What is a business expo? Just about every community offers a business expo, trade show or farmer’s market. These events were created so that businesses have a chance to promote their goods and services, as well as connect with potential clients and other businesses. In the coming weeks, our very own community will host the 2019 Pitt County Business Expo. This event is intended to give Greenville and the surrounding areas a chance to showcase their work locally. These events are a great way to promote your business and give your business exposure. Usually these events have many different types of businesses, industries and services participating, so it is important that your business stands out among them. Below are some tips on how to be successful at your next business expo!
The first and probably most important thing is picking the location of your booth. Location is everything when it comes to showcasing your business at an event. To be successful you’ll want the most exposure, so your first booth option should be located at the front by the main entrance or in view of the main entrance. However, if that is not available or within your budget, the next best thing is a booth within view of a secondary or side entrance. Your third best option is picking a location along the outer edge of the room. If chosen wisely, your booth location should ensure business exposure to everyone attending the event.
The second thing you’ll want to do is figure out how to set up your booth. You want your booth to represent who and what you do; in short, your booth needs to showcase your products and services to potential clients. It is important to have your booth open to the people stopping by. If you have a table, do not let it cut your booth off from the rest of the room. Your table should be placed along the side or back of your booth space. Visuals such as signs and displays are a great way to promote your logos, mission statements and product lists. It’s important to have business cards, brochures or palm cards for people stopping by your booth to take with them. Some of these things could give more in-depth information on your business. It’s also important to place your logo on as many items as possible. These items could be anything from table cloths and backdrops to promotional items such as hats, pens, shirts, bags, cups and so much more. The amount of things you could put your logo on to promote your business is endless! Make sure to have these things out and in view for potential clients to see and hold for themselves, and possibly take it with them. It is important to have promotional items out on the table but you don’t want to make it easy for adult tricker treaters to take your marketing items. Leave larger, more expensive items under your table for more promising clients.
Having a booth and setting it properly is one thing, but what makes your booth stand out from the rest? Make sure to have something cool for the people stopping by your booth like games or drawings for prizes. You’ll want an easy way to manage potential customers information as they pass by your booth, so have a fish bowl or box for people in which to leave their business cards. Think of other ways your booth could draw people in. These things could be anything from pop up tents to lights and lifelike dogs, cats, or puppies. Your main goal is to use your booth to attract a crowd.
The third step is to prepare for the day of the expo. Below are some things you”ll want to keep in mind when planning for the day of:
• Smile.
• Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to stand.
• Stand with an open and welcoming stance, do not sit down.
• Dress to be noticed but professional or wear a costume.
◦ Examples: a tour guide if you’re a travel agent, a character if you work with kids, a farmer if you sell produce.
• Have people working your booth that are well informed about what you do.
• Engage the people coming by your booth in conversation.
◦ Examples: ask them about themselves, their reason for being at the expo or what they are looking for.
• Do not eat or chew gum while in your booth.
• Do not be on your phone while in your booth.
• Do not leave your booth unattended.
• Network and mingle around your booth with other businesses.
• When expo attendees leave your booth thank them for stopping by.
These are all ways to ensure success the day of the expo.
Once the expo is over the final step is to follow up and make contact with the people who may have left their information with you. Follow up with the more promising leads first. The most memorable way to follow up is to hand write thank you notes, or to drop by for a visit. But you can also use telephone or email to follow up. These are all good ways to reconnect with the people who stopped by your booth and who showed interest in what you do.
The 2019 Pitt County Business Expo is an annual event organized by the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce. The event will be open to the public and tickets will be available for free at the Chamber prior to the event. Exhibitors will often times have admission tickets available to distribute to clients at their business locations prior to the event. Be sure to visit any exhibitors you know to pick up your free ticket! Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door the day of the event for $5. It will be held on Friday, May 17, 2019 at the Greenville Convention Center from 9 AM-1:30 PM. For more information on this event, please click here.
At Morgan Printers, we help businesses promote themselves at expos. The amount of things we can do to help you promote your business is endless, so deciding what is best for your business and brand is important. From concept to completion we offer various ways to integrate your marketing using data analysis, print media and digital marketing to help you communicate your brand. We also offer a variety of display options and promotional products. From design, production and mail to delivery our professional in-house sales team, graphic designers and production staff are prepared to help provide you with everything you need to successfully promote your business. This is just a small part of what we, Morgan Printers, Inc. does as an industry. “If you can put ink in it, call us first!” Next time you plan to promote your business, give us a call at 252-355-5588 or check us out a www.morganprinters.com.
Recent Comments