When we consider attending an exhibition as an exhibitor, we have to define he objectives we are aiming for: finding new contacts, gaining visibility, promoting products or everything at once. And of course, we also need to define a way to measure results in order to know if attending will provide a good return on investment. At Publiverd we know that having a stand with an impressive design that matches the image and values of our brand is very important. However, the business vision that accompanies our presence at the fair is also important.

What aspects do we need to take into account to achieve our strategic objectives?

• Having a clear idea of the goal: Objectives are two a penny, but you can only have one goal, which you need to find because you’re going to the exhibition and need to focus on it. If you need to find contacts at the event, make your products more relevant, meet influential people in the medium, or something else, make the choice according to your main goal. Here, the eye-catching effect and a carefully designed stand is essential for reaching your audience. Space to negotiate, the design of the circuit or flow of your stand, together with other elements such as lights or display units, are essential for achieving one objective or another.
• Choose the exhibitions well: Who is your audience? At which Spanish or international fair will you gain more visibility? Where can I study my competition better? Where will I make better contacts? These are questions a company needs to ask itself when choosing which events to attend successfully.
• Have a strategic plan: This plan should include an objective, location and realistic budget that includes the stand, staff and potential catering or audiovisual/graphic material and metrics to evaluate the return on investment.
• Measure your results: Even if it may be tedious, monitoring our progress will help us correct errors and gain effectiveness for future events. For example, we can keep a list of new or potential clients by creating a small database with new clients we win at the exhibition (potential clients that we can then try to convert with sales). It is also a good idea to measure approximately how many people visit our stand, as well as what ideas from the competition might help us to develop new strategies or new material for our business.

By applying and considering these simple guidelines, our attendance at the fair will be much more focused and more likely to improve on expected results.