No’s at Shows

As “show season” is once again upon us, we thought we’d remind you of what NOT to do at exhibitions if you want your event to be a success…

So don’t:

1. Eat or drink on the booth. The only possible exception would be water, but in general, eating and drinking is off-putting for visitors, usually creates a mess and just doesn’t look very professional. Eat your sandwiches away from the stand and take turns for your lunch breaks.

2. Look / behave like a douchebag. Sitting, hanging, leaning on furniture, chewing gum, looking disinterested, moaning about the show and all the other stuff that is negative and lazy must be avoided. You are there to do a job on behalf of the company, who have invested a lot of money to be there, so be professional and courteous. Yes, you are tired and they are long days, but keep it under wraps otherwise you’ve gone through all of that for no gains at all….

3. Leave the stand empty. As you are at the show to meet people and make a good impression, leaving the stand empty is about the worst thing you can do. So make sure that nobody is left to man the stand on their own for prolonged periods of time. We all need to eat and go to the bathroom or simply have a break, so put together a little rota to ensure that everybody get some down time, while the stand is continuously staffed.

4. Overdo it away from the show. Usually shows come with a whole host of other networking events that happen after the show officially closes. Awards dinners, receptions and even entertaining clients is all part of the job, and it is imperative to pace yourself to avoid point number 2 above happening the next day. Have fun by all means, but don’t forget you are still representing the company and have to do so again the next day.

5. “box out” your visitors. Turning your back to the isle, huddling up with colleagues and chatting in a closed circle and standing with your arms folded glaring at passers-by are all excellent ways to make sure that no-one enters your stand or approaches you. That’s the opposite of what you are trying to achieve so make sure you smile, greet people and are inviting rather than off-putting.

6. Forget to take business cards and log your conversations. Unbelievably, given that it is the point of the whole exercise, there are still many companies at shows who do not have a way of capturing people’s details and make a record of their conversations with stand visitors. Make sure you get a business card, and even simply having a piece of paper where you can make a few notes about your conversation and stapling the card to this will allow you to follow up and bring in the business that you went out there to get in the first place.

7. Wear new or uncomfortable shoes. No real business reason for this, but trust us, you’ll thank us for this after having been on your feet all day!