If you’ve ever walked away from an exhibition thinking “that was expensive and I’ve got nothing to show for it,” you’re not alone. Most businesses get exhibitions wrong — not because they’re bad at what they do, but because they go in without a plan.
Here are four things that will change the result next time.
#1: Get Clear on Your Objective
This is where most people go wrong before they’ve even booked the stand. They think exhibitions are about selling. They’re not.
Trying to close a deal from your stand while hundreds of your ideal customers are walking past is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make. You simply don’t have the time — and while you’re busy talking, you’re losing people.
Your real objective at an exhibition is to build your list. Collect names, email addresses, and phone numbers from your target audience so that you can go away, follow up properly, and sell to them over time. That’s where the money is.
It’s your responsibility to communicate with your customers — but you can only do that if you actually have their contact details.
#2: Get Clear on Your Target Audience
Not everyone walking around that exhibition hall is your customer. Trying to talk to everyone is a fast way to exhaust yourself and fill your database with people who’ll never buy from you.
Before you go, get clear on exactly who you’re targeting. Then make sure everyone on your stand knows the criteria, so that every lead you collect is qualified — and ideally, categorised.
Here’s a simple top trick: score your leads from 1 to 5 on the day. That way, when you get back to the office, you know exactly who to call first. The hot leads don’t go cold while you’re working through a pile of business cards.
#3: Your Stand
Your stand has one job: to stop people walking past. That’s it.
Follow two golden rules — height and light. Keep your key message in the top 20% of the stand, because that’s what’s at eye level as people walk by. It’s also the part that’s visible even when you’re stood in front of it. Imagery and additional detail can go lower down, but don’t rely on it being seen.
Make sure your messaging is well lit and bright. If it doesn’t stand out, it doesn’t work.
On collateral — if your target audience will need information about what you do, how you solve their problems, and why you’re different from everyone else in the room, have brochures ready to hand over during conversation. Don’t put QR codes on your stand walls; people have to stand too far back for them to work in a busy venue, and that’s just frustrating for everyone. If you use QR codes, put them in your brochure instead.
A few more things to sort before you arrive: plan what you need on the stand — seating, a locked cabinet for leads, poseur tables, a focal point. And whatever you do, don’t Sellotape or Blutac anything to the shell scheme walls. It looks unprofessional, and your first impression matters.
One more warning: don’t rely on the venue’s WiFi. Make your lead capture process offline wherever possible. A clipboard and paper form will serve you better than a slick online one that won’t load. You don’t want to lose leads because the internet was slow.
#4: Don’t F*ck Up the Follow Up
When it comes to exhibition follow-up, speed matters. This is where most of the money is made — and most businesses blow it.
Before you even go to the show, have your follow-up process agreed and in place. Know who’s responsible, know when it’s happening, and make sure you have availability to call your hottest leads as soon as you’re back.
Better still? Send a personalised video message — BombBomb or Loom works well — from the stand before you’ve even finished packing up. A short, warm, personal message sent on the day of the show can do more to convert a lead into a conversation than any email you’ll send a week later.
Speed and personalisation. That’s what separates the businesses that get a return from exhibitions from the ones that don’t.
