The strength of the exhibition and trade show industry whether, B2B or B2C, is indicative of the current economy. It’s an industry on the rise as organisations see the benefits of promoting their products and services. Delegates understand the power of networking, learning and sharing industry information so their popularity is set to continue. As for outdoor events and festivals, not only do they appeal to the youth market but as the young festival goers have aged, these events have developed to attract the family crowd. If you decide to attend an outdoor event to promote your organisation there are some key areas to be considered to ensure you and your team make the most of the opportunity.
Be Outstanding
One of the benefits of any trade show or exhibition is the mix of businesses and the opportunity to see what your competition are doing. The downside is they are there to do the same as you, to promote their organisation and attract people to their stand. There can be a great deal of other activities running at outdoor events that can distract people away from your stand so everyone has to work hard to pull people in. Standing out from the crowd is not easy to do but with careful thought and planning you can create outdoor exhibition stands that promote your organisation’s brand, products and services. Bright, colourful design will help you get noticed and by using banners and flags people will easily be able to locate you and your team. When designing your outdoor stand remember it needs to be robust enough to withstand no only inclement weather but uneven ground. Using a stand that has been designed and built for indoor exhibition centres may not work in an outdoor environment so ensure you give yourself enough planning time and allow extra in your budget to accommodate buying your new outdoor kit.
Creating the Scene
By their very nature, outdoor events can be extremely unpredictable. You never know what the weather will bring and it’s not just the rain, high winds will also affect an event, you will need to be prepared for anything. It’s a simple concept but if your stand is colourful, warm and friendly it will attract a crowd. You need to make your prospective customers feel welcome and at home when they arrive. The more comfortable they feel, the longer they will stay giving your team the opportunity to build and develop a relationship favourable for business. A covered stand will take a bit more of your budget but if the weather turns bad then your stand will be amongst the few that will welcome your visitors. So regardless of the weather, business opportunities can continue. Ensure you promote your covered stand and why not invite people in for refreshments. A warm drink on a cool day will certainly be welcomed by your visitors and will act as additional good PR for your organisation as well as encouraging your prospective customers to stay on your stand longer whilst they finish their cuppa!
Size Matters!
Before booking your next outdoor event you need to first understand your objectives. What you want to achieve will drive the size of plot and style of stand you create. By sketching the layout you will be able to see at a glance exactly what will work for you and your team and what will not. Things to consider are the size of your team, are you selling or displaying product, do you need a seating area, where will you put your refreshments and are you running a competition or demonstration? Once you have got a plan then allow for those areas and activities and don’t forget you will need to allocate space for people to walk in and out and around your stand. Layout is essential to make you, your team and your visitors feel comfortable and at ease. It’s easier to talk business and promote your services to people in a relaxed and professional environment. In short your stand needs to be an outdoor version of your office. You need to reflect not only your brand, products and services but the vision, values and ethos of your organisation.