Admittedly, I had no idea what to expect from my very first trade show. I went with a willingness to help out however I could, and advice from our Director of Accounts echoing in my head. Before I left, he told me three key things to make my trip a success: be on time, wear sneakers, and watch out for fork lifts.
Some things you have to experience first-hand to really understand. If you’re attending your first install, don’t forget the following:
Even though I was involved from the very beginning, I was still shocked to walk into the show and see the hall completely transformed from the night before.
The show was split into two halls, upstairs and downstairs. The halls had a completely different look- upstairs was a little more “glamorous,” with bright, themed exhibits and large interactive activities; in contrast, downstairs was a little clinical-feeling, with lots of clean, white environments. Exhibits upstairs seemed to be competing to be the “coolest” environment, while exhibits downstairs stood out with the details- like what floor type they had, or the design of their hanging sign.
The contrasting looks were due to differing target audiences. The exhibits upstairs were focused on B2C sales, whereas downstairs was a B2B selling environment. Having worked in both B2C and B2B marketing, the different approaches and styles of the halls were not surprising. Being so close to each other, however, made the differences that much more apparent- something even marketers don't often get to see at the same time.
Your first trade show experience might be a whirlwind, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Make a list of things you want to look out for to give yourself a frame of reference going into the show. And if you’re lucky enough to be involved in an install from beginning to end like I was, don’t forget the essentials!
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