We pay lots of money to be part of a busy 2 or 3 days, and yet many of us seem to think that all we need to do is just to pitch up at an event, and expect the business to come to us!
We wanted to share 10 top tips with you, taken from our Event Marketing Training Courses, that could give you an idea of what you can do to help the event work for YOU, and to deliver the return on your investment of time and money.
1. Make sure it’s the event for you.
Ask questions: Make sure you know who the audience is. What buying power do they have? Are your fellow exhibitors also potential business partners and customers?
2. READ THE MANUAL (we left the obvious out…)
Organisers do not write exhibitor manuals, out of sheer joy. They do it because they want to ensure that you know of ALL the opportunities available to take advantage of the day. It also includes important stuff like times, setting up, parking….
3. Advertising opportunities
If you are one of the lucky ones to have a spare few coins in your marketing kitty, why not ask your event organiser of any advertising or sponsorship opportunities available for you to get your brand seen, that little bit more. Most events have Guides and Programmes – so why not feature on the back page?
4. Go in with a plan
Get your team together and decide on what the objectives of exhibiting at the event are. It is absolutely crucial that you have the buy-in from the entire team.
5. Ensure your objectives are Measurable
You cannot manage what you can’t measure! Whether your intention is to increase your contact database, or grow your sales revenue by 10%. Whatever it is, set objectives that you can measure – therefore awarding yourself the easy chance to be able to identify whether this event worked for you, or not!
6. Understand your space.
When booking your stand, think about the space. Don’t take a space that is too big for you, and don’t take a space that is too small. Take something that suits your budget and decide on an event presence that will accurately echo your business message. Lay the stand size out on your boardroom carpet, with some masking tape. If you’re planning on having 4 people on the stand – make them stand in that space. Does it work? What furniture did you want to bring? What promotional material?
7. Use your noggin… and the 5 senses.
Exhibiting at events doesn’t always mean it has to break the bank! Get back to basics and think about the little things that attracts you to other exhibitions or people. Use the senses of smell, touch, taste, feel and sight to echo the message that you’re trying to convey. We all love a freshly baked something, and the sound of birdsong generally has us stopping for a smile… let your imagination go and you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve!
8. Choose your team – WISELY.
We are all too often ready to rope in anyone and everyone who is willing to help. When it comes to exhibition presence – CHOOSE your team. Think about the person who is customer-facing… the one that stands on the edge of the stand and greets people walking by. Think about the person who has all the product-knowledge… they are NOT always the same person. Don’t get them mixed up either. This could determine the success or failure of your exhibition.
9. Ensure you have a follow-up plan
Don’t just leave it down to “We’ll sort it out when we get there”. Make sure you have a way to capture as much information as possible, from potential customers. Whether you take notebooks, or invest in high-tech scanners – make sure that information is captured, and most of all, that you follow up within a time period agreed by the team.
10. ENJOY the day.
Nothing worse than passing by an exhibition stand and the exhibitor is looking bored, unamused or just downright unfriendly. NEVER eat or drink on your stand, and definately no work! Cut all mobile phone and laptop usage and ban anything that will detract from the reason why you are there. Forget the office, and TALK. And…. most importantly… forget the office-talk. 🙂
There are many more top tips included in our course training sessions – so if you’re interested in knowing more – why not give us a ring!
How often do you fall into auto-mode? When speaking… when typing….? We go into this “zone” (and I’m no different) where we say what we want to say, and then we finish it all off with a good old spoonful of “Standard Business Talk” at the end…
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Should you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
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I read a brilliant article on the Business Insider this morning, where they speak about exactly this type of thing. Getting away from stiff office jargon and colloquial “buzzwords” that tend to annoy more than they impress. Words like creative, innovative, motivational, track record, problem-solving, being used in your business profile….
Focus is, and has always been on content that provides value. And at a point in time, these buzzwords also provided value. They were innovative. They were descriptive, and they sounded brilliant. However, if, like me, you find yourself slipping into bad habits once in a while, and you start signing your business emails off with the usual phrase, perhaps it’s time to re-think the purpose of your message, in the first place. What are you saying? To whom are you saying it? And most of all – remain true to your character.
What about a “I am excited about working with you” or event just a, “Just let me know if you have any questions”.
Or maybe even not!
If there are questions, they’ll contact you. They have your email address, for goodness sake! 🙂
This year, in support of the Buy Local that we’re involved in, we decided to purchase ALL (or as many as we could) of our gifts, from businesses in our community. Being someone who tends to shop online for most things (the age of electronics!), we headed out one chilly Saturday morning.
In all honesty, we didn’t expect to be very successful. The old stigmas of village-shopping still ringing in my head… too expensive, too “eclectic”, too small a collection etc etc etc.
Proud to report back that within an hour and a half – our ENTIRE Christmas list was completed – with the most unusual, yes even eclectic, gifts that were just perfect! Proud!
How wonderful it has been to get stuck in and involved in a local community with so much promise, so much potential, and most of all – a community that is passionate about promoting all that Beaminster has to offer.
2012 has been a somewhat topsy-turvy year for the little town of Beaminster. Located in West Dorset, Beaminster is nestled amongst the rolling hills and stretches of neon green that only a typical English Summertime provides. The torrential summer resulted in one of the main routes into and out of the village, being closed off. Relying not only on local support, but also largely on the passing trade by visitors who are en route to the Jurassic Coast, the businesses in Beaminster had to face a very stark reality.
It really was down to the community to stand together and fight to support the businesses. Not only to show support for the business community, but more important, to be a demonstration that we CAN go against the grain. The negative doom that is all-too-often portrayed in the media – didn’t have a match on the passion and enthusiasm of the people who are looking to flip the perception that the town is anything but dying!
Being a resident in Beaminster myself, how wonderful it was to be able to use what Fresh Brew does best and contribute to a wonderful campaign: Be a Local, Buy Local, Buy in Beaminster! Without any hope or agenda, the mission was purely to stand together in a time of challenge, relying on the expertise, abilities and skills that are so bountiful throughout the community, and build something that will continue for many years to come!
Keep an eye on our site… we’ll have an update on this soon!
We were recently invited to contribute to the Halloween edition of the Eat Balanced blog where they were looking to do a specific feature on healthy Halloween alternatives. We were honoured to be able to introduce an old South African favourite – Pumpkin Fritters – but with a healthy twist.
Below is the full version of the article written:
Since the moment I can remember, my mom has been a force in the kitchen. She has healed many a broken heart over a cup of tea and a slice of carrot cake, or resolved an argument with her peppermint crisp tart. She has worked late into the nights making sure my birthday cakes have been finished in time, and has single-handedly presented Parisian dinner-parties that Julia Child would be proud of.
So you would understand my love of food, and creating delicacies in the kitchen, as being an innate developmental process that I’ve learnt to love and appreciate.
I am a 33 year old South African, living and working in Dorset. Married to a wonderful Englishman, I revel in exploring the English countryside and the local producers of all things wonderful – cheeses, breads, wines, even Vodka – you would find it all in the South West. However, one thing you will also find, are the experimental aromas that sometimes lurk around the house – when I’m trying to recreate a traditional South African great, or try something new – without the guidance and assistance of my mom.
Pumpkin fritters are one of those things. Growing up in a healthy home meant that we all too often had to replace the naughtiness for suitable healthy alternatives – and as much as my siblings and I used to fight over the mixing bowl for mom’s amazing chocolate cake, the carrot cake that she produced for my 16th birthday, that was wheat-free, dairy-free, sugar-free , left most of my sugar-loving friends coming back for second helpings.
In South Africa, no traditional “reis, vleis en aartapels” meal (“rice, meat and potatoes”) is complete without a pot full of pumpkin that has been simmering away for a while. I can remember visiting my grandma’s house – she’d put on a meal that would have me thinking that 2 additional families would be joining us… and would have my grandfather snoring in his reclining chair while the kids had to keep themselves amused by playing pick-up sticks, or card games. Heaven-forbid anyone trying to pay the piano – they’d end up facing his wrath of an early snooze-wake up.
Pumpkin fritters – the food of the gods. Often made from leftover pumpkin, these were perfect for a rainy cold day – Mashed together with a bit of flour, bicarb, ground almond – to give it a nutty wholesomeness, some eggs to get them to stick together and a few other bits and pieces.
Looking at healthy alternatives, over time, the flour was replaced by gluten-free alternatives, honey instead of sugar, low-cal spray instead of oils and still continued to be the comfort memory of home that any foreigner abroad longs for.
As the clocks go back, and we prepare the garden for the icy winter ahead, it only makes sense to start a new week with an old faithful that is guaranteed to warm the cockles of your heart, give you a sense of home, regardless of where “home” is, and most of all provide a snacky delish without any guilt or regret!
What you’ll need:
Ingredients:
· 1 ½ cup of cooked pumpkin or squash
· 3 tablespoons of ground almonds
· 1.5 tablespoons of wheat-free flour
· ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
· Pinch of salt
· 2 eggs
· Low calorie cooking spray
· Cinnamon, honey, sweetener (for the toppings)
I’m usually quite forgiving with measurements – and cannot remember the last time I’ve actually used a measuring spoon correctly. I usually have an idea as to the consistency of “dough” that I’m looking for. Combining all ingredients in a kitchen mixer, except the toppings and the low-cal spray, get the stove on and a non-stick frying pan ready.
Spray a couple of squirts of the low calorie spray into the pan and allow to heat up. Every time I do this, I remember the time that my mom made the switch to non-stick sprays instead of butter to line the bread and cake pans – and the number of occasions that she’d flung the back door of the kitchen wide open as she’d realised she’d been slightly over zealous and needed immediate aeration!
So, yes, get the pan ready. When nice and hot, spoon dollops of the pumpkin mixture into the pan – making sure they’re not too thick. Leave for a few seconds – and when you see a few bubbles rising to the top, then remove the pan from the heat and leave it to rest for a few seconds. When ready, flip the fritter over and return to the heat until golden brown.
Put the kettle on in the meantime, and get your mug of your favourite favourite ready.
Enjoy the fritters to your own taste – whether you drizzle some honey over the top, or sweetener –be sure to sprinkle cinnamon generously for that special reminder of mulled wine, spicy biscuits and turkey roasts that lie ahead.