When Should You Start Preparing For Your Trade Show?

There are a lot of stages to participating in a trade show, including the all-important work with an experienced full-service exhibit company to create a trade show space you can work in. However, before any construction can begin, the most important phase is planning and preparation. When is the right time to do this?

One Year Out: Pick Your Possibilities

You should always evaluate which trade shows are the ones you’d like to participate in at least one year before making any commitments. Work with your team to list your goals and see which trade shows align with those goals. As tempting as it may seem, you should not sign on for every trade show that seems like a good idea; always make sure you have goals, have reviewed the trade show in question, and ensure it meets your needs.

10 Months Out: Register

Once you’ve picked your trade show, you should try to sign up as quickly as possible. It should come as no surprise that trade shows have limited space. This is especially true for major trade shows where many businesses will be competing for a slice of valuable exhibition space. If you’re not prepared to register quickly, you may lose the opportunity entirely.

9-6 Months Out: Design Your Space

This is where you should be working closely with a full-service exhibit company to figure out the physical logistics of your participation. Concepts, designs, prototyping, and final approval all come in this phase. You must understand what you want to do at the trade show, so your service provider can help facilitate that, whether it’s more meeting space or a demonstration area for your product or service.

Three Months Out: Research Your Prospects

Trade shows are about meeting people and negotiating new possibilities. At the three-month mark, you should be looking at who else is attending, competitors, established clients and customers, or potential new clients and customers you’d like to add to your list. Getting to know who’s going to be there could be useful.

One Month Out: Reach Out

At 4-6 weeks, you should reach out to people you’d like to meet and arrange appointments. Everyone will be firming up plans at this point, so ensure you do the same and set up meets to go out and network or arrange meetings within your trade show exhibit.

If you’re thinking of taking part in a trade show and want to plan your exhibit, we can help. Contact Lighthouse Exhibits, and we can assist you with designing and constructing your trade show exhibit.