Whether you’ve been in business for a long time or are new to the industry, you will know just how important trade shows are for brands, both big and small. While trade shows offer a fantastic opportunity to market your brand, grow your customer base, and stake out the competition, they can also be incredibly exhausting and frustrating, as often it can seem as if thousands of people are just passing by your stand without taking a second look.

How successful your stand is at a trade show is linked to how well prepared you are. Not many people enjoy attending trade shows but as a business owner it’s a crucial part of marketing your venture, and so, attending a selection of trade shows each year is a must. A word to the wise, pick the trade shows that you attend carefully - these should link to your brand and industry in some way and should be a good fit for your products or services.

Trade shows can be a fantastic opportunity and an incredible experience, that is if you plan and prepare in advance, and know what to expect. To help ensure that your next trade show experience is a good one, below are some tips and pieces of advice to take note of.

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Take a buddy along with you

Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake of going it alone. Make sure to take someone along with you to help run your stand. If you go alone then you will have no one to watch your stall while you have a break or to help out should it get really busy. If you leave your stand unattended, you will be losing money, that’s a fact. So it’s important to always have someone in place on your stall to help man it. Just make sure that whoever you take with you has the gift of the gab and can start up a conversation with anyone.

Go big or go home

You know that saying, go big or go home? Well, when it comes to trade show success, it couldn’t be more apt. If you want to ensure that your stand stands out from the hundreds of others, you need to get creative and come up with a concept that’s unique, professional, and eye-catching. Because the more eye-catching your stand is, the more successful you will be. Trade shows are overwhelming for visitors as there are just so many different things to look at, so the more eye-catching your stand is, the higher your chances of attracting more people.

Offer incentives

To tempt people to come over to your stand, having incentives are crucial. One of the best incentives to have is food or drinks, such as cupcakes, chocolates, prosecco, etc. Or, another great incentive is gift bags - everyone loves a freebie. Make sure to fill your gift bags with a couple of little treats as well as promotional information and products about your brand. Perhaps you could order promotional stickers or magnets from somewhere like http://www.bluebeeprinting.com? Or, what about having leaflets, vouchers, or business cards made up? Another option could be to hold a competition; this means people will come to your stand and give you their details so that they can be in with a chance to win - it’s a great way to add to your potential customer base.

Don’t pounce on passersby

Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake of pouncing on passersby. Instead, start off with a friendly hello and ask them a bit about themselves and whether they’re having a good day. Chat a little bit with them and then slowly bring the conversation around to what your company offers. This is a nicer approach and also a more successful one, so it’s definitely worth a try.

Take note of the tips above, and you can ensure that your next trade show is a soaring success.