A trade show is undoubtedly an excellent platform for organisations that deal with other businesses (B2B) as they help the company get exposure and a chance to network with fellow industry members, clients, and the public.

To determine the trade show’s success, most companies look into the number of leads they generate and opportunities that come out of an event.

Moreover, these trade shows are a massive investment for the companies. It requires cumbersome planning wherein a company has to think about planning promotional items, the appearance of the stall, pamphlets, and other such items to maximise their ROI trade show.

Here are 6 key tips to help you prepare for the trade show.

1. Plan Well in Advance

One of the essential things to do before any business event is to plan well in advance. It is never too early to start. If the trade show is in another city, then you must give your team ample time to clear their schedule for the event. In addition, you must book the travel tickets in advance to avoid paying any surcharge prices on the tickets.

Besides the logistics regarding the show, it is important to take the time to chart out the pre-show promotional campaign. This is vital since you would want to inform your audience about your presence at the trade show. By planning for the event in advance, you can work towards keeping within the set budget as well as making sure you have ample time for last-minute changes.

2. Prepare the Sales and Other Teams

A trade show is primarily about networking, so you must prepare your marketing and sales team to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Every member who is attending the trade show must have all the relevant information regarding the event.

3. Schedule Pre-Show Meetings at the Booth

To maximise the ROI from a trade show, the sales and marketing departments must start networking with various prospects, customers, and partners to schedule pre-show meetings.

Such meetings give a chance to connect and do business with interested companies.

4. Use Social Media

While you are on the trade show, you must regularly post photos, videos, and stories from various company’s social media handles. Ensure that you post about the offers, products, and other relevant information regarding the booth before the show, during and after the event has concluded.

5. Provide Giveaways

Fun promotional items or giveaways are always a good option to establish a relationship with people at the trade show. You can get as creative as you want in your offerings. A simple branded face mask would serve as an excellent giveaway item in today’s world. If people use such items in their daily lives, it will build brand awareness. So, set aside a good budget for giveaways and ensure that you choose products relevant to your business and your target audience.

6. Follow Up

Schedule a follow-up call with the team that attended the trade show and discuss areas of improvement and things that worked well. A follow-up is important as it would help devise a strategy for upcoming trade shows and provide an opportunity to improve strategy.

By following these tips and evaluating your performance from the previous trade shows, you might be able to generate many leads and even win some new customers.