Trade fairs and expos are one of the most powerful marketing and sales tools. Although they could be a quite time-consuming and expensive endeavour, the benefits of participating in a trade fair are worthwhile. I personally have witnessed how a company can expand its client system after only one attendance at a major international fair. Of course, the preliminary preparation for this is crucial, as well as, evaluating some short-term goals. Once you and your team establish the goals you need to achieve at the fair, you are good to go. In the following piece, I am going to present to you some of do's and don't for your first-ever participation.
Before everything starts you need to establish the right events for your industry, respectively the ones that will best suit your business niche. Bear in mind, that a lot of European cities host some of the most successful B2B events, and are an invaluable business opportunity. So, this leads us to:
It comes as no surprise that the major trade fairs in Europe are mostly held in different cities in Germany. As a leading economic power, Germany has invested billions of euros in infrastructure for major venues (Messes) where the events are being held. Some of these venues are capable of hosting hundreds of thousands of attendees over the course of the event's dates.
2. Pre-arrange Visit
Attending might seem like an easy task, but usually involves a long list of documents that need to be organised beforehand. Most of the trade fair newbies don't know that pre-arranged registration and tickets receive a substantial discount or sometimes are completely free. Make sure you research that for your visit. Other arrangements include pre-arranged hotel accommodation, that could lead up to a 30% discount on regular room rates if you manage to book up to 6 months in advance, travel insurance if you're visiting from outside the EU, and visitors' benefits. They might feature a free airport shuttle, local transport arranged to and from the venue, business discounts on restaurants and spa centers nearby.
3.One-of-a-kind Sales Opportunities
As I mentioned earlier, it is important to set your business goals well in advance, so you and your team can have the proper business strategy on site. Are you hoping to generate sales leads? Make contacts, learn more about a competitors product, or simply promote the launch of a new product/service? Make sure, you monitor yours and your teams' performance, collect business cards, discuss ideas and take advantage of the informal lounges where visitors and professionals will be able to network.
Note: If you hard time establishing a strategy for your future attendance, try to make a more extensive research on what are your competitors offering at the current moment - this could be giveaways, promotions, discounts, etc. A SWOT analysis is a must when discussing business strategies.
Note 2: Proactivity is the keyword when attending. If you find yourself without a meeting or communicating with a representative, try to arrange a meeting on the spot. Every company stand has a team of employees, and some of them are determined to hear what can you offer them or discuss.
I believe that every company that wants to achieve any form of brand awareness, needs to participate at least once in a major trade fair somewhere in Europe. The large audience, face-to-face communication, it is all contributing to leave a lasting impression on potential clients or partners. Make sure you book your stand close to the leaders in the industry. This will help you to be recognised as a major player in the industry.
