A Comprehensive Guide to Exhibition Event Planning

What issues should a company pay attention to when planning an exhibition event? This is likely the top concern for event planners involved in exhibitions. The success of an exhibition hinges on comprehensive planning.

1. Choose an exhibition that matches your company's marketing strategy and brand image

Selecting an exhibition that aligns with your sales, marketing, branding, or other objectives is the first step toward success. Before choosing an exhibition, you must answer three basic questions:

1) Does the exhibition's theme cover your company's products or services?

2) Will the exhibition allow your company to reach existing or new target audiences?

3) Additionally, confirm other details: Is the exhibition regional, national, or international? How often is it held? Which competitors and companies from other industries will participate? Is the venue large enough, and what is the intensity of pre-show promotion? The following considerations can help your selection:

(1) Focus on global exhibitions within your industry that are suitable for your company.

(2) Evaluate these exhibitions based on their importance in the industry and their local, regional, and international appeal. For example, how many editions have been held?

(3) If your competitors are exhibiting, it is a good indication that you should consider participating.

(4) Carefully examine visitor statistics (published metrics or data on attendees, exhibitors, media, and VIPs). Do your customers attend this exhibition?

After thorough research, contact the exhibitions that match your marketing goals and needs. Remember, exhibitions involve immediate sales or significantly shortening the future sales process.

2. Set participation goals / Customize participation strategy / Target marketing for participation

The second step toward success is setting goals for your participation. Unfortunately, most exhibiting companies do not set goals—this proportion reaches 70%. Worse, only half of those that do set goals adhere to them from pre-show to during the show. However, companies that set goals and continuously measure their achievement achieve great success.

1) Goals and sales

Goals also motivate sales performance at the booth, especially when measured by the quantity and quality of customer contacts made by sales staff. This means employees translate company goals into individual goals to achieve at the show. Research consistently proves that successful exhibitors prioritize setting sales-related goals.

2) Basic goals

To set goals, event planners must first define which products or services the company wants to sell, promote, market, brand, or communicate at the exhibition, and to whom. Typical goals include the following elements:

(1) Increase sales through new orders and high-quality sales leads

(2) Introduce new products or services

(3) Strengthen relationships with existing customers

(4) Conduct market research

3. Target marketing

Target marketing is the next important step in the exhibition marketing process. In theory, it is simple: contact the visitors you want to see at the show, tell them where your booth is, what you will exhibit, what you will brand or demonstrate, and so on.

4. Pre-show communication with exhibitors and first-time visitors

Contacting this target audience involves choosing among many communication methods. Here are some specific recommendations:

1) Advertise in pre-show publications—both print and electronic—especially special issues of your industry publications related to the show. Remember to mention key sales information about your exhibit: your booth location, who will be at the booth, etc. Pre-show advertising can double your booth traffic during the show, as 83% of visitors use "pre-show previews" to plan their visits.

2) Offer small gifts at the booth or use other promotional tactics to position your company and products. Personalize your marketing messages for different audience groups: let them know that doing business with you will be better and help them save money.

3) Leverage new promotional opportunities on the internet. Most exhibition organizers can provide a link to your company's website on the show's website, and there are other excellent online advertising opportunities. "Banner ads" or "blogs" can effectively draw target groups' attention to the special features and location of your booth. Remember to use appropriate language.