The decision has been made: You are going to present your product, your services and your company at a trade show. It’s not just for companies exhibiting at a trade show for the first time: Before the trade show starts, you have a lot of work to do and other important decisions to make. One thing is certain: you will soon be one of the approximately 200,000 exhibitors who take part in a trade fair in Germany every year.

We are aware that no fairs have taken place due to the current Corona pandemic. However, we strongly expect to be able to participate in fairs again in the near future. However, if you are interested in digital and virtual trade fairs or events and would like to know how best to set them up, please take a look here: 

6 tips for what to consider when exhibition planning your stand at a trade fair.

• Define the goals of your trade fair participation

The most important point after deciding to participate in a trade fair is to define the goals you want to achieve with this participation. These objectives will then form the basis of your choice of location, budget, marketing and stand operation.

• Site selection

Should the fair you are participating in be a world fair, should it address the European or German market or rather attract a regional audience? At which trade fair will your target group, defined in advance, meet? You should ask yourself these questions when choosing your location and ideally be able to answer them 😉

• Budget and organisation

Of course, financial factors are relevant – costs for the stand and stand rental, for the transport of the products, for stand personnel and their stay. To keep everything in perspective, a precise schedule should be drawn up.

• Stand personnel

Now it is a question of meeting the high expectations of these visitors – with friendly and competent stand personnel, with people who are motivated, well-groomed and responsible.

• The ongoing stand operation

It is essential here to have a structural bookkeeping system in order to simplify the upcoming follow-up work. It is also important to consider which services are to be offered to customers and interested parties at the stand.

• Post-processing

After the fair is before the fair! The post-processing of the generated data must not be forgotten after the fair! Here it is important to evaluate customer meetings, to recognise focal points and were the desired goals and target groups reached? 

Goals of trade fair participation 

Trade fairs have an effect on many levels. They support the quick and targeted achievement of marketing goals. To ensure this, it is particularly important that you have a clear picture of what you want to achieve before you take part in the fair.

You will certainly realise this yourself: Your presence can only be effective if you determine the appropriate thrust in advance by weighting the goals sensibly.

• Regular customer care

At around 90%, customer care is the most important goal companies focus on when planning a trade fair. It serves to provide customers who have been in a relationship with the company for a longer period of time with information about products and services that are new on the market or will be launched in the future. Regular customers are of great importance because they give the company planning security and also serve as advertising ambassadors for the projects completed so far.

• Increase awareness

It is no secret that trade fairs are a big part and often the source of networking. Not only large companies have the chance to present themselves to potential new customers, but also small companies can use a trade fair to make contacts and further expand their company network.

• Showing new products / services

Not to be forgotten are of course the products and services that are presented at the fair. However, they are surprisingly the least important of these three objectives. It can therefore be seen that the products and services can be strengthened through network expansion and the cultivation of regular customers and thus reach the customer more effectively.

The right exhibition planning is crucial for success. Success is not dependent on coffee type 1 or 2, but rather on focusing on the communicative content and associated measures.