The view from the other side of the trade show booth

Now I know – exhibiting at a trade show can be a bit overwhelming! But help is available!

I recently exhibited at the MN Women’s Business Expo at PAIKKA in St. Paul, and got a chance to see what it’s like to be behind the booth instead of helping my clients plan for one.

I wanted to be strategic on where I spent my money since this was my first time exhibiting at this particular show. I decided to go with a vinyl X-banner (a little less expensive than a pull-down banner) and branded stainless steel straws as a giveaway to tie in with my sustainability/recycling theme.

The straws were a big hit with the attendees that visited my booth. Even other vendors came by to say what a great idea it was. So in the end, I was very happy with my decision and I met 16 possible “leads” – people who may need my design services – that’s a win in my book!

One thing I wasn’t expecting was how nervous I was to talk to people at the booth. I wasn’t sure what to say. Like everything else in life (and in business) it’s all a learning experience, and I tried to follow the advice from my mentor Ilise Benun, who always says “treat it like an experiment.” Once I got there, I found it wasn’t that hard to introduce myself and talk about what I do. In fact, it was actually fun!

Here’s what else I learned: you have to be really mindful of what you’re spending your money on for a tradeshow. It all adds up! It is a big expense for most businesses, especially if it’s your first time. I’m usually behind the scenes, helping my clients come up with the artwork for their tradeshow displays, giveaways and marketing materials to hand out at the show, and we usually start this process months in advance.

If you’re considering exhibiting at a trade show, here are some things to think about:

•   Is this the right target audience for your business?
•   How can you keep costs down? (Strategically think about where to invest your resources, i.e. more money into the tradeshow display and less on giveaways)
•   What could you do to save yourself some time on the next go-around? Could you hire someone to take care of all the details? (Shameless self-promotion plug)

So now I understand why it’s nice to have someone guide you all along the way, especially if that person has experience with other companies for similar tradeshows. Click here to see some tradeshow projects I’ve worked on recently.

If you are interested in receiving a stainless steel reusable straw, please reach out and I will send one your way… or if you’ve just signed on the dotted line for an upcoming tradeshow, I would love to walk you through the entire process now that I’ve got experience being on “both sides of the booth.”

Jen Leonardson | Graphic Designer | Oxyjen Design, Inc.

Graphic Design Services for Business Owners & Marketing Directors in Manufacturing, Small Business and Non-Profits.