The thirteen motives for participation
Participating in the exhibition is part of your complete communication strategy. Of course, your business objectives are key. How are you implementing participation in your business objectives?
We are giving you thirteen motives to participate in an exhibition.

1. Increased brand awareness

Select your location
Use the Floor Manager to select a stand location where a lot of visitors will pass, preferably an A location, keeping your visibility in mind. Location is more important than the size of the stand.

Stand design
A stand builder will design a stand in your company colours and build it around your company name.

Promotion
Publish your logo on the exhibition homepage and the exhibition maps.

2. New customers

Invitations
Invite your loyal customers. They are your ambassadors. Then invite your prospects. If you have no prospects in your database, you can buy database files.

Mailing
Send out a stimulating mailing promising a surprise at the stand. Be careful with e-mails. You can only send prospects mailings when they have given permission beforehand.

During the exhibition
Bring your prospects into contact with existing customers at your stand. Send out the thank you-letters before the end of the exhibition.

After the exhibition
Bring a small gift when you visit contacts after the exhibition. Back

3. Customer relations

Confirmation
Your existing customers are looking for confirmation that they made the right decision by choosing you. An exhibition offers the perfect opportunity to do this.

Hospitality
It is now your turn to spoil your visitors and be a perfect host. Make sure your stand is welcoming, has comfortable seating and excellent catering. With a larger stand, it is advisable to have a special zone for these customers.

Invitations
Your invitation is classy and you promise a parking space when your business contacts pre-register.

Appointments
Make appointments with customers. Make sure one of your staff is there to meet customers when they arrive at the exhibition hall.

Increase in turnover
An existing customer does not only mean existing turnover: There is more profit to be made too. Back

4. Increased turnover

Do business
Don’t beat around the bush in your invitation: You are at the exhibition to do business. Visitors with investment plans are more than welcome, you are there to answer their questions. You have a special offer for the exhibition.

Impact
Show applications of your products at the stand, and then show what impact the application has on the visitor.

Stand crew
It is important to ensure your stand crew is easily recognized. Name tags and uniform clothing are a must. It is important that the stand crew covers the entire stand and actively makes contact with visitors. The stand crew should be focused on result-oriented conversations. The minimum result should be a follow-up appointment. Visitors receive a gift for each quote made.

Follow up
The follow-up is executed according to plan; all contact are followed up. Back

5. Improved market position

Top location
You are the market leader and you want people to see it. Select a top location in the Floor Manager and book a large stand. Make sure you are in front of the competition.

Impressive stand
Have your stand builder design an impressive stand - Height is essential. It makes it easier for visitors to actually come into your stand. A desk is seen as a barrier.

Inescapable
Your invitation contains an offer that cannot be refused: A visit to the exhibition is not complete without visiting your stand. You have a full-page ad in the exhibition catalogue and ensure your banner gets many page views on the exhibition website.

Gadget
Visitors to your stand will get the gadget everyone wants to take home from the exhibition. Your motto is: Self-confident but not arrogant. Back

6. Knowledge transfer

Your knowledge
You have a product the customer does not immediately see a use for. Only your knowledge of the applications can convince customers.

Seminars
You organize seminars at your stand, on the exhibition floor or in one of the auditoriums of the exhibition complex. Your invitation also contains a seminar programme and a registration form. You can even organize a lunch for people who attend the programme.

Website
You promote the seminars on your website and offer the opportunity to sign up. As a give-away you give attendees a USB stick with the information presented. Back

7. Attractive company introduction

You are news
You are at the advantage: Visitors are always looking for news, and this time you are the news. That also means you are the first one to show your cards to the entire market.
'You never get a second chance to make a first impression.’

Unique added value
Select a smart looking wooden stand and select a themed campaign which expresses your unique added value in comparison to existing market players.

Charisma
Your company should come across as reliable and respectable, unless you are convinced of your abilities. Then you can let go and choose for a more cheeky and brazen style.

Seduction
Your invitations should make visitors curious and seduce them into the unknown. Back

8. Smart platform profile

Joint programme
Consult with colleagues from your branch and organize a joint programme at the exhibition. The individual stands all have recognizable branch identifiers and there is a route map indicating all the participating companies. Also organize a joint congress or seminar programme.

Individual invitations
Invite your business contacts individually, but also include an invitation from the branch events, such as the joint seminar programme. Finally send out a press release to the most important trade journal(s). Back

9. Network reinforcement

Make sure you have good catering and that everyone is offered snacks.

Bringing people together
You are a supplier of groups of companies you want to bring together to strengthen your network. Make it clear in your invitation that you have also invited colleagues in the field - give names and details.

After-hours drink
Invites groups of companies for a specific day and organize a drink at the stand, to give them the opportunity to meet and chat. Back

10. Create image reinforcement

Themed campaign
Make sure you have a clear idea of what your image is. Use this image creatively in a themed campaign. The use of associations is a great method.

Consistency
Ensure your presentation, publication and invitation policy fits in with your campaign. Be consistent and strict.

Overalls
Do not hesitate to have your stand crew dress up in overalls if that expresses the fact that you can put yourself in the shoes of the people on the work floor. Back

11. National publicity

Editorials
You have a product that magazines and papers should write about. Editorial staff usually go into overdrive when an exhibition is coming up. They see exhibitions as a never-ending source of news.

Press release
You can profit by letting the editorial boards know about your innovation, so write a good press release. It is even better to actually ring up the editors and invite them for a demonstration, offer an exclusive interview or lunch.

Full stand
Do this in the period before the exhibition. The trade journals will then write all about your innovation. For you, this means a lot of visitors and a full stand at the exhibition. Back

12. Tasteful product presentations

Campaign
Visitors are always on the look-out for new products. It's a great opportunity to introduce your product in a way that visitors will not soon forget. Create a product campaign, with the exhibition as the final culmination.

Demonstration
Book a VIP for the first, real demonstration. Use this moment to invite your most important business contacts. Give them the opportunity to buy the product at a ‘special’ rate.

Photo journalist
Of course, a photo journalist will be there to record this special moment. Two weeks later, your company and your product are featured in the trade journals.
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13. Lead maximization

Lead maximizer
You are aiming for the maximum number of leads. You turn out to be a lead maximizer. These are also called ‘hungry caterpillars’: Sales managers who continuously want to score new leads.

Balanced mix
This requires a balanced mix of image building, clear targets and an excellent visitor database. Buy such a database from the publisher of the best trade journal and match this with your own database.

Give and take
Invite ‘new’ business contacts with an interesting proposition. If they bite, give them a call and make an appointment. Book a parking space and accompany them to your stand. The way your stand crew will inspire your visitors, will convince them to do business. Whatever you give, you can expect back. Back