Trade shows are huge opportunities to build your client base and expand your business, so you don’t want to mess it up. Yet, mistakes are made at every event and businesses suffer as a result. Here are some common trade show “no-no’s” to avoid.

What Not to Do at a Trade Show

1. Ignoring Your Competition: You may consider yourself a leader in your industry, the best-of-the-best, and maybe you are. But that does not mean you have nothing left to learn. Even if your company is at the top of the food chain, you can still learn from observing your competitors and understanding their market strategies. Take a walk around the trade show and see what you’re up against. Introduce yourself to other exhibitors.
2. Skipping the Social Events: Trade shows often include social events such as galas, meet-and-greets, award ceremonies, and receptions. These “social events” are not just about being social, though. These are networking opportunities; make the most of them.
3. Relying on Memory: Take notes, collect business cards, take photographs — whatever works. You don’t want to lose leads simply because you forgot a client’s name or overlooked an important conversation. The average trade show visitor spends nine and a half hours looking at exhibits, which means you spend around the same amount of time talking to hundreds or even thousands of people. There is an average of 2.2 trade show visitors per 100 square feet of exhibit space. You are not going to remember every face, name, and conversation.
4. Creating Your Own Exhibit Design: Unless you are a professional graphic designer or creator of custom exhibits, do not attempt to make your own trade show booth. A lot more goes into the creation of trade show booth designs than you may realize, which is why exhibit rentals are recommended. In fact, for the best results, it is wise to hire custom exhibit designers to build a booth that will clearly and accurately express your brand and grab the attention of prospective consumers. Events are the second largest area of growth in media spending among businesses, and hiring a professional designer to create a booth for an event is well worth the money.

 
These are all common mistakes made by trade show exhibitors. If you have any additional “no-no’s” you would like to share, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below.