Kyrah Howell is the Marketing Coordinator at Events 720, innovative exhibition suppliers in Australia. She is a recent communications graduate navigating the exciting world of events and expos. Alongside full marketing duties, she is also studying a master of marketing communication at the University of Melbourne. You can follow her work on the Events 720 blog and her LinkedIn.
Aside from your exhibit design, the location of your trade show booth is one of the most important factors to consider when planning to exhibit. Each space within a venue will have its advantages and disadvantages; knowing how to identify these will help you secure the best space for your business.
The key to securing a great exhibit space is to be in the know about when the trade show organizers begin selling these spaces to ensure you receive first pick. You can keep up to date with any news about floor space by following website pages and social media accounts.
You can also secure your place in line for space through building positive relationships with the event organizers. By keeping regular contact with the organizers, you can ensure that they keep your interests in mind and contact you with any news.
To secure your ideal floor space early, identify the trade show that you are interested in exhibiting in up to a year in advance and aim to attend that event. Trade show organizers will often have an exhibition booth at their own trade show where they sell floor space for the following year. This is a great way to secure your space early, as other exhibitors and attendees are too busy at events and often overlook this opportunity.
Attending the trade show will not only help you secure the best spot, but it can also reveal a lot about the atmosphere and practicality of the event. Explore the trade show to identify how efficient the floor plan is, whether exhibitors are satisfied with the event, if there are adequate entrances and exits, and which areas seem to be the busiest. This will help you decide which space is the most suitable for your booth.
Having a higher level of foot traffic through your exhibit will increase your chances of achieving your goals, but this will be dictated by where you’re positioned in the venue. Each area in a venue will have a different level of foot traffic depending on where entrances, exits, guest speakers, food and bathrooms are located.
Don’t be fooled by busy entrances, as these can become congested. Visitors often enter the venue and naturally move away from crowded areas. Alternatively, leverage off the crowd by choosing a space close and directly in front of the entrance, but avoid becoming caught up in a traffic jam.
A trade show venue is like a supermarket; the more impulsive and exciting items are placed closer to the entrance. This is because people grow tired and run out of time as they move through the aisles, therefore they become less interested in items. In other words, select a space that is closer to the entrance and at the beginning of the natural flow of foot traffic. When choosing which side of a venue to situate your exhibit, favor the same side that people in that country drive on, as this is often the side our instinct tells us to go to.
These are just some of the ways to secure the best location for your booth. If you aim to create positive relationships with the trade show organizers, research the venue to identify busy areas and learn the ins and outs of foot traffic, you can ensure that the next time you’re presented with a floor plan you’ll know exactly which space will be the most beneficial for your business.
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