Member Article

Making an exhibition of yourself

Last week I attended the North East Manufex Expo at Newcastle Falcons, an exhibition that was well publicised and promised to be well-attended . I took along with me an overseas visitor we were hosting here at the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) as part of a soft landing programme, a young entrepeneur from Lebanon named Jules who was eager to experience his first British exhibition.

Speaking of British, of course the weather was grim and cold and the early morning traffic wasn’t the nicest experience, thanks to the monstrosity that is the A1, but we eventually arrived and proceeded to explore, network and have a good look at the stands and exhibitors.

Overall, Jules and I found the event extremely useful and came away armed with contact cards, goodies, and new connections. On my drive home (just as hideous as the journey there) I wiled away the traffic jam by reflecting on how to get the best out of attending and exhibiting at a large event.

The main objective behind attending exhibitions is to increase brand awareness and attract potential new clients. Some businesses may have other goals in mind when exhibiting, but predominantly the overriding theme at these events is visibility.

It’s worth noting down your objectives before attending exhibitions. What do you want to get from it, who do you want to meet, etc? Prior to the event I downloaded the floor plan and made a note of who I wanted to see there and what I wanted to get from meeting them. Had we been exhibiting I would have most certainly made a more in-depth SMART assessment.

Exhibitions can be very rewarding as you meet some valuable contacts, however it is also exhausting. Heavy on your feet and maxxing your networking skills often leaves us feeling drained, so another consideration that is imperative to your attendance is audience. Is your audience correct for your business? If you are going to commit your time and energy (more of that later) to exhibiting or even attending, it has to be a worthwhile ROI.

A lot of the stands at the Expo were fun and interactive; one included a spinning wheel where you were awarded a prize and one was a Crystal-Maze type vacuum machine to grab flying bank notes. These stands received the most attention and the energy surrounding them was fantastic. However even if your budget isn’t the greatest there are still ways to make you “stand out” – pardon the pun.

Think about staffing your stand. Are you and your people approachable, alert, fresh and open to chatting? A lot of exhibitors were practically slumped over their stands, chatting to each other and with no interest in people looking over their wares. I stood at one stand for 6 minutes without a single acknowledgment from either member of staff. Such a shame, as I would have been an ideal customer, however first impressions are lasting and unfortunately mine was a negative one. Yet there were other members of staff on their stands who were enthusiastic, welcoming and positive.

It is impossible not to engage with those who are friendly, chatty and motivated, so make sure you have these type of people exhibiting on the big day.

Do you have the right literature? Are they handy to store/carry? Are they useless yet pretty? Or are they valuable to customers? Prize draws are a good way to obtain business cards, but be careful of your follow-up. I entered a prize draw and won a lovely prize, yet I also received a confusing email saying it was lovely to meet me…when I hadn’t met said person.

Be careful of making your follow-ups too “salesy” – remember how and when you met the person and mention it when you contact them. People like to feel that they have been remembered, not that they’re part of a ream of contacts to tick boxes and push products on.

What was interesting about the event was the feedback from our Lebanese friend, who commented how useful he had found the EXPO. This, ladies and gents, is the most valid point of all. Is the exhibition going to be useful to your business, or is it just not worth your time? Worth a thought before you commit.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lauren Saul .