How to Make Your Exhibition Budget Go Further Without Sacrificing Quality
Getting involved in exhibitions can be an exciting experience but it can also be intimidating when you start assessing how much everything is going to cost. Setting up an exhibit at a popular event isn’t exactly a measly expense, but it also doesn’t have to break the bank if you’re wise with your available resources. With that said, here are several ways you can make the most out of your exhibition without compromising the quality of your company’s service and appearance:1. Make the Stand the Most Important Expense
While this should be obvious to most people, you’d be surprised at how many companies show up to exhibitions with sub-par exhibition stands after spending tons on marketing and advertising. If your stand isn’t appealing and attractive at the event, all the funds spent on pre-event marketing could be wasted. Your stand has to catch the eye of your visitors, make them stop and lure them over. This is why a sizable portion of the budget should go towards your stand design. Don’t forget that your stand represents your brand, and will bring in the majority of your visitors.
2. Rent Instead of Buy
Instead of buying the equipment for your stand, you can find companies who allow you to hire it. YiMu’s stand hire is a great option if you want to test your exhibition stand, or if you exhibit infrequently. A business with decent credit can save in the short-term and reduce cash flow burdens by renting the majority of their equipment and using a company credit card to make the payments. Although you would owe interest if the expense was paid with credit, increasing the long-term expense of the event might make sense if it means you’ll only have to invest a small amount upfront.
3. Freebies Don’t Have to Break the Bank
Yes, it’s true that giving away stuff at your stand can attract people. Who doesn’t like a cool freebie? But try not to replicate what your competitors are giving out. The usual freebies visitors come away with at an event are key chains, t-shirts, coffee mugs etc. Why don’t you offer them something a bit different that’s relevant to your brand and services? Don’t just leave your creative thinking for your stand design, get creative with your freebies- but rememberyou don’t have to break the bank doing this! A little idea is putting your company’s logo on a trolley coin- you can be certain they’ll get use out of this and will be reminded of your company every time they do their local shop.
4. Limit Staff Expenditure
Having too many staff members at your exhibition will not only increase payroll expenses unnecessarily, it also doesn’t look too good when you have people standing around crowding up the space and not doing much. You really only need a few key people to attend the event and that’s enough to make things go smoothly. Try to stay within the “no more than 1 employee per 4 square metres of exhibition space” industry rule of thumb.
5. Focus on Presentation and Delivery
Finally, as a closing tip, don’t worry too much about expenses after you’ve acquired an innovative stand.On the day of the event the primary focus should be preparing for an effective presentation. Make sure you position all of your exhibit components in a way that will create the most visible and professional look from all angles. Ultimately, your company’s innovation and performance at the exhibition will be just as important as the investments made leading up to the event.
