Off to a trade show? There is a lot to think of before you get there, which is why it helps to have a ‘grab and go’ kit with all your essentials, including banners, business cards, pens and more. Take a look at our list of items to have ready in our latest article.
Trade shows are still one of the best ways to showcase your brand to your ideal customers, but you need as many delegates as possible to notice you and stop to take a look at what you have to offer.
Trade show essentials
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Personalisation and Branding
If you want to look professional and credible, your stand needs consistent branding with clear colours and logos.
We’d recommend a batch order of the following for your trade show ‘kit’.
- Banners & signs: Decently sized and well-placed banners and signs will immediately let delegates know who you are and familiarise them with your branding.
A logo is good but it’s also nice to have a clear tagline on them that explains what you do.
- Tablecloths: Complete the initial impression with the right colour tablecloths.
- Lanyards: Branded lanyards with name tags make your team look organised and get your brand out there when they are away from the stall.
- Business cards: It’s a digital world but old habits die hard and people will still grab a business card. Order a fresh stack for your event and have some without staff names on them in case you have a new arrival on your team. You can even bring your business cards into the 21st century by adding a QR code with links to your website or enquiry form. Check out our earlier post for QR code inspiration.
- Pens: Stock up so your team has good quality branded pens to use and hand out to delegates. Grab a few boxes and you can restock between events rather than rushing to order at the last minute.
- Folders: Your team will probably have brochures to hand out and will be collecting business cards or information from other people. Have some clipboards and folders that are either branded or in your company colours.
- Branded apparel: Branded hats, jackets, polo necks or jumpers make your team look professional and can trigger conversations when they are not at the stand. Why not create a corporate store so branded apparel can easily be ordered when you have new staff?
- Promotional merchandise: Have some branded products ready to give away. Hats, keychains and notebooks are simple ways to remind your customers what you do after they have left your stand. Want some more creative ideas? You’ll find them here.
It’s a good idea to keep your trade show collateral in one place at your office so your team can just ‘grab and go’.
Trade show tips
Want to make the most of your trade show experience?
- Arrive early: Get to the event ahead of time or even the night before if you can so you can get set up without rushing. If you’re in a busy city, factor in rush-hour traffic in the morning or book into a nearby hotel the night before.
- Match your stand to your clients: Think about the demographic that will attend the conference and design your stand in a way that will appeal to them.
- Be prepared: Know your spiel. Your team needs to look the part but be able to back this up with a clear pitch and an answer for every question. Supply information brochures or have a QR code ready that people can scan to find out more. Better yet, if your team doesn’t know the answer to a question, get them to grab an email address and send it through after the event.
Want help to be trade show-ready? Contact Honeycomb Agency today.
