How Should You Plan for Attending a Big Trade Fair: Practical Advice

Attending a major trade fair can be one of the most rewarding (and overwhelming, honestly; just ask veteran business travelers) experiences for professionals and businesses alike. As near countless reasons as there may be to attend a trade fair, there’s only one way to make the most out of your time: plan!

From travel logistics to on-the-ground tactics, here’s your complete guide to navigating any trade fair without losing sight of your objectives or cracking under the pressure.

What Do You Know About the Event? How Does it Support Your Career / Business?

You need to have a good idea about the reason you’re travelling in the first place. Some events might sound like a good fit for your career or business on paper, but might not abound with the real opportunities you might need. To this end, do your research before doing anything else.

Who’s speaking? What are the target demographics? Can you pre-book meetings or demos?

Visit the event’s official website and review the floor plan, list of exhibitors, agenda, speaker panels, and networking opportunities. Check if there’s an app to help you navigate the fair (most large, established trade fairs have one) and it will save you serious time.

Each trade fair has its own rhythm and scale. You need to be prepared to keep up with its tempo, because the event will definitely not accommodate yours.

Do You Know What You Will Be Doing at the Event?

In theory, you know that the event will be beneficial either for your business or for your career development. But now is the time to think through how to make the best out of your time there. After all, attending any trade fair costs a pretty penny. You want to justify your presence!

Are you looking to generate leads? Research competitors? Network with potential partners? Launch a new product?

Clearly define your mission and assign roles to the people you’re bringing along. This ensures you will efficiently utilize your time at the event and get a strong return on investment!

Turn Your Mission into a Game Plan

Time flies at trade fairs. Prioritize key meetings and activities before you even set foot in the venue. Big trade fairs offer attendees an event app, which will be your most valuable resource and the first step would be to secure meetings and get the most out of the matchmaking services.

Choose the sessions, lectures and guided tours that are essential to your goals and sign up where necessary ahead of time. If you’re going with a bigger team, it’s smart to delegate specific team members to attend programming and maximize knowledge sharing.

Take your time to make personalized itineraries and get acquainted with the show floors and event space so that you can factor in time you spend walking and resting. Rest is important, because any event is a marathon!

Allocate Resources Responsibly Minimizes Losses

On the surface level this means calculating how much you will spend on flights and hotels, but there is a lot more that goes into attending a trade fair, especially as an exhibitor.

How much will it cost to set up an exhibition booth and gather your promotional materials? Are you bringing product samples? How are you going to transport them? What’s the budget for logistics and meals? Are there any additional associated expenses with the trade fair?

Considering all these questions (months in advance) leaves you with a realistic budget that will prepare you for any hidden expenses and nasty surprises.

Do You Have a Clear Travel Plan?

Big trade fairs attract thousands of people, which means hotels and flights get booked fast and prices surge. Once your attendance is confirmed the first thing to do is handle accommodation and flights.

The earlier you book flights, the more options you have for flight times. Not to mention rates will be much for forgiving on your budget. Choose a hotel close to the venue, even if it’s slightly more expensive as commuting can be draining and complicate your day-to-day. A good tip here would be to look into what the specific event offers in terms of shuttle services or hotels.

It’s not uncommon for big trade fairs to have partner hotels that makes the reservation process a lot simpler. If you’ve failed to secure accommodation through partner hotels, it might be easier to reach out to a business travel agency to plan every aspect of your trip for you.

You’ve Arrived. Doors Are Open. Now What?

It’s time to put your plan into action! You’re prepared and you’ve got this!

You want to be there early. Set up your booth as soon as possible before the majority of people show up. This is of the utmost importance on the first day as you will take the lay of the land. Use the quiet time to be productive.

In your social interactions, be ready to deliver a short, effective elevator pitch and be sure to ask prescient questions where needed. Identify the most important people that you want to connect with and present yourself as a valuable and meaningful contact that can lead to future partnerships and collaboration. This is the only way to generate sales leads that are easy to later convert into sales. After each conversation, make sure to take notes, because the real work begins after the event is over. You want to make people feel seen and remembered!

If there are any digital tools, use them to their full extent. Have QR codes that are easy to scan and present your business. Take photographs and tag people on LinkedIn. Find out any and every opportunity to make your presence known digitally and in person.

It’s extra work, but the dividends are plentiful in the long run.

Big trade fairs are energetic beasts that pack high potential. Smart preparation and thoughtful execution are the tools to make them into a turning point for your business growth.