Hints and Tips for Exhibitors

Before

Make sure your business has vibrant social media feeds, with great pictures of your product. Not only is this a great way to connect with your customers, you will be able to join the social media conversation around the festival – and we can promote you right back.

Prepare business cards or flyers. The festival is a fantastic chance to market your business and win future sales. Make sure visitors have something to take away so that they can find you again.

Create an attraction or feature on your stand to entice visitors to stop, for example: tastings or a competition. A competition is a great way to capture email addresses.

Promotion

Tell people you are coming to the festival. Invite existing and prospective customers so they can meet you and sample your products. Update your website/social media feeds with the details of what you will be doing and link to delaprefoodfestival.co.uk. Feel free to use the festival flyer and logo. If you are on Instagram – a great social tool for sharing photos of food – even better.

If you are launching a new product or running a competition at the event, tell the festival organisers so they can include it in their marketing and PR campaign.

At the event

Make sure your stand is enticing. Think carefully about how it will look. Bring plenty of product to put on show and props to provide height and depth. Spare supplies, your lunch, empty cups etc should be hidden out of sight.

Do not pounce on visitors or ask a yes / no question like ‘Can I help you?’ Instead smile while making eye-contact. For those who return your eye-contact, ask something neutral to build a rapport such as: “Have you come far?” and then ask a more specific product related question.

Be focused on your objectives – avoid eating, drinking, reading or using your phone on your stand. If you’ve drafted in help from friends or family, make sure they are fully briefed.

Afterwards

Follow up any leads. Send out a holding email directly after the show then follow up in person. Follow up is important and can boost your ROI significantly so don’t let it slide.

Reserve your stand for next year!

Download this guide here.

Sharon French has been running her own marketing business since 2006. She is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (DipM /MCIM) and a SFDI-qualified start-up Business Mentor affiliated with the University of Northampton. She can be contacted on 07962 438 532 or visit www.evolve-marketing.co.uk.