Displaying your business at a trade show can be a stressful and pressurized environment. It can be challenging to plan your booth and present successfully under such conditions. However, with the right planning and foresight, you should be able to develop a successful strategy. It will enable your business to succeed and maximize the investment of your time and expenses.

Have you got public liability insurance?

Before visiting a trade show, you should ensure that you take out public liability insurance for the event. It may seem as if there is no risk to your business or potential customers at a show. However, accidents can happen surrounding your booth which you may be liable for under certain conditions.

Many insurers will be able to provide one-off liability cover for the period that the Trade Show runs. However, the better deals are often the year long public liability policies, which will enable you to be covered at any future events that year. Insurers such as Hiscox provide liability cover for your business, no matter how big or small, that will ensure that you have protection in the event of claims made against you for personal injury. It will also protect you against legal fees and potential compensation. Hiscox provides criminal defence in the UK for costs up to £100,00 and an immediate payout.

Do you stand out from the crowd?

You should always pre-plan your booth’s display to maximize the impact of your business and impress potential customers. Remember that there will always be other businesses that put a lot of effort into their presentations, and which will be vying for the same target audience. Therefore, you should ensure that yours is eye-catching and grabs your customer’s attention, from the items on display to the color of tablecloth that you use. You want to present an image of what your company stands for; creating a unique display is an excellent way of representing the message that you want to convey.

Have you set a realistic budget?

However, you should always keep in mind your trade show budget when planning the display. As well as the initial cost of the booth and the expenses of taking time away from your business to attend the show, additional costs can be expensive. You should maximize your investment and ensure that you get enough leads to cover your expenditure. You can do this by making sure that you do not go over budget on unnecessary frills that could potentially damage your profits from the event.

Have you followed leads up?

A good way of increasing the number of customers that you garner from trade events is to follow up on the leads that you make. You should consider taking contact details such as an email address or phone number. You should also spend some time the following week sending emails to this pre-established mailing list. Doing so will both remind potential customers of your company, which may have slipped their mind in the vast array of other stalls, as well as beat your competitors to gaining their custom. It will also give you the chance to connect directly with them.

Should you review your performance?

You should also always review your performance at the trade show after the event. Doing so will allow you to understand any mistakes that you made and how these can be remedied in the future. It will then give you the chance to have a more successful time at the next trade shows and make an even bigger return on your investment.