Planning Your Booth is very important. If you set up without a plan you may feel frustrated when it doesn't come together and you may be missing something you need.
Step 1--plan the look of your booth so it passes the 3-30-3 rule.
Can someone glancing at your booth for 3 seconds know who you are?Make sure your business name is part of your booth display. (You'd be surprised how many people overlook the obvious.)
Can someone looking at your booth for 30 seconds understand who you are, what you do and one key benefit they'd get by contracting your services?
Do you have materials, handouts or other additional information that would draw someone in for 3 minutes or more?
Step 2-- Select a color scheme. Color is good--it's eye catching and makes a statement before anyone's even started to look closely. Even Black and White can be dramatic. Make sure your colors look like they belong together and don't clash with your logo or give aways.
Step 3--Invest in good signage and professional printing. Poor copies from your office copiers don't reflect well on the quality of work that you do, your ability to plan or your professionalism. Having a few 4-color glossy high end printed pieces for display and special customers is great--and it's also okay to have some less expensive black and white copies for the general public.
Step 4--Draw a quick sketch of what your booth will look like. The Chamber provides an 8 foot table and white table cloth. Don't let that table be bare. And don't bring so much stuff that there's no way it will fit in your exhibit area. It can help to do a practice run to set up your booth at your office. Do you know how the banner goes together? Can you put it up and take it down easily?
Step 5--Take Design tips from HGTV, TLC and magazines. Enhance your display and create drama on a dime. Use empty boxes to build height under the table cloth. Pick up some fresh flowers or pumpkins to add a natural element for nominal cost to your display. Trifold foam board displays are available at Office Depot. Bring a table top easle to display a plaque, photograph or award.
Step 6--When ordering give away items, consider how they can be displayed at the EXPO further enhancing your color scheme and/or messages. Add that into your planned exhibit space.
Step 7--Decide how you will capture business leads. Are you doing a fish bowl raffle? What prize are you offering for people to "enter to win?" Keeping the prize related to your business will keep your fish bowl primed with pre-qualified leads. Only people who want to win your prize will enter!
Step 8--Make sure you have a plan for how you'll keep track of special notes and necessary follow up from contacts made the evening of the EXPO. Have a note pad, use your cell phone or have a lap top handy.
Step 9--Pack a supply kit. Things you will need to set up your booth and handle any event day emergency. Tape, Safety pins, scissors, pens, stapler, breath mints, water and comfortable shoes.
Step 10--After you set up your practice run for your display--walk away and come back later to look it over. Be objective. Is the booth attractive? Is it enticing? Would you want to learn more about the business is represents? If need be--tweak your display.
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