How to prepare for a Furniture Trade Show

Trade shows aren’t something you can just throw together. Whether you’re exhibiting or you’re hosting, you need to organise yourself to really make the event work for you. Get things right and people will look forward to seeing you again the following year or attend any other events you organise. Trade shows offer a myriad of opportunities, but it’s all in the planning. This is how to prepare for a trade show.

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Secure a good location

Location, location, location — this should be so obvious it doesn’t need a mention, but if you want to organise a good furniture trade show, you should choose a good location. It should be big enough for people to walk around comfortably and view the different stands. People should be able to recognise the venue and reach it easily. Most importantly of all, don’t leave your organisation till the last minute. Take plenty of time before you intend to hold the show to book a suitable venue. If not, the whole event could be a disaster.

Set some goals

If you’re an exhibitor at an event, you have to decide why you’re attending. Are you going there to make direct sales? Do you want to generate leads? Do you just want people to see your brand? Once you know the reason(s) why you wish to be at the event, you can design your stand and manage your budget accordingly.

This is just as important if you’re the organiser. Budget allocation is massively important and depending on your goals, you may designate more or less of your budget to certain aspects of the event. Exhibit space, promotion and marketing, logistics and show services are just some aspects you’d need to consider in your budget.

Set up a good booth

If you’re exhibiting, you need to build a stand that blows the visitors’ socks off (not literally!). You and your competitors will all be trying to capture the attention of visitors, so your stand needs to be the business. Ideally, brand messaging should be bold and relevant. Incorporating product demonstrations, promotions or interactive features into your stand will get eyeballs on your stand (and hopefully wanting to buy your product).

Don’t underestimate the space that exhibitors will need, if you’re organising the furniture trade show. Offering plenty of floorspace can encourage people to exhibit at your event. An overcrowded event space would damage the experience for your guests, so have a chat to anyone who plans to exhibit at your trade show and find out how much space they’ll need.

Prepare your staff

You’ll want your best men and women on the job when it comes to running your stand. These people are representing you, so you want people who can communicate well. Brief your sales and marketing teams adequately. Let them know what you want them to do and what the stakes are. You might even include a few bonuses or extras for any tasks they complete well or targets they achieve.

If you’re running the event, hold meetings in the time leading up to the event and organise a few trial runs. This gives you the chance to anticipate any problems that might occur during the event and pre-empt them or identify possible solutions if they do arise. Create a list of numbers and make sure everyone involved in helping you put on the show has the list so that you all contact each other when necessary.