Last month Exantia launched a new blog series to provide you with hints, tips and advice on how to improve your tradeshow effectiveness. This month we identify some of the questions you should ask before committing to a particular size of stand and its location.
As a marketing manager with responsibility for the exhibitions programme, you will know that buying floor space is not cheap. Floor space alone can consume a considerable proportion of your event budget, therefore it is vital that your position on the tradeshow floor will enable you to meet your objectives and that the space size is neither too big nor too small.
When choosing the size of your exhibition space, budget is obviously a major consideration. You will also need to take the following factors into account:
a) Will meetings be held on or off the stand?
b) Do you plan to run product demos? How many and how much space do they need?
c) Will you be serving food and/or drinks?
d) What are your AV requirements?
e) Do you need storage?
f) Where will literature be distributed?
When choosing your stand location, consult with colleagues who have previously attended the event for areas that have good footfall. If possible, arrange a site visit to the venue with the Exhibition Sales Manager so that you can truly understand the size of the venue and the Event Organisers plans to drive traffic across the show floor.
Key points to consider when selecting your stand position:
a) Where are the main thoroughfares?
b) Where are the refreshment areas?
c) Where are your competitors?
d) Where are the key industry players?
e) Are there any organised events, such as open seminars and awards, on the show floor?
Now that you are confident that you have chosen the right size space in the perfect position, the next step is to design your stand. In next month’s blog, we’ll provide you with a few pointers to ensure your stand is the talk of the tradeshow floor for all of the right reasons.
