Trade Show Planner
Your 12 month trade show checklist
Selecting your staff and determining what they will wear are just two tasks in a larger checklist you’ll need to complete as a trade show exhibitor. Review my entire pre-show, on-site, and post-show checklist of exhibitor planning activities.
Trade Show Planning:
Booth Staff and Uniform Selection
6-3 MONTHS TO GO. PRE-SHOW ACTIVITIES.
Determine how many and which members of your organization will staff your booth.
Create your staff schedule for the entire length of the show. How many hours is the show each day?
Be sure to provide multiple breaks for each person to rest, walk the expo hall, and have meals.
If you have one group that staffs the booth from the show’s opening through lunch and another group that staffs the booth from early afternoon through dinner, be sure to flip their booth duty the following day, so the same people are not working every morning or afternoon.
You should also diversify your staff with sales, marketing, product management, and engineering professionals present at any given time. Their various areas of expertise help ensure your team can answer any questions an attendee may have.
Are you reselling products or services from a third-party vendor or manufacturer? In that case, you may request that the manufacturer send one or two of their sales or product marketing professionals to work in your booth. They should be able to answer more in-depth questions that your employees may be unable to answer. These additional staff members are your employees for the duration of the show. Make sure to include them in your booth duty schedule, staff training, and on-site meetings. They should be as prepared and informed as the rest of your team.
Deciding on your booth staff at least three months before the show occurs will help ensure that their calendars are free and they can easily make travel and hotel arrangements.
Also, determine your booth staff uniform. Will it be khaki pants and a brightly colored polo shirt with your company logo embroidered on the left side, or will it be something else? Be sure to collect all shirt sizes, order the clothing, and distribute it as soon as the order comes into your office. You want to give your booth staff enough time to try things on should you need to change sizes before the show.
Ship a few extra shirts or other clothing with your booth just in case one of your staff arrives at the show and realizes they forgot to pack their shirts.
CONTINUE YOUR TRADE SHOW PLANNING WITH RELATED CHECKLIST ITEMS.
Are you new to trade show exhibiting and feel completely overwhelmed?
Trade Show 411: The Essential Guide to Exhibiting Like a Pro is a must-have for marketers and small business owners. It gives you both the strategy and action plan to set you off on the right foot. By linking your pre-show marketing strategy to onsite activities and post-show follow-up, you’ll get the most out of your sales and marketing efforts and maximize your trade show results.
