Six reasons to take an exhibition stand

1. Customer engagement – effectively setting up and running a professional exhibition stand makes a clear statement that your business should be taken seriously. It’s the ideal opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to your existing customers and to impress them as well. Invite them to join you at the event and perhaps provide some hospitality or special offers to make sure they feel it’s worthwhile. With so much interaction taking place digitally, your customers will welcome the opportunity to meet new people. 

 

You can show attendees who is behind your business and you can give advice and suggestions to prove you are an expert in your field. Once people have met you in person they will be much more willing to take your follow-up call after the event or contact you with a question or enquiry. 

 

2. Competitive advantage – there’s no need to be daunted by exhibiting in the same space as your competitors, even if they are larger or more established. All you have to do is show how and why your products and services solve customer problems in a unique way. It’s also an excellent opportunity to find out what others are doing and saying. 

 

You might see new product launches, added value offers, and styles of doing business that will help you think of new ways to stand out from the crowd. You can also gauge how visitors respond to other business approaches. 

 

3. Learn something new – many events include presentations, seminars, and workshops from business leaders and experts. You can discover new ideas which will help you plan for the future of your business. 

 

4. Brand awareness – one of the best reasons for taking part in a business exhibition is to meet new people and to make them aware of what you do. It’s an ideal opportunity to build your reputation as a credible competitor in your field. 

 

It’s important to make a good impression, so you will need to set yourself some clear goals and make sure everyone who visits your stand feels that it has been worthwhile. Your stand design must be professional and carefully designed to attract the attention of the people you want to meet. 

 

5. Collaboration – whether you choose to take a stand jointly with business partners or suppliers or you’re looking for new contacts, an exhibition is an ideal way to build new relationships. Take a look at the exhibitors list beforehand and decide who you want to meet. Some of the most productive connections you make could be with other exhibitors. 

 

6. Sales – of course, making sales at an event will help you increase your customer base and will be one of the ways you can measure your return on investment. However, not all sales will be closed on the day, so make sure you have good processes in place to track the sales that started at the event. Because you have already met in person, you are likely to close more sales more quickly. 

 

We are delighted to say that Sheila Smith’s trusted events business, Your Business Expo, is now part of the MK and NN family, so look out for some new events in 2023.