Best practices for small business exhibits at conferences

Attending a local conference can be a game-changer for small business owners. It’s an opportunity to showcase your products or services directly to your target market, network with potential clients, and learn from industry leaders and partners.

Exhibitor Magazine, a leading publication on the art of trade show and event marketing, says that attending networking events such as conferences and trade shows “provide strategic opportunities to strengthen your relationship with your ideal customers,” (Menashe 11). The article goes on to describe these types of events as invaluable and provide a stage to build rapport and trust through face time, personal touch, and quality time with your prospects.

To ensure you get the best return on your investment, it’s imperative to carefully think through your strategy before, during, and after the event. Here are some essential tips to help you succeed.

Before the Event: Plan and Prepare

1. Set Clear Goals: What do you want to achieve at the conference? Whether it’s generating leads, increasing brand awareness, or launching a new product or service, having clear goals will guide your strategy and benchmark your success. Our strategy to rollout Civally–our web platform for small towns and villages – involved increasing awareness of the brand through exhibits at regional and state-level government conferences.
2. Research the Audience: Who will be attending the conference? Collaborate with the event director to get the information you need. Tailor your pitch, marketing materials, and display design to appeal to this audience. Knowing their needs and interests will help you connect more effectively. Our core audience for the Civally brand is small towns and villages with populations of 20,000 or less because we realized that this market is severely underserved. We targeted town and village administrators specifically, because they are the ones who take issues to the town or village board for final approval.
3. Research the Space: Study the floor plan to know where other vendors are located so you can collaborate with potential partners during downtime. Note where dining spaces, restrooms, and electrical outlets are located to get an idea of high traffic areas and flow. This information can help you pick your booth location if given the option. When we select our booths, we try to be on the end of an aisle opposite an entrance so we can angle some of our signage so that everyone entering the space can see it. We prefer to be close to eating areas and restrooms where there will be lots of traffic and opportunities for conversations and product demonstrations.
4. Special Considerations: Carefully review all event materials you receive and watch for information on event regulations, preregistering booth staff, choosing a presentation time slot (if applicable), special promotional opportunities, and any associated fees for special request (electrical, installation, extra meals, etc.). The fact that most venues charge $50 or more for electrical access led us to buy our own power source that we take with us to these conferences moving forward. It will pay for itself after about six events. We also watch for opportunities to write articles for the hosting organization’s publications and for opportunities to speak at the event. This allows us to build rapport with the audience and establish credibility as an industry thought leader, specifically in areas such as web accessibility.
5. Budget for Success: A good rule of thumb we used for our starting budget was multiplying the cost of the booth space by three. We considered everything from travel, meal, and labor expenses to the cost of design and materials of our display, all printed materials and digital marketing (pre, during, and post-event), technology, and promotional items. Other considerations may also include installation and dismantle services, shipping, and storage. We created a budgeting spreadsheet along with a checklist to ensure we factored in everything we needed.
6. Create an Engaging Exhibit: You want your booth to be visually appealing and interactive. Use quality banners and other printed marketing materials, displays, and lighting to draw attention. Incorporate technology, such as tablets or interactive screens, to engage visitors. Ensure your branding is consistent and professional. If you are on a tight budget, you can still get that engagement factor with the right team and minimal necessities. A table skirt is a must. Think of it as a branded firm foundation. A retractable banner is the best bang for the buck because it makes your message big and stand out yet is easy to pack and transport. Lastly, you will want something to hand out whether a business, card, rack card, or brochure. Whatever you choose, ensure the branding and message are consistent and that you highlight the benefits you offer and solutions to your target’s greatest challenges.
7. Promote Your Presence: Use a variety of methods such as social media, email drip campaigns, and your website to let your network know you’ll be exhibiting. Offer incentives for visiting your booth, such as exclusive discounts or a chance to win a prize. Along with social, web, and email campaigns, we also promote our presence with direct mail postcards. We create a mailing list specific to the region we will visit and then send a targeted message at periodic intervals inviting people to the event and asking them to visit us with the postcard to claim a free t-shirt.
8. Train Your Team: Ensure that everyone working at the booth is knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and prepared to represent your brand. Practice your pitch and anticipate potential questions from attendees.

During the Event: Engage and Connect

1. Be Approachable: Stand at your booth, smile, and make eye contact with passersby. Greet attendees warmly and be ready to engage in conversation. Avoid sitting down or being on your phone, as this can make you seem unapproachable.
2. Demonstrate Your Product: Live demonstrations can attract attention and provide a hands-on experience for attendees. Show how your product works and explain its benefits clearly and concisely.
3. Collect Contact Information: Have a system in place to collect contact information from interested visitors. This could be through a sign-up sheet, business card collection, or a digital form on a tablet. Offer a small giveaway or enter them into a raffle to incentivize participation.
4. Network with Other Exhibitors: Building relationships with other businesses can lead to valuable partnerships and referrals. Take the time to visit other booths and introduce yourself.
5. Stay Active on Social Media: Share updates, photos, and live videos from the conference floor. Use the event’s hashtag and tag relevant people or companies to increase your visibility.

After the Event: Follow Up and Reflect

1. Follow Up Promptly: Reach out to the contacts you made within a few days of the conference. Personalize your follow-up messages, referencing your conversation and offering additional information or a meeting to discuss further.
2. Evaluate Your Performance: Review your goals and assess how well you achieved them. Consider what worked well and what could be improved for future events. Gather feedback from your team to get different perspectives.
3. Stay Connected: Maintain relationships with the new contacts you made. Connect on LinkedIn, subscribe to their newsletters, and keep in touch periodically. These connections can lead to future business opportunities.
4. Leverage Content: Use the photos, videos, and content you gathered at the conference in your post-event marketing. Write a blog post recapping the event, share success stories, and continue the conversation on social media.

Exhibiting at a conference can be a significant investment for a small business, but with careful planning and execution, it can yield substantial returns. By setting clear goals, engaging effectively with attendees, and following up diligently, you can maximize the impact of your presence and drive your business forward. Remember, we are in the business of helping you connect with your community to support you and help grow your business! Check out how we can help you find the perfect products to promote your business.

Works Cited

Menashe, Jay. “Exhibitor Q&A: Trade Show Value.” Exhibitor Magazine, Feb./Mar. 2024, pp. 11-12.