Top ways to sell your trade show booths
B2B trade show booths are invaluable to create new networks and launch new partnerships. If successful, they can spur new economic activity in the locality through the business-matching component.
According to data, the trade show market in the United States was worth $15.7 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow to $16.4 billion in 2020. It should be noted, however, that the projection was made before the coronavirus pandemic, which canceled a lot of events across the country. Still, the industry is expected to bounce back next year. By 2023, Statista projects the US B2B trade show segment to hit $18.5 billion.
A trade show booth can be a headache to organize. Experienced event organizers know that selling trade show booths takes a lot of planning due to multiple moving pieces. Also, a lot can go wrong at any stage of the planning or even the event schedule itself.
To boost the chances of a selling trade show booths, here are some of the things you can do:
- Plenty of facts – When companies and startups participate in trade shows, they know what they want. They are there to build a network, link up with suppliers or distributors, or sell their products. You want to provide them with all the information needed so they can plan ahead. For instance, even before coming in, they should already know which exhibitor they are going to approach. That saves a lot of time for everyone. With vendors, if they feel they have a chance of selling all their inventories at the trade show, they are willing to pay for the ticket. So, they want details like the number of attendees, profiles of customers, and the like.
- Create a system for the magic to happen – Lack of organization or system is one of the most complaints that exhibitors or vendors make, which makes it difficult for them to reach their intended audience. Veteran event organizers have the luxury of leaning on past experiences for future exhibitions. It is the reason why selling trade show booths is easy for them since most of their vendors are repeat customers. You can use data analytics to review the numbers and find gaps in the processes.
- Make sure to get feedback – Do not be afraid of criticisms. The exhibitors and the organizers all want the same thing – for the event to be a success. Testimonials from vendors and participating companies will help you address some of their complaints during the event properly. You can also make sure to avoid the same mistakes in your future events. The feedback will also be an excellent gauge to see whether or not they would sign up next time.
- Create a website – You always want to make the system easy for the exhibitors and the customers. One way to do it is to create an online portal where everyone can digest new information about the event. They can also order tickets for the trade show booth using the website.
Finally, reach out to the vendors and companies even after the exhibition or trade show. Find out their experience and how you can do better. They may or may not come back, but they would appreciate the gesture, knowing that you value their inputs.
