TRADE SHOW PLANNING
Trade Show Preparation Timeline
Planning ahead and timing are critical when preparing for any trade show. Although deadlines and logistical details can seem overwhelming, you can maintain control by developing a timeline to keep yourself and your trade show project on track while minimizing your exhibiting costs.
Use the following as a guideline to prepare for your tradeshow. Tailor the suggested time frames and tasks to create your ideal timeline based on your circumstances or project complexity.
12 Months Prior
- Determine the purpose of participating in the trade show and your exhibit strategy
- Choose exhibit booth space after studying floor plans and anticipated traffic patterns
- Review exhibit booth space contract
- Mark your calendar with deadlines for exhibit booth space deposit and balance payments
- Confirm what the exhibit booth space includes (pipe and drape, table, chairs, wastebasket, vacuuming, etc.)
- Request clarification from show management on anything you don't understand
- Submit exhibit booth space application and first payment
- Develop trade show budget
Six Months Prior
- Determine exhibit goals and objectives
- If you own exhibit properties, determine which display will be used and if modifications, additions, or refurbishments are required
- If a new exhibit display is needed, begin design
- Communicate exhibit plans to your exhibit house (trade show name, venue, dates)
- Plan marketing activities including advertising, pre-show direct mailers, e-mail campaign, hotel room drops, hotel room key cards with your logo, taxi or bus billboards, sponsorships, etc.
Four Months Prior
- Determine staffing requirements and select booth staff
- Reserve hotel rooms, air travel, and rental cars
- Finalize exhibit display design if developing a new exhibit or modifying or adding to an existing exhibit
- Begin development and design of new booth graphics
- Determine products to be displayed as well as collateral and giveaways required
- Provide basic show information to your transportation company and booth installation/dismantle service provider (show name, venue, dates, etc.)
Three Months Prior
- Read exhibitor service manual carefully and note all rules, regulations, and deadlines including:
- Due dates for advance order discount rates on show site services (electrical, internet, lead retrieval, carpet rental, furniture rental, booth cleaning, floral, etc.)
- Exhibit move-in and move-out dates and times
- Target exhibit move-in schedule and restrictions
- Last day that exhibit materials can arrive at the advance warehouse without surcharges
- Due date for exhibitor-appointed contractor notification
- Deadlines for free publicity in the exhibitor show guide
- Plan any in-booth live demonstrations or presentations
- Plan hospitality events and/or press conferences and reserve meeting rooms
- Schedule first pre-show meeting and distribute show plan to staff
Two Months Prior
- Order staff badges
- Submit show site service orders to take advantage of advance order discount rates
- Follow-up on promotions; confirm due dates
- Prepare press kits
- Develop custom lead tracking forms and plan lead processing procedures
- Confirm travel dates and hotel needs with staff; adjust reservations as needed
- Develop booth staff briefing kit and schedule booth staff training
One Month Prior
- Preview new exhibit or modifications or additions to existing exhibit
- Preview new portable display if applicable
- Finalize booth graphic design
- Confirm shipping arrangements for exhibit properties and promotional materials; ship materials by target ship date to avoid expedited shipping costs; consolidate trade show materials whenever possible to avoid additional drayage costs at show site
- Confirm installation and dismantle schedule with your service provider
- Distribute booth staff briefing kit including show dates and staffing schedule
- Hold pre-show briefing meeting in the office
- Schedule briefing meeting to be held in the booth at show site
- Assemble your trade show kit to include:
- Copies of advance orders for services including copies of checks or credit card payment receipts
- Contact information for all vendors including emergency contact phone numbers
- Shipping manifest and return shipping labels
- Contact information and travel logistics for all booth staff
- Digital copies of booth graphics in the event damaged graphics need to be quickly reproduced locally
Upon Arrival at Your Trade Show:
- Confirm that your exhibit freight has arrived (all of it) and is in or near your booth space
- Confirm booth staff and meeting room reservations with hotel; confirm any catering orders
- Confirm electrical and internet services ordered are in place or determine placement schedule
- Supervise exhibit booth setup or check-in with your booth setup supervisor
- Hold pre-show briefing and training for booth staff the day before the show
- Review agenda, purpose of show, demonstrations, rehearsals, show specials, etc.
During the Trade Show
- Reserve your booth space for next year's trade show
- Conduct daily meetings with booth staff; collect feedback on booth effectiveness, show traffic, etc.
- Confirm arrangements for booth dismantle and post-show shipping
- Plan for smaller shipments returning to your office
- Plan for leads distribution to appropriate sales staff following the show
- Audit general contractor, electrical, and other show site service invoices
- Pickup pre-printed outbound Material Handling form from general contractor
Post Trade Show:
- Supervise booth dismantle and repacking or confirm post-show instructions and logistics with your dismantle supervisor
- Distribute leads
- Debrief booth staff
- Measure and analyze results of the show and your booth
- Send thank-you notes to booth staffers and service providers
- Audit and process unpaid invoices
- Finalize show budget
Tradeshow Project Planning Form
Stand Out Booth Design
OTC Beauty Magazine draws on ESP's CEO Sandy Flom and her "Color Psychology" in the article Stand Out Booth Design, published in the Business Tips section of the magazine.
Sandy provides insight on how colors affect us, and how colors used in your trade show booth and graphic designs influence how your company and marketing message are perceived by trade show visitors.
"If you are banking on the trade show circuit to build business, then you need to ensure the overall effectiveness of your booth. Besides grabbing attention, it needs to stop traffic and draw in customers. At the same time, it must express who your company is and immediately show what you offer. To make all of this happen, begin by thinking of your booth." Read more»
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