FIT Show is one of the biggest events for fabricators & installers and is renowned for presenting the latest innovative products and services. With hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of visitors, this event brings together all of the best innovations and latest developments under one roof.
If you’ve signed up to exhibit at the next FIT Show or have plans to do so, great work, that’s one of the main steps sorted. But we all know that getting the most from exhibitions, particularly those as large-scale as FIT Show, involves much more than simply booking your spot.
Yes, the event may be several months away, but time flies and it’ll be here before you know it. Now’s the time to really put some thought into your event presence rather than simply rocking up on the day and hoping for the best. Trust us, a little planning and preparation now, will really pay off.
So, what does this involve, we hear you say? Well, these dos and don’ts are a great place to start:
DO – PLAN YOUR SUCCESS
As with all business investments, you need to set yourself some clear objectives. What is it that you want to achieve from exhibiting at FIT Show? Who do you want to target? How are you going to make your stand, stand out from the next? What are you going to be saying/doing to entice people to your stand? And so on…
Yes, they may seem like simple questions right now, but you’d be surprised at how many companies don’t consider them until the 11th hour, or even at all. Having a set of clear objectives to work to will provide you with a clear direction and focus, as well as a clear strategy for success.
DON’T – NEGLECT YOUR STAND
Your stand is undoubtedly going to be one of your main props at FIT Show – when was the last time you reviewed it? Is it fit for purpose? Or is it in need of a revamp? Or perhaps you need to invest in a brand new stand altogether?
Whether you fall into the ‘new’ or ‘renew’ category, you need to give your stand some real thought. More than 10,000 visitors attended FIT Show in 2018 which is why it’s vitally important your stand is 100% FIT Show-ready. There are all sorts of ways you can go about achieving this, such as:
Taking an objective look at your stand – view it from different perspectives to see if it looks appealing from all angles, close up and far away. You want to ensure that it’s engaging, communicates your brand and what you’re about clearly and stands out from your competitors
Not being afraid to be different – you can make as little or as much of your stand as you want to. Don’t be afraid to incorporate the latest lighting or technical features or tailor it so that it meets your exact requirements. Going down this route will make sure you turn heads and get remembered for all of the right reasons
Being realistic – you have an image of your stand in your mind that includes several screens, interactive functionality and seats and tables, sounds great, right? But what will it look like in reality? Chances are, it’s going to look far too cluttered. And nobody’s going to want to visit a stand that’s got far too much going on.
What you envisage your stand looking like and what it looks like in reality are two different things. Always consider this point before charging ahead and putting your vision into action. And don’t be afraid to run your ideas past a specialist either, they’ll be able to immediately tell you what’ll work and won’t work, which could save you a lot of time and money, not to mention, hassle, in the long-run.
DO – BE PREPARED TO ASK FOR HELP
Preparing for an exhibition, especially one as large-scale as FIT Show, is no easy feat. And it’s precisely why so many companies choose to outsource the task to exhibition specialists, like us.
In response to increased demand, we’ve launched a dedicated exhibition consultancy and project management service – to help businesses of all sizes get the very best results without having to get bogged down with a new set of actions and tasks on top of their existing workload.
From planning and preparation, to pre-planning and stand design and build, we can project manage exhibitions as little or as much as our clients would like us to. (For more details about our exhibition project management services, check out our blog, ‘Introducing – our new exhibition consultancy service.’)
DON’T – LEAVE THINGS TOO LATE
You may feel that there’s plenty of time to get yoru plan together but the reality is that it’s never too early to be planning for your next exhibition if you want to get the best possible return on your investment. Furthermore, if you really want to capitalise on your involvement, then you need to be shouting about it well in advance too.
Ideally, you want to be emailing your contacts, sending out newsletter updates, promoting your involvement on social media, tapping into FIT Show’s event marketing, as well as generating yourself some valuable trade coverage too. It’s all up for grabs, if you plan these tactics into your exhibition strategy.
For more information about our exhibition project management service contact us on +44 7771 524339> or sales@showoff-display.com.