Tradeshow Tips for Small Businesses

It’s trade show time! The Vegan Distribution team will be attending the Natural Products Expo West in March. Our team has worked both sides of the booth table as exhibitors and attendees and we’d like to share a few tips for new exhibitors attending the show to make the most out of the experience. Everything you do or say should serve a purpose.

Booth Design/ Preparation

• Place your company name/logo high up on the backdrop or display stand, instead of draping it over the booth table where legs will be blocking the signage.
• What are you selling? Attendees should be able to grasp what your business is all about in a glance. Have a smart slogan or a few words to describe your products. Are they vegan, organic? Say it loud and proud! (We’ll especially love you for it.)
• Place your booth number visibly either on the back drop or on the carpet immediately in front of your booth. Usually the exhibit hall staff already has a number sign to mark your spot. This will make it easy for attendees to find you and for them to tell others to come to your booth.
• If you have a large booth, make it inviting for visitors to walk in and take a look around. Make use of vertical space. Hide cartons under tables for aesthetics and safety.
• For table booths, stand in the front or side of the booth instead of sitting behind the table. Smile and greet visitors.
• Have a box filled with note pad, pens, stapler, tapes (scotch, masking), extension cord, paper clips, scissors, zip ties, etc; you will use them sometime during the show. Label everything with your business card or contacts.

Demos

• Clearly label each sample or display product.
• Engage brand ambassadors to invite show attendees to try samples. Train the brand ambassadors the messages you would like to convey to the show attendees. Have them pass out the sell-sheets.
• Have smaller, pocket size samples for the attendees to bring back. Staple together with the sell-sheet & business card.
• If you’re offering food samples, a clean presentation is important. Use tooth picks, portion cups, or napkins to hand out the food.
• Have a waste bin accessible so the disposables don’t end up back on your table. Clear the bin often.

 

Marketing

• Business cards! Get it them out there. Display them on the table and make sure every prospect leaves with one. Remember to add your social media info on it too.
• We are big fans of the one page sell-sheet that lists all your products in detail: Description, SKU, UPC, unit size, quantity in master carton. Specially mark which ones are new, vegan, gluten-free, kosher, etc. What’s the shelf-life? Minimum Order Quantity? Where do you ship from? Who are your current distributors? Which retailers are carrying your products? Do you export?
• Have you arranged for media coverage? Reach out to the news outlets and bloggers that are covering the trade show for your target audience. Offer goody bags for them to offer their readers to drum up more interest after the show.
• Find another company at the trade show that offers complementary products and place advertisements at each other’s booth. At last year’s Expo West, Beyond Meat teamed up with Follow Your Heart and Chicago Vegan Foods to promote the products used at their food truck. We love seeing companies collaborating.
• Tweet and Instagram your time at the expo when you have a spare moment.
• Interact with attendees using the event’s hashtag. Shares photos and include your booth number.
• Arrange graphic displays that will work without internet. This can be a photo slideshow of your team, products, products on shelves, manufacturing, etc that shows how products are coming about.
• Display signs/flyers if your products are Vegan, Organic, Non-GMO certified, Kosher, Gluten-Free, Raw, etc that are unique and in trend.
• Walk around the show floors and talk with other exhibitors, learn from what they do, get connections and referrals.

Health

• You’ll be talking lots so be sure to take care of your throat. Bring bottled water, throat lozenges, and mint. Hand sanitizers and tissue are also good to have on hand.
• Wear comfortable shoes for all the standing and walking you’ll be doing.
• While there may be lots of foods to sample, be sure to bring a solid meal to keep up your energy. If you’re manning the booth yourself, pack a lunch and snacks to save time.

Security

• If you’re bringing laptops and tablets, make sure they’re tagged with identifying information. Lock your electronics with a passcode and if you’re using them frequently on site, invest in a cable lock and secure it to a table. There will be thousands of people moving about and it’s not always easy to keep track of your valuables.
• Password-protect your phone. You can also add contact information to your screen wallpaper so anyone who finds it can get it back to you easier. Some phones have locator apps like “Find My iPhone” to help you track it down.
• Remember your chargers to keep all your electronics juiced up.

Follow Up

When you receive a prospect’s business card, quickly jot down a note to remind you who it is or what you discussed. After the show ends, send follow up emails as soon as you can to keep your company fresh in the minds and mailbox of your prospects. Attach a PDF of your product offerings, a customer application, and/or a link to your website. If you promised to send samples or other information, now is the time to do it.

Good luck and we wish you all the best!

If you’re attending Expo West 2015, we look forward to meeting you! Connect with us on Twitter at @vegandistr.