Exhibiting at a trade show or exhibition is much like attending a job interview or networking event where preparation is key to maximising the benefits.
The Highland Spotlight business to business exhibition on Tuesday 24 September serves as an ideal opportunity to network, make new business contacts and even expand your knowledge by attending the day’s branding seminar hosted by Strut. Highland Spotlight not only provides the opportunity to meet all the visitors that come through the door, but also to interact with your fellow exhibitors – you never know you may find suppliers who can offer you a great local service or you might discover a new business partnership. We have outlined a few key things you can do to ensure that you maximise the opportunities that Highland Spotlight provides.
Things to think about before the event
Who is going to run the stand? Will it be one or two people all day or will you have multiple staff members working 2 hour time slots? Make sure everyone knows when they are due to be at the stand and ensure you have sufficient cover over lunch time.
Macleod and MacCallum
Picture: James Mackenzie
What is your stand going to look like? You are going to be amongst 60+ other exhibitors so having an eye catching stand can really help drive engagement.
How are you going to interact with the visitors and other exhibitors? A friendly smile is always good to break the ice, but you could also add in an interactive game or quiz to help create a buzz around your stand.
What kind of connections are you looking to make? Remember it isn’t just visitors that you will meet, so much business takes place between exhibitors as well. Take a look at the published list of exhibitors, this will help you identify key targets at the event, research the companies, and identify who you would like to connect with. Make sure to also check out the floor plan as this will show you where your stand is and help you visualise the layout for the day.
What marketing materials will you bring? Having leaflets or flyers outlining the products or services you provide will be useful for those who wish to know more about what you have to offer. A great alternative to this is going digital – why not create a QR code to take people directly to your website or a particular online document or brochure.
Have you got enough business cards to hand? Highland Spotlight typically has hundreds of people taking part across the whole day, so a handful of business cards will soon disappear.
Now is the time to tell your own network that you’ll be exhibiting – make sure you use #HighlandBizWk and tag the organisers Inverness Chamber of Commerce, as well as interact with other exhibitors and visitors to help maximise your exposure.
On the day
Picture: James Mackenzie
The Drumossie Hotel is a 10min drive from the city centre and there is plenty of parking with an overflow carpark, however we would encourage you to come early to guarantee a car park space as this will be a busy day. If you are attending with colleagues, then car sharing is advised to help limit any congestion.
When you arrive to set up, please visit the registration desk where you can collect all the name badges for your stand as well as your copy of the show guide. Once you have your stand set up, get your bearings and do a walk around.
Once the exhibition is open and when you have time, try to go around and speak to every stand, listen to the businesses, get an understanding of what they do and share business cards.
You don’t want to find yourself playing a game of Guess Who with a few dozen business cards at the end of the day with no recollection of which great business opportunity matched up with who – a top tip to prevent this is to use a pad or your phone to make notes as you meet people.
Share regular updates on social media, take pictures and make sure to tag us– don’t forget to make use of our dedicated hashtag #HighlandBizWk to appear on our social media wall!
After the event
Follow up! It’s so important to ensure that a contact made is not wasted. Technology makes it easy – add them on LinkedIn, follow their company on Facebook and if a contact seemed valuable and you got their business card, why not email them to arrange a follow-up meeting.
Found the event beneficial? Please complete the post event survey – it helps the organisers, and improves the event in future years.
Made a great business deal or started a new business collaboration? Fantastic, let us know! Email info@inverness-chamber.co.uk and share the success of your day with us.
Photos of previous events can be found here.