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Trade fair preparation and invitation

Participation in trade fairs is a strategic decision for every company. This is why trade fairs must be planned specifically and precisely. Experience shows that up to 60 percent of the potential for success is wasted, especially in the preparation phase. The main reasons for this are: unclear trade fair objectives and inadequate preparation.

Clear goals give every trade fair appearance a direction - both for the employees and for dealing with the trade fair visitors. The trade fair stand can be planned and designed on the basis of defined objectives. Equipped with the appropriate information, the stand personnel can hold discussions with the stand visitors. Only in this way can the desired new or intensified contacts be made.

According to many studies and surveys, trade fairs are the best marketing instrument for achieving almost all sales objectives, in addition to personal sales. However, most companies still have enormous optimisation potential in all phases of trade fair participation. This blog series describes how these wasteful potentials can be used.

Start planning at an early stage

The preparation of the contents of a trade fair always begins with the dispatch of the application for participation in the trade fair. This measure is often due 12 months before the start of the actual event. The decisive factors are the selection of the target group to be addressed and the budget planning. The next step is to select the exhibits and implement the advertising and PR measures. This is followed by the conception of the trade fair stand. The conclusion of this phase is the timely registration at the trade fair. Often the fair is still far away, but soon the dates are approaching. In order to avoid time pressure, a detailed timetable should be drawn up for the preparation phase.

Success factor trade fair organiser

As a rule, the trade fair organiser sees itself as a partner of its exhibiting participants. Because the success of the companies is also the success of the organisers. To this end, the trade fair organiser offers a whole range of services. This includes, among other things:

  • Stand consultation: Individual consultation for the optimal stand area
  • Stand construction services: Attractive ready-made exhibition stands, selection of stand construction companies
  • Technical services: electricity, water, telephone, SAT, TV, ISDN, LAN, stand cleaning
  • Logistic services: Freight forwarding, Parking, Forklift trucks, Forklift trucks
  • Personnel services: hostesses
  • General services: Theft, hygiene reports, fire insurance
  • Low hotel prices: Choice of cheap hotels
  • Sales-supporting services with data and facts about the trade fair: Visitor statistics, supporting programme
  • Free advertising services: Trade fair stickers, brochures, posters, admission vouchers
  • Paid advertising services: Reduced admission tickets, advertising space on the exhibition grounds, catalogue

Invitation of own customers and customer potentials

Do not rely solely on the organizer to ensure that all customers are invited. He promotes the event. However, you need to draw the attention of your target audience to your own participation and highlights. After all, you want to welcome as many customers and new customers as possible to your stand.

Do not rely on the unreliable "employee coincidence". Anyone who believes that with so many visitors, enough will already appear on their own stand has already lost. As a rule, trade fair visitors plan their visit carefully, as they also have little time available. Here they fall back on invitations and their own research. Those who don't know you can only come by by chance and whether they understand your message or still have enough time for a conversation is not certain.

The organizer's advertising material can help you to create additional incentives for visitors and thus address customers who would not come simply because of your participation.

The expected synergies can only be achieved if all participants participate and register for the fair.

The organiser may also offer the possibility of a small stand party after the end of the fair or you may organise a Happy Hour 1 hour before the end of the fair. This increases the chances that a visit to your stand will be firmly scheduled.

Mini posters are very suitable for placement in the company's entrance hall or at other highly frequented locations.