15 common mistakes during trade show exhibit rental

15 common mistakes during trade show exhibit rental

If you're planning a trade show of your own, these common mistakes will help you understand what works and what doesn't.

1. Not enough lead time

You should always plan to start the process of trade show exhibit rental and trade show displays at least 6-8 weeks before your event. This will give you plenty of time to design your space, get approvals, place the order and ensure it arrives on time.

2. Lack of planning

Not planning ahead can result in a lot of wasted time and money. Make sure you have a solid plan for your trade show exhibit rental, including what you want to say and how you want to stand out from the competition.

3. No Pre- Show Marketing

Pre-show marketing is key to getting the most out of your trade show exhibit rental. Start promoting your appearance well before the show, and make sure to include a call-to-action on all of your marketing materials.

4. Poor Execution of Marketing Plans

If you’ve put a lot of work into developing a great marketing plan, make sure you have the resources in place to actually execute it. This includes having a properly staffed trade show booth, adequate signage, and effective lead capture tools.

5. Not Enough Booth Staff

Booth staff are your biggest ambassadors at trade shows. Make sure you have enough people on hand to man your booth, interact with potential customers and answer questions.

6. No Lead Capture Tools

To get the most trade show leads, you need to have trade show marketing tools in place designed to capture and qualify them. This may include a trade show kiosk, business cards or even a mobile app.

7. Poorly Designed Booth

While trade show booths don’t have to be elaborate affairs, they should be planned out and designed properly. Make sure your trade show booth is in a highly trafficked area ,and that you have enough signage and lead capture tools to make the most of your space.

8. No Follow-up Plan

After the trade show is over, it’s important to have a plan in place for following up with leads. This may include sending a thank-you note, setting up a meeting or even sending out a product sample.

9. Not Enough Budget

Trade show exhibit rental can be expensive, so make sure you have a realistic budget in place and stick to it. This will help you avoid overspending on unnecessary items, and leave room for important things like trade show marketing tools.

10. Not Researching Target Market

You should always do your research ahead of time to know who you are targeting. By ensuring that you have the right people in your space, with the proper lead capture tools, you can be sure that everyone at the trade show is there because they want to be. That will help you get the most trade show leads.

11. Too Much Time Spent on the trade show floor

While it’s important to be visible at trade shows, you don’t want to spend so much time on the trade show floor that you miss out on potential leads. Make sure you have a plan for how to split your time between the booth and networking events.

12. No Lead Nurturing

Even the best trade show leads need to be nurtured after the trade show is over. If you don’t have a lead nurturing program in place, those trade show leads will quickly disappear.

13. Not Leveraging Technology

Leveraging technology can help you track trade show leads and get more out of your appearance. Make sure you have the right trade show exhibit rental software to bring all of your trade show leads together in one place.

14. Forgetting about Social Media

In the trade show world, social media is a great way to reach potential leads and take your trade show marketing to the next level. Make sure you have a plan in place for promoting yourself on these channels , as well as having trade show websites set up ahead of time.

15. Not taking notes

One of the best ways to learn from trade shows is to take notes on what works and what doesn’t. Make sure you have a place to track your leads, as well as your marketing efforts. This will help you improve your trade show strategy for next time.

We’ve outlined some of the most common trade show mistakes that lead to a less-than-impressive exhibit. Be sure you avoid these pitfalls and your booth will be one of the best at the event! 

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