Countdown to the show
Planning ahead is critical to your exhibiting success. Logistical details can often seem overwhelming
when taking on such a marketing venture so a well laid out plan will be invaluable to you and your
team.
It’s quite simple – planning for your exhibition makes life so much easier! And it can help you avoid
additional expenses and last minute panics.
Our job at The Exhibition Co is to make it all run smoothly, both up to and on the day. With over 25
years experience in the exhibition industry under our belt we are well aware of all the pitfalls! It definitely
pays to plan.
To help you, we have put together a basic list and timeline for exhibition preparation.
12 MONTHS TO SHOW:
• Define the purpose of your exhibition. What do you hope to achieve?
• Develop a budget including projected profits
• Create an Exhibition marketing plan including pre-show, at-show and follow-up plan
• Research and identify which exhibition and venue will best suit your market
• Identify what kind of space best suits your sales/product placement
• Register and reserve your space
6 MONTHS TO SHOW:
• Select an exhibition company and discuss initial design and floorplan
• Appoint an exhibition coordinator from your team to have overall responsibility
• Begin thinking about accessories, giveaways, staffing, marketing materials
• Set into action pre-show marketing initiatives
3 MONTHS TO SHOW:
• Finalise designs and floorplans
• Begin to think about signage and graphics and sourcing or creating artwork
• Make selections for on-stand products and discuss with your exhibition company how best to
display them
• Make any shipping and insurance arrangements required for products
• Book staff for any presentations or demonstrations
• Make any travel/accommodation bookings necessary
• Pass on the exhibitor manual to your supplier to ensure booking forms are submitted on time
• Keep in touch with your pre-show leads