They say the early bird gets the worm. However, many organizations operate very slowly when it comes to planning for their next trade show. There are often a lot of stakeholders when it comes to planning a trade show and securing a trade show booth. Meetings can sometimes stretch on for months at a time and then stall. This can be a big mistake for exhibitors. Working ahead should be the name of the game, not a last-minute rush. Your trade show booth is one of the strongest vehicles for brand exposure and should be treated as a major marketing tool. If you’re not yet working ahead on your trade show booth, you may want to think again.
Working Ahead on Your Trade Show Booth Can Save You Money
Budgets can sometimes be tight. When you work ahead on your trade show booth, you can save some money and have a little more freedom in your budget. There are multiple reasons why- you’ll avoid last minute rush fees and you may be able to take advantage of early bird pricing discounts. If the average exhibit house may need up to 3 months to design and build your trade show booth (depending upon its complexity), you’ll want to ensure they’re able to source the right elements for your design to ensure any necessary materials aren’t being offered at a premium. The higher the cost for unusual materials and specialty elements, the higher the estimate may be for your trade show booth. By starting the process early, you can help keep costs down.
Starting Early Means You’ll Have More Time to Design Your Trade Show Booth
Last minute requests to design and fabricate a trade show booth can complicate your design ideas. If you’ve got months to figure out the intricacies that all stakeholders want present in the trade show display design, then you are more likely to receive something that will satisfy many members of the group. If you start late, you don’t have much time to schedule meetings to discuss design elements to better tell your brand story. The end result may not adequately reflect all stakeholders’ desires. Proper preparation can help your team achieve the look and mood you want. Your trade show booth will be a source of pride among leadership instead of a source of stress.
Planning Early Can Allow You to Focus on Marketing Your Trade Show Presence
If you’ve already begun to work on your trade show booth 6-10 months prior to your next show, you’re now free to market your presence. If you’ve got a special element of your design such as a gamification feature or a social media engagement element, you can mention this in your marketing. Don’t forget to stop by our trade show exhibit to play our race car simulator! These kinds of statements capture people’s attention in your trade show marketing and stick in their minds. It’s far more likely they’ll want to stop by your booth space with these kinds of details.
Absent mentioning specialty details, having the time to focus on your trade show marketing in general is invaluable. Too many exhibitors rush to market their presence at a trade show at the last minute. This means that they don’t adequately get in front of leads, prospects, and clients they’ll want to speak to at the show. If you’re not generating traffic to your trade show booth with your marketing, you can’t be sure you’ll have many visitors at all. As a result, your trade show ROI will take a hit. By working ahead, you can put in the maximum effort to increase your trade show ROI.
Working Ahead Allows You to Plan Complementary Events
With your trade show booth designed and your marketing underway, you’ll be able to focus additional attention on any complementary events you’d like to hold. This could be a happy hour inside your trade show booth or even a “family night” of fun with your team and your customers. These kinds of events are best planned early so prices don’t rise and customers are able to plan their schedules in advance. Nobody wants a last-minute invite because it’s likely they’ve already got multiple offers from competitors, vendors, and other exhibitors.
These are just a few of the benefits of working ahead on your trade show booth. When you start your planning process late, a trickle-down effect starts and suddenly you’re overwhelmed with too many projects at the last minute. Take our decades of advice and start working on your trade show booth early and avoid the potential headache and stress. Let this be the year the process is easy and seamless.
