1. Start Planning As Early As Possible


You can never start planning too early. A lot goes into developing a trade show plan, such as design, strategy, preparing presentations and so much more. In fact, it would be wise to add a section for events to your annual marketing plan. We suggest you start planning 5-6 months ahead for trade shows and 2-3 months ahead for big events. Some display companies such as Lush Banners can help you with show budgeting as they offer free annual planning for enterprises.


  1. Ask for Design Assistance 


Design is often the most time-consuming part of the planning process. When designing, consider your target audience and tailor your booth space to best meet their needs and wants. Trade show exhibits that have been carefully thought out will be uniform in their messaging and design all the way from the trade show displays themselves, down to the marketing materials. You will want to make sure that all of your design artwork files are in a vector used format and that the colors are correctly matched for large format printing. Above all, make sure your exhibit design stands out from the crowd and clearly represents your company’s values and offerings. Lush Banners is a great resource as they also offer free professional design services.



  1. Buy In Bulk For The Best Discount


Once you’ve figured out your promotional display needs for the year, it would be beneficial to go ahead and order them all in advance. Most suppliers in the event industry offer great quantity discounts when you buy in bulk. Not only will you have the benefit of saving money, but this also ensures that you won’t be scrambling once its showtime. 


  1. Leave a Margin For Error


We understand that most companies may not have the budget to buy all of the items for their trade show booths all at once. We do suggest though, that if you choose to purchase closer to the time of your event, that you leave a couple days’ margin as things don’t always go exactly as planned. An additional 2-5 business days can help you counter delays in the proofing, printing, or shipping process. 



  1. Be Memorable


There’s no doubt that you will have had a successful trade show if you are remembered. Make sure to consider the creation of take-home marketing materials in your pre-show checklist. Make sure your booth staff hands out your material before potential clients leave your booth and have them provide their contact information so you can do a post-show follow up with those you met at the event.  


Event planning can be a painstaking process, but if you remember to do these 5 important things, you are much more likely to see a return on your investment.