28-2-2020
Participation in an agricultural trade fair is an ideal way of making many personal contacts in a short period of time. One condition is that your target group will notice your stand and not just pass it by. This requires a stand with 'stopping power'.
The exhibition season is coming up again. The Dutch Poultry Expo, Eurotier, Sima and Agritechnica in Hannover are still key events on the calendar for livestock and arable farmers to look around. Several studies even mention trade fairs as one of the most important sources of information. But how do you get in touch with your (potential) customers?
Trade fair invitation
Obviously, you invite your existing customers to visit the fair – and your stand – in advance. You can do that online, but a paper invitation has more impact. This is an ideal opportunity to tell your story, just in case the invitee is not planning to visit the fair. Alternatively you can, of course, use your newsletter, website and email signature to publicise your participation. This way you can encourage your business contacts to visit your stand, especially if you hold out the prospect of a reward.
Effective exhibition concept
By creating the right atmosphere you can give visitors an important reason to stop and enter a stand. Trade fair visitors don’t just go there for a nice day out, they are also looking for information that will improve or facilitate their business operations. The more relevant your message, the greater the chance that a visitor will stop at your stand. The stand should reflect what you have to offer to the visitor. Formulate your goals and then translate them into an appealing exhibition concept. If it's a product launch, then the product must take centre stage. If the main focus is relationship management, you need to make the visitors feel welcome.
Stand appearance
You probably know them, those messy stands at trade fairs that hardly show which company they are or what they have to offer. What do you do when you see such a stand? Exactly: you keep going. But what about that imposing, artistic stand that exudes beauty and serenity. What do you do? Right: you just admire it from a distance and then walk on. In both cases this is a missed opportunity.
Attractive appearance
By presenting your product in an appealing way, preferably with action and movement, you will encourage the visitor to stop, or else enter the stand. Movement, sound and activity give the stand stopping power. But what if you are offering a service, your product is not very sexy, or you have a product that doesn't grab the attention? Then it is important to convey the message clearly and provide an exhibition activity.
Exhibition activities
Your goal for the exhibition defines what that exhibition activity should be. If you want to collect addresses, think surveys, competitions or coupons – in exchange for which the visitor receives a nice giveaway. Is generating leads your goal? Then organise an activity that allows you to strike up a conversation with the visitor. This way you can get a clear picture of the visitor´s questions, explain the possibilities of your product/service and plan a follow-up appointment.
Successful and stress-free trade fair participation
Good preparation, an appealing exhibition concept (including the invitation, stand design and staffing) and, of course, the follow-up to the exhibition are decisive factors in determining the success of trade fair participation. Would you like to know how we can make a success of your exhibition participation? We know what will make farmers, veterinarians, arable farmers or horticulturists stop at your stand. Call or email us to hear what we can offer.