Exhibitions offer valuable platforms for businesses to gain brand awareness, generate leads and meet clients in person. However, the shows often require a significant investment of time and money, even when planned carefully.
Companies invest money in exhibition staples like freebies, food & drink offerings, literature and custom-builds, however, these strategies do not always effectively attract genuine leads and can be a waste of money. It’s worth noting, a strong exhibition stand design can counter some of the offenders!
Freebies
Freebies may be a popular choice among exhibitors, but they can be a significant money waster. Often the word “free” draws people in, but not for the right reasons. Groups rush to stands, grabbing any free notepad or pen they see, only to throw them away later! Or, they keep the freebie, but without even stopping for a conversation.
These promotional items are designed to attract potential clients for conversations and lead-converting purposes. But realistically, are real business leads interested in your freebies? The simple answer is, probably not. Genuine business leads will be most interested in your business and what you have to offer. If someone is more interested in your freebie than a conversation, they are not a serious business lead.
If you’re still not convinced to drop the freebies, consider only offering them to real convertible leads who have expressed interest in your services and engaged in a genuine conversation. Or offer something directed at converting leads, like a free trial for a service or a promotional discount!
Some exhibition stand design and build companies offer custom features like built-in showcases that can help you keep freebies aside for high-quality leads, rather on counters or public reach.
Food & Drink Offerings
Unless you’re in the food and drink industry, avoid giving away large amounts of food and drink products as it can be a waste of money, and can even deter real business leads.
Many brands invest in a barista or even a bartender for their exhibition stand. Event companies that promote these services claim they create engaging and memorable experiences for guests; however, they frequently attract time wasters and block valuable foot traffic.
If you’ve ever attended a trade show, you’ll know that they’re long and often very tiring for visitors as well as exhibitors. The restaurants at trade shows are also renowned for their high prices and long queues. Because of this, the exhibition stands that offer food and drink are typically very busy. Now you might think this is positive, however, most of the time, the people heading to the stand are only interested in the free food!
We’ve seen stands be treated as a walkthrough, café and dumping ground with visitors helping themselves to free coffee without a single business-related conversation. Recently we saw a stand with an unending line for their free ice cream machine, staff members frantically serving, while the actual exhibit was completely empty! Don’t make a mockery of your brand. If you look more like a Starbucks than a business at a trade show, you’re wasting money. If you want to offer refreshments, do it after you’ve had a genuine business conversation. This way, you’ll make a lasting impression and avoid the time wasters.
Clever exhibition stand design can neatly designate spaces for hospitality, reserving food and beverages for real convertible leads.
Literature and Paper
Though paper is not typically as expensive as some of these other investments, there are great alternatives that can save your business money! Using QR codes, NFC Technology and tablets or monitors, most of this information can be digitalised, saving paper and money, while also giving a more professional impression. Some exhibition stands can host large-format graphics and QR codes which help make digital resources accessible.
Poor Staffing
When staffing your exhibition staff think about quality and quantity. Your stand might draw visitors in, but it’s up to your team to keep them there. In most cases, it’s better to have a smaller well-trained, high-quality team, than lots of people who have no idea what they’re doing. Assess your goals and train your team well before the show so can make the most out of your exhibition investment.
When designing your stand think about including counters and reception points to direct visitors to your experts and position staff towards the key traffic points.
Custom-Build Stands
Traditional custom-build stands cause ridiculous money and resource waste. The stands are typically very large and use valuable resources like compressed timber, plastics, metals, glues, screws, laminates and solvents. After just two to three days of use, these resources are thrown into landfill – a shocking waste. Since stands are thrown away after every show, exhibitors repurchase for every single event, flushing valuable money and resources down the drain.
Instead, exhibitors should use modular exhibition stands, which can be reused and reconfigured for various events and stand spaces. Though there are many modular options on the market, we feel that Quadrant2Design offers the most versatile and high-quality solution. Stands are custom-designed, yet reusable, featuring gorgeous panoramic graphics, that wrap the reconfigurable structure in high-impact, custom typography, logos and marketing messages.
Alongside a purchase option, Quadrant2Design offers a Free-Hire Plan, allowing clients to invest in their graphic panels while hiring the hardware for free. Quadrant2Design is a full-solution provider, so clients can enjoy in-house artwork, production and printing, project management, marketing assistance, logistics handling installation and dismantling. After the first investment in graphics, clients can expect up to 60% savings on the exhibition stands. Not to mention, because of the Lifetime Free Design service, reconfiguration designs are free. This allows stands to look and feel new for each event while reusing all the same panels! Check Quadrant2Design’s video review site to view their credentials.
Conclusion
While exhibitions are undeniably a valuable platform for businesses, it’s important to invest wisely to avoid wasting money. Companies should reevaluate their approach to freebies, food and drink offerings, literature and paper and most importantly, custom-build stands. By focusing on attracting genuine leads and making sustainable choices, businesses can maximise the impact of their exhibition investment while reducing unnecessary costs.
