High expectations for your first trade show
I feel so “seasoned” with a few trade shows under our belt. I remember talking to booth neighbors at my first trade show and they said “you’re so brave to come here and do this when you’re so new”. I said, “brave or naive”, with a smile.
Everyone had to start small, everyone had to start somewhere. The first trade show actually goes along with thoughts I’ve been mulling around in my head about perfection. I thought we were perfectly ready for our first show. We’ve come a long ways, but we have a long ways to go for me to be happy with our presentation.
It’s a learning experience and you do the best you can. I think that signs and visuals and a good display are important. It doesn’t matter how fancy the display is, but it does matter how well it displays your products. This is somthing we’re still working on, especially for our blankets.
Some startups have the budget to invest in a professional booth design company, or even friends with construction experience; we’re learning as we go. We believe in our creativity and I find that confidence alone can carry you a long ways.
I’ve also noticed that good lighting helps a trade show display immensely. You usually have to pay extra costs for the electricity, which is why we skipped it for our first two. But we probably would have done better to have just splurged for it. Do whatever you can to setup a mock booth before you leave for the show – you won’t believe how different it really looks in person, you’ll find things that you want to change.
In the end, having a good, high-quality set of samples and an agreement form is the most important for your sales at the tradeshow. Make sure you outline your expected shipping dates, get the required customer information, and get their signature on the order form.
I hated not having flooring at the first trade show. The default was a wild carpet which really threw the look of our booth off. There are a lot of little pieces to pull together, but with each one under your belt, it gets easier.
Add comment October 3rd, 2007