4 Reasons Why To Train Your Booth Staff

4 Reasons Why To Train Your Booth Staff

Business, Trade Show

Your booth staff can make or break your trade show. Bad staff can completely ruin the best booth design and marketing campaign. How do you ensure you have the best people? The best way is to train your booth staff. 

Before the training, there is one stipulation for who makes the best booth staff. You need to make sure that whoever is staffing your booth actually wants to be there. No training in the world will overcome a surly person. I always take volunteers first and then start making assignments. 

I make sure people know the benefits of going to the shows. Learn how to keep Booth Staff Happy. They get a share of the leads, they get to travel to the show (if it is out of town), they also get to make the face to face connections of their target market. If people do not attend the show – they do not get the leads. That is one hard and fast rule I work by. 

On to training the staff. 

  1. Create a Positive First Impression

Your booth staff is the face of your brand. They are responsible for creating the all-important first impression on attendees. Training gives your staff the necessary skills to engage and attract visitors, making a lasting impact. From effective communication and body language to product knowledge, training ensures that your staff can showcase your brand in the best possible light.

  1. Increase Lead Generation

Trained booth staff are more likely to generate quality leads. Training enables your people to identify and qualify potential leads effectively, capturing valuable contact information and nurturing prospects throughout the event. Training also helps them understand who they should be talking to – and how to disengage from those people who are not quality leads.

  1. Enhance Product Knowledge

Deep product knowledge is a powerful asset for booth staff – both inside and outside the booth. Training sessions equip them with comprehensive knowledge about your offerings, enabling them to answer questions confidently and provide accurate information. See all the things your staff should know before the show. 

  1. Handle Challenges with Confidence

Events are hectic, and challenges will arise. Whether it’s dealing with difficult attendees or managing the unexpected, trained booth staff will face these things with confidence. This provides a smooth and professional experience for both your staff and attendees, ultimately contributing to a good event.

A well-trained booth staff is a huge asset that can elevate your brand and drive meaningful results – but remember it is not a silver bullet for people who do not want to be there at all. 

 

 

3 Places to Find at a Trade Show

3 Places to Find at a Trade Show

Business, Trade Show

Going to a trade show can be chaotic. Going in with a plan helps to ease the chaos and allow you to focus on why you are there. There are many different parts to your plan but this blog post focuses on the 3 places that I look for at each show. (Beyond your booth of course!) 

Those three places are the exhibitor office, the building facilities, and the exhibitor lounge. 

The Exhibitor Office

This is the nerve center of the trade show. Here you will find almost every piece of information you will need. This is where you will go to pick up lead retrieval, order extra services, do shipping, and pick up any paperwork. 

At the larger shows you will find the office on the map and there is often hanging signs to help direct you. At smaller shows, it will be found along the back or edges of the show, often close to the load in doors. 

A word of advice – be very nice to these people. They hold the success of your show in their hands. They can kick you off the show floor. Always ask for help and be polite until it become necessary to demand. (Which is very rare)

The Building Facilities

These include the bathrooms, water fountains, and open concessions. These are places that you will need to know about for you and your booth staff but this knowledge can also be used to help the attendees. 

Having this small bit of expertise will actually make you seem more competent in others eyes, it can help establish a connection and trust. 

The Exhibitor Lounge (Or a Quite Place to Sit)

Larger shows will have a dedicated space for exhibitors to escape the show floor. Sometimes it is just a pipe and drape area, other times it is a room on a different floor. Most of the time tables and chairs and water is provided in these spaces. 

If the show does not have this, finding a place outside of your booth to sit and decompress for a minute is the next best thing. 

These spaces are where you can take a breath, reset, eat a quick lunch, and even just sit. (See my love hate relationship with chairs). Even if it is only two of you working the booth, you need to take a break.

You will be amazed at how this can raise your energy level, keep you healthy, and allow you to be your best on the trade show floor. 

Adding time to find these places to your set up plan will save you time and energy later in the show. 

Staying Safe at Out of Town Trade Shows

Staying Safe at Out of Town Trade Shows

Business, Trade Show

I have been blessed to travel a lot and to travel for work to different trade shows across the country. It is fun and exciting but it can also be tiring and even scary. I am often traveling by myself and have learned the following tips to keep me safe.

Take Your Badge Off When You Leave the Show

I see so many people walking outside the venue with their badge around their neck and their personal information available for everyone to see. These badges hold your name, the company you work for, and your home city at a minimum. People off the show floor do not need to know that. 

Your badge also immediately identifies you as an “outsider”. It makes you easier to track in a crowd for pick pockets or even kidnappers. 

If you take this one step further, most badges have a QR code that has your address, phone number, email address etc. While these are encoded, we all know that there are smart people who do bad things. 

Be Aware of What is Happening in the City

I have traveled during major sporting events and always make sure to know what colors I should avoid wearing, when the game is done, and if the home team won. Some places can get really out of hand – if their team won or lost. I will eat early or even order delivery so I am not stuck in a crowd.

This also includes any strikes, political rallies, or major construction. These can all affect your travel and should inform you of places to stay away from.

You can also get a feel for the city. If you sit quietly and just look around, you can see if the city is on edge or if it is calm. Trust you gut on these feelings and take stock each time you step outside of the trade show venue and your hotel.  

Just Be Aware

Don’t walk around with your head in your phone, you have plenty of time to answer that email or text later. You are in an unfamiliar place, keep your head up and watch what is happening around you. Watch your back and any bags you are carrying. It is really easy to grab something out of a backpack.  

Watch your drink – college club rules apply. If you didn’t see it poured or opened, you don’t drink it. 

Stay in the well lit areas and never feel bad about taking an Uber if you feel uncomfortable walking. 

I recently had to ship an Xbox and there was no FedEx office in the convention center. It was a 7 minute walk and is normally something that I would easily do but the Xbox was heavy and very visible. I decided to take the $10 Uber to ensure that I stayed safe and that my clients materials were delivered safely. 

I did walk back to the convention center after that but that short ride allowed me to be safe. 

Have a Check In Buddy

Find someone that you will check in with at least every 12 hours. It is much easier to stay in contact with people now but having that one person who knows that you are alive and okay every 12 hours can help you in a worse case scenario. This person should know where you are staying and your planes etc. 

I take this one step further. I do not normally have tracking on my phone but while I am traveling by myself, my husband can track my phone. This gives him a place to start if I don’t check in. This can help law enforcement to find you if something awful happens. 

I love to travel by myself; trying new restaurants and exploring a new city. I just know that I have to be careful while I travel. Staying aware is the best way to stay safe. Enjoy your travel! 

Bonus: Staying Healthy at Multi-Day Trade Shows

Tools that I Use to Keep My Events (and Business) Straight

Tools that I Use to Keep My Events (and Business) Straight

Business, Events, Trade Show

When you are juggling events, trade shows, and life in general it can be hard to keep everything straight. Over the years, I have used multiple tools and systems. I now have a system that I love and the tools that I use. 

1. A Project Management Tool

I use ClickUp. I have used Monday.com and Basecamp as well but ClickUp is the one system that works really well for me because I can have just one license at a super affordable price. They even have a free version but I like the automation that the paid version comes with. 

I am able to type a blog title into my “board” and it automatically fills in my 6 substeps and due dates. I am able to change one due date and it changes all of the sub dates. This also feeds into a main calendar and syncs with my Apple calendar. This allows me to know at a glance what I should be working on at any one time. 

Almost any project management system will allow you to do all of the above but the biggest thing is to keep everything in one place. Anything that I am doing with Events Made Sane lives in ClickUp. This is not something you go in halfway. 

Why should you have a project management software? Because it saves time. The automation, the visibility, and the tracking allows you to be efficient with your time (and track your time). When you are not searching through excel worksheets or post it notes to find deadlines you can focus on taking your business where you want it to go. 

2. TUL Notebook/ Happy Planner

I still love to take notes by hand and I like to keep all my event notes in one place. I may have 5 – 6 events going at once. Rather than leaving space in a traditional notebook and hope that I have enough space and wont waste too much space, I use the TUL notebooks. This system allows me to move pages around, remove them completely when I am done with an event, and add move events as needed. 

This gives me the flexibility to keep just one notebook that is small enough to fit into my bigger purses or travel with me easily. 

3. Color Coding

This last tool is more of a trick that I use across everything else. My calendar is color coded, the different sections that I have in my project management system are color coded, and my notes are color coded. 

For my notes, I use three colors. Black is just taking notes and writing items down. Red is for symbols that tell me what needs to be done with that information. Blue over red indicated that I have completed the items.

Finding the right system for you can take some trial and error and constant improvement. Each quarter, take an hour and look at your processes and systems. Where can you improve? Where can you be more efficient? What isn’t working anymore? These incremental increases in efficiency across your business can add up to major gains at the end of a year. 

Bonus 1: Social Media and Blog Scheduling Tools

Find a system that allows you to schedule your social media ahead of time. You can always add posts but noting having to worry about what you are going to post each day or if you have posted in the past few days gives you so much time back. The same for blogs. There are a ton of systems out there find the best one to work for you. 

Bonus 2: Zapier

I use two different systems for my emails currently because each system does its own thing. I am working on consolidating but it may take a bit. Zapier allows me to move new email clients from one system to another automatically. Zapier can connect so many systems and it super simple to use. Automation is the key to gaining more efficiency. Automate the 80% so you can humanize the 20%. 

What are the systems and tools that you use?

Embracing Local Flavor in Your Booth Design

Embracing Local Flavor in Your Booth Design

by | Feb 13, 2024 | ,

In a world that often seems dominated by global trends and mass production, there’s a growing appreciation for the unique and authentic. This sentiment is also true in the realm of trade show booth design. Businesses and brands are increasingly recognizing the power of bringing local flavor into their displays. Using regional influences in your setup can elevate your brand, create a memorable experience for attendees, and foster a deeper connection with the local community.

Pick the Right Giveaways for Your Trade Show

Pick the Right Giveaways for Your Trade Show

Business, Trade Show

Giveaways are the sprinkles on a trade show – they are not needed but they make things more colorful and memorable. The question is what type of giveaways do you want to give out. Here are the three main questions to help you decide what to choose and some examples. 

What does your target market need/ what will they use?

You are not at the trade show to reach every person attending, you want to reach your target market – so pick a giveaway that will resonate with them. When you are having meetings with them – in person or virtual – take a look at what is on their desk or around them.

Example: Your target market is gardeners – giveaway nice gardening gloves or neck coolers. 

Your target market is busy moms – giveaway a mini quick spa kit that allows them to have “me” time in their busy schedule.

What is the reason for the giveaways?

You should have a reason for the giveaway. Is it to collect leads, draw people to your booth, or to increase brand awareness? Know what you want to do with the giveaway. There are always the people who walk around looking to fill up their bag (or even wagon) with as much stuff as possible. This happens more at consumer based shows verses professional shows. If you are at a consumer show candy is a great option to set out. This allows you to have a giveaway for everyone without having to put out a ton of money. 

Example: Are you looking to get social media interactions? Ask people to post a picture of them at the booth and tag you to get one of the giveaways. Here is how to use your promotions the right way.

Example: If you are looking to collect leads, make sure you scan everyone before you hand out the giveaways.

What is your budget?

Once you have the above questions, then you can start your search for items that fall within your budget. 

Some things to look for that are not included in the pricing on most sites. 

Logo cost – there is normally a one time fee for the company to take your logo and put it into the right format. This can be from $20 – $80. 

Shipping Cost – Shipping is almost always extra. Some places will estimate the shipping for you, others will wait until check out. 

If you cannot find an item that you like to give out to everyone – consider doing one or two large gifts that you raffle away to those who are in your lead system or give you their information. 

Example: If you are at a womens conference, you can give away a Coach purse. 

Example: If you are at a hunting show, giveaway a very nice cooler. 

Some items to consider when looking at giveaways

  • Some items have some assembly required.
    • I was at a booth that was giving away these great flashlights. They came individually wrapped and when I tried to turn them on in the packaging – none of them would turn on. I opened a package and discovered that each flashlight had a piece of plastic on top of the battery that had to be taken out for them to turn on. We had 250 of them. I spent at least 3 hours unpacking them, unscrewing the battery compartment, removing the plastic, and ensuring that they worked. 
  • Where will you place the items that are not on display?
    • If you get large items like water bottles, you need space in your booth to hide them, or you can pay for accessible storage. 
  • What are you doing with any leftovers?
    • I rarely suggest branding items for specific shows unless you know that you will give them all out. Having your company branding allows you to use items at many shows or even give to clients as gifts. 
Getting the Most Out of a Trade Show as an Attendee

Getting the Most Out of a Trade Show as an Attendee

Business, Non-Profit, Trade Show

Trade shows are an investment. Learn how to get the most out of them when attending with our 6 tips. 

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