There are several exhibition centres in the UK. The best centres are those in large population areas with transport networks linking them to other parts of the country. Some exhibitions are held in major hotels which have the added advantage of accommodation on site. London, as the capital, hosts many events in a calendar year while Birmingham and Manchester also feature strongly. There are shows which look to reach out to the public interested in the latest cars, boats or home ideas. The Ideal Home Exhibition is held annually at Olympia in West London and Motorexpo at Canary Wharf in the East. NEC Birmingham has such things as the Caravan and Camping Show and the Cycle Show.
The Hilton in Manchester has a regular business exhibition which is popular, especially now business is improving. Others whose business is primarily with supplying other businesses understand that exhibitions form an important part of their marketing strategy. Every exhibitor needs to hire space and ensure that the stand is attractive and manned by good staff.
Competition
Shows are occasions where competitors meet and each exhibitor has to plan how they intend to address visitors to create a lasting impression once those visitors have gone away. Some exhibitions are held to actually generate business and there is no doubt that promotional offers help to achieve that or at least begin dialogue.
Professional
Exhibition stands must be ‘dressed’ professionally. That means that any banners that are used are exactly in line with the dimensions of the stand. Vertical self standing banners have become increasingly popular and there are now miniatures which sit on a desk, perhaps including discount offer cards.
Most companies have uniform colours, logo and font on all their promotional material from the business card and letterhead right up to banners. Ideally, the colours used will complement one another and make the impact on visitors that the business is hoping for.
Revision and Strategy
If a show is held over a few days, it will usually be worth reviewing things after the first day. While it may not be possible to change too much about the appearance of a stand, if some competitors seem to be busier than others it is something to consider. Slight changes in approach for the remaining days may be possible.
When a business sits down to discuss its business and strategy for the coming year, decisions will be made about which exhibitions it will attend. At the same time it needs to decide on the message to be conveyed and ensure that it has good quality promotional material including banners so that it will look professional to all visitors and fellow exhibitors. The cost involved in holding stocks of different sized banners is not significant and well worth the price.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Kidal Delonix is a contributor to Mr. Hoffman's blog. The views and opinions are entirely his/her own and may not reflect Mr Hoffman's views.
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