How to survive your first trade show

Jenny Price – Dandelion Jack

My name is Jenny Price and I design and publish greeting cards. I started my business (Dandylion Jack) 18 months ago, and up until recently I have continued with my day job. Back in May of this yearI launched my business to the industry whilst exhibiting at my first trade show – PG Live at the Business Design Centre in London. The experience was good, intense, stressful but also fun and extremely beneficial to me. The whole process from booking my place to the actual exhibiting was a very steep learning curve.

I’m writing this because Iwas shocked by how I only just made it to the show with all my display materials ready and my sanity.I’ve worked in the media and print industry for 15 years, I consider myself a hard worker, highly motivated and a perfectionist. Considering all this I thought I knew how to prepare for my first show –I wrote lists, I did research and I thought I had a plan. In truth I totally underestimated how long my show preparations would take. I worked solidly for weeks and then I didn’t really eat or sleep in the week running up to the show,I just worked through the days and nights. This meant I arrived in London feeling exhausted, stressed and not at all ready to create my display and be energetic and smiley for the launch of my business. Luckily the people around me were fantastic and very supportive for which I am really grateful.

Thankfully the show was a success, but I came away realizing that the whole experience could have been easier had I been clearer on what I needed to do. What I really could have done with was a basic list of what to consider whilst preparing to exhibitat a trade show. So here is by no means a definitive list, but simplythe thoughts I scribbled down in the aftermath of surviving my first trade show.

  • PLANNING

Start planning really early, I mean months and months in advance. List all the things you need to do and working backwards from the show date draw up a timetable. Double the time you’ve allocated for each item. Then bring ALL your deadlines forward by a few weeks. You have to build in this contingency time and not be complacent about it. People who are experienced exhibitors will probably laugh at this, but that is my point – when you are doing it all for the first time there are lots of decisions to make and its all new to you. Consider the order of what needs to be done. For example, your cards need to be finished, coded, named, envelope colour chosen etc before you can create a catalogue.

  • STAND SIZE

Think about the size of the space you have booked with relation to how many designs/ranges you have. Plan how you will use this space as early as possible, because if you want to get more designs ready you need to get cracking on those. Make sure you set a cut-off date for finishing new designs otherwise other aspects of your stand preparation will get neglected.

  • ASK QUESTIONS

Talk to the organisers about any aspect of the show that you don’t understand – for example the difference between flood and strip lighting or having your stand ‘clad’. Know what your options are so that you are as clear as you can be about what you are getting.

  • DISPLAY

SERIOUSLY plan HOW you will display your cards. You really should have visited a few shows prior to signing up,just to get a feel of the places and the actual physical size of the boards that make up the stand areas. There are many ways to display your cards –directly onto the boards, on shelves fixed onto special cladding or maybe fixed on smaller display boards that you can hang to name just a few… its up to you. But you need to know how you want your cards to look, how much you are willing to spend and whether you are capable of creating the display yourself or do you need to call in help. My advice would be that however you decide to set up your display, test it before the show and be 100% sure it works.

  • DRESS REHEARSAL

Absolutely make sure you do a ‘dress rehearsal’ of how your stand will look before you get to the venue.It is not until you set it up using the same dimensions that you will have at the show, that you will really see how it works and looks together. Finding out that you don’t have enough of something or something else is too big to fit at this stage is much better than discovering this as you piece it together at the show, where you will struggle for time and resources to fix these issues.

  • EDITORIAL PROMOTIONS

The earlier you are ready with your preparation the easier it is to take advantage of any editorial/promotional offers, many of which are free.

  • ADVERTISING

If you can afford to advertise then just make sure the place you choose to advertise will reach your target audience.

  • BRANDING

With any advertising and promotional material you produce make sure you are creating a clear and consistent image for your business and your card designs. Creating this ‘brand identity’ helps potential customers to easily recognise your business.

  • INVITES

Whether invites are printed free for your business by the show organisers or not (in which case create your own) – make sure you get them sent out in time to as many potential customers as possible.

  • PRINTERS

Remember that printers can get extremely busy in the run up to the show. If you think about it, there will be a lot of people just like you thinking “it doesn’t take long for a digital printer to run out a few proofs”, which is true most of the time, but if they are running out proofs for everybody and you send your files over just before the show then don’t be surprised if they say they just can’t do it in time. Get your designs finished earlier and off to be printed before the mad pre-show rush and save yourself and the printers some stress.

  • STOCK

If you are a new business then you may be wondering how much stock to produce prior to the show. My experience was that having samples to show worked fine, and because my cards are currently printed digitally I was then able to put in a print order immediately after the show to fulfill my orders plus create stock of popular designs. Every customer who ordered either gave me a delivery date (some a month or two after the show) and others were happy to wait a couple of weeks for their order. I’m just saying this worked for me, and not to panic about having lots of stock of all of your designs. This is not necessarily how the bigger, more established companies work and obviously some customers will want their orders asap.

  • ORDER EARLY

Don’t forget about ordering the envelopes and cello bags that you need, whether it’s for samples or other stock.Decide what you need as soon as possible and get it delivered. Don’t leave it so late that you are totally reliant on the postal service or a courier to deliver to you the day before the show.

  • PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL

With regards to promotional material for potential customers to take away with them – these need to be planned, designed and printed. I promise you it all takes longer than you think! And whether you have a catalogue, a flyer or other handouts, just make sure you have something with your contact details for buyers to take away with them.

  • SAMPLES

This sounds daft, but have actual card samples easily to hand, bagged-up with the envelope as a finished product. You may choose to display them like this anyway but either way people like to pick them up, look more closely at them and also to see what is on the back.

  • SALES TALK

Its obvious I know, but by getting everything ready in plenty of time and having your display materials, stock, flyers, price lists, catalogues etc all sorted allows you to have a clearer head for thinking about being the face of your business. If you are new to sales then having time to plan what you want to say is invaluable. After the frenzy of creating your display and making sure it all looks perfect you’ll stand proudly in front of your creation as the first few customers start to arrive –that is NOT the time to start thinking about what you want to say and ask potential customers. Give it some thought in advance.

  • KNOW YOUR PRODUCT

Be clear in your mind about your prices, any special show offers, minimum order level, delivery dates, how the product is made, materials used etc. Basically be prepared for all the main questions that potential customers will ask. Have this written down as notes for yourself to refer to if your mind goes blank at any point.

  • TAKE NOTES & CONTACT DETAILS

Use a notebook or some means to take down information about the people you talk to. Make really clear and concisenotes, as you will not remember details later. Make sure you get a name, business name and a phone number or email. I found a notebook worked fine and I could staple their business cards next to their notes. Try to find out if they are the person in their business who has buying power and note down what they were interested in and any further action you need to take after the show with regards to contacting them.

  • ORDER FORMS

Have a system for your paperwork – I chose to use paper order forms with a duplicate copy available to give to the customer there and then. I guess others may use a laptopsor other more sophisticated methods but whichever way works for you make sure you don’t get in a muddle. If you are going to take orders on paper forms you need to source them in advance or alternatively design and print them with your logo and specific terms and conditions on.

  • CARD CODES

Make it easy for yourself with regards to taking orders quickly and being able to note code numbers down. Maybe have them printed very small next to each card on display – or memorize them! The more efficient you can be whilst taking orders the better for your customer and for you.

  • FURNITURE

Keep you space as open and inviting as possible, but I think a table and chairs could be very beneficial if you have room. However, if you don’t have room or choose not to have a table then make sure you have a sturdy clipboard/hardback notebook to lean on whilst taking notes and orders.

  • LOGISTICS

Plan how you will get everything you need to and from the venue. Will you drop it off, get it couriered or get a taxi from your hotel? Working out these logistics really helps on the day, especially if you are doing this all single-handed.

  • CLOTHING

During the show be prepared for it to get really hot but equally if there is air-conditioning it can get a bit chilly too. Dress for both. And I know it’s a ridiculously obvious thing to suggest and everyone says it… but you’ll be happier in comfy shoes!

  • ACCOMODATION

Think carefully about where you will stay with regards to distance from the venue and cost. Doing this as soon as possible is a great thing to tick off the list and forget about.

  • BE FIGHTING FIT

You need to build up your strength – eat and sleep well before the show to deal with stress and exhaustion of it and so as not to burn out before it even starts. I realise that for some people, coping with an event like this is a breeze – I’m just warning the others!

So there you have it, some of this reads as blindingly obvious, but if you are a one-man/woman-business and totally new to exhibiting and selling there are so many things to think about. Hopefully my experience will shed a little light on how to go about your preparations and give you some points to consider. You’ll quickly come to realise that exhibiting is not just a few days work in an exhibition hall. Its all about what you do before, during and very importantly what you do after with regards to following up leads.

And finally as someone said to me – luckily you only have to do your first show once!Make sure you have goals in mind for the outcome of the show and just do the best you can. Most importantly learn from the experience,assess what worked and what didn’t and then you’ll feel much better prepared for the second and third – that’s what I’m hoping anyway!