Many things can go wrong when you participate in a show or exhibition. With so many deadlines to meet, staff to coordinate, and vendors to track, it’s easy to overlook a detail or two that could end up adding time and expense to your project. To alert you to some of the mistakes made by other exhibitors, we’ve outlined below some common errors for you to avoid.

Section 10: COMMON EXHIBITOR MISTAKES

No Set Goals

Determine what you want to accomplish at the show. By setting goals, you are better prepared to plan the exhibit booth layout, display, literature, giveaways, and staffing.

Ignoring the Exhibitor Kit

The exhibitor kit is your complete guide to every aspect of the show. The kit includes information on scheduled deadlines, contractor information, registration, order forms, specifications, shipping and freight procedures, advertising, and costly late fees.

Unprepared Staff

A trained, well-prepared and enthusiastic staff adds professionalism to your exhibit. Include your sales and technical team in the pre-show planning stages to help you achieve your goals more efficiently.

Not Qualifying Visitors

Listen carefully to each of your visitors’ questions and answers before offering specific information so that you can quickly qualify them as leads. Pre-show training and rehearsals will help your staff identify visitors more efficiently.

No Lead Follow-up

The longer leads are left ignored, the less likely a sale will result. Leads must take priority after a show so that you can justify your reason for participating. When you return to your office after the show, place your other management responsibilities on hold until you have established a timetable with your sales team for follow-up.

Sections

Section 1: Planning for the Show [2]
Section 2 :Choosing the Right Location [3]
Section 3: Choosing the Right Display [4]
Section 4: Attracting Visitors [5]
Section 5: Promotional Giveaways [6]
Section 6: Exhibitor Sales Techniques [7]
Section 7: Managing Leads [8]
Section 8: Exhibition Services [9]
Section 9: Shipping [10]
Section 10: Common Exhibitor Mistakes [11]