a mouthful or stale coffee breath. Keep a strict water only policy on the stand.
- Dress to impress – you’re selling yourself as much as your product/service. Ensure your clothing is clean, ironed and matches with other team members. AND no matter how much your feet hurt, never remove your shoes – so that’s a big no for those killer heels.
- That being said, ensure there is more than one person attending from your business to allow for break rotations. Breaks are important, you won’t be able to be on your A game if you don’t get some down time.
- Lead by example – if you follow your own simple rules, your other staff on the stand will follow. You cannot expect your staff to act professionally if you’re not.
- Make lots of notes, both mental and physical; of what went well, what could be done better for next time? Ensure to feed back to your team so there are aware too.
- Put your business forward to speak on the main stages, driving people to your stand to discover more about your business.
- Name badges are key – keep it familiar and on a first name basis with your attendees.
- Use the event as an opportunity to carry out some market research – find out people’s opinions about your industry and business that could help to improve for the future.
- Keep it social – use social media before, during and after the event. Engage with both people attending and those who were unable to make it. Also join in with the expo #Hashtag.
- Stuck for ideas? Walk around the other stands and see what you’re up against.
To find out how Clip can help you to ensure your stand is ahead of the rest, discover what
services we can offer you.
Get in touch today to make sure your stand best portrays your brand’s values and messages.
