TRADE SHOW TRAVEL TIPS

Trade Show Travel Tips

Attending trade shows is an effective way to market your services and products to hundreds or thousands of customers.   Depending on the location of your business, you may be able to attend industry-specific trade shows locally. However, if large trade show events for your industry aren’t in your city or region, you’ll have to travel to attend these events. Preparing for an out-of-town marketing event takes planning and organization. Making sure that your team is prepared and your travel plans are in order can make it easier for you to interact with attendees when you arrive. When you’re less stressed, and your trade show booth is in order, you can put your best foot forward and ensure that you’re presenting your company in the best light.

Reserve Your Spot at The Trade Show

If the trade show is out of town, you’ll likely have to get tickets or passes to the show. This means you have to confirm that your company will be attending as far in advance as you can. Do this before getting plane tickets or renting a car. Don’t forget this important step; ensure that your business has a spot in the show before the registration deadline. You don’t want to travel hours for a trade show, only to try to convince the show sponsors to try and find a spot for you. After your spot is reserved, you can think about the right trade show rentals that you’ll need for your booth.

Determine Who Will Attend

Before you start making travel arrangements, you’ll need to know which team members will be coming to the trade show. You may want to select team members based on the years of experience they have. Or, you can select employees who are friendly and like interacting with customers. Ideally, team members who embody all of these characteristics are the best choices for a trade show. Once you know how many people will be traveling to the trade show with you, you can get the rest of your accommodations in order.

Figure Out Travel Accommodations and Book Ahead of Time

If you need to get plane tickets for the trade show, make sure that you purchase them as soon as you can. In most cases, the sooner you book your flights, the cheaper they will be. If you need to rent a car, it will likely be best to do this at the airport. Your vehicle should be reserved ahead of time as well to avoid costly last-minute fees. This is just as important as getting your exhibits and displays in order.

Plan Trip Activities

In addition to the trade show, you can also plan activities for you and your team members to take advantage of. Traveling to this marketing event is an ideal way to boost morale and learn new methods and techniques that can better your business. If there are workshops or seminars at the trade show location, make arrangements for your team to attend. It’s also a good idea for you and your team to participate in networking events or awards ceremonies that are part of the trade show. The more you make your presence known at the event, the higher your chances are of meeting the right people. This is also an effective marketing tactic because it indirectly increases brand recognition. You may also want to make reservations at a local restaurant for a group lunch or dinner to discuss the success of the trade show. Meeting for a meal can also help you decide if you need to make adjustments to your trade show marketing strategies. If the location of the trade show is in a city that has tourist attractions or landmarks, make arrangements to take your team on some of these outings. This will help you to bond with your colleagues and increases the chances that the next event will be successful.