I'm always looking for ways to get better at trade shows.
What's one thing you started doing that made a much bigger difference than you expected?
It could be something before the event, during the show, or even in your follow-up afterward.
I'd love to hear the lessons people learned through experience.
I'm preparing for an upcoming trade show and I'd really like to make it a success.
If you could give just one piece of advice to someone preparing for a trade show, what would it be?
It could be about the booth, the team, visitor interactions, lead generation, follow-up, or anything else that made a real difference in your experience.
You’ve got all these leads... now what? Have you tested different approaches, and what has worked best for your business? (For example, do you reach out manually within the first few hours, wait a few days, or do you drop everyone into an automated email sequence?)
Helping a friend set up a booth for a conference next month and I honestly had no clue where to start beyond business cards and the usual flyers nobody reads lol.
Walked around a few trade shows just to see what other booths were doing, and it's wild how different the vibe is table to table. Saw candy bowls, giveaway swag, QR codes everywhere, sticker packs, even charging stations. But a lot of it just sat there untouched all day while people walked right by.
We're keeping ours pretty simple, ended up grabbing a couple tabletop displays and a banner from Signs so it at least looks intentional instead of a folding table covered in papers. Still not sure if signage alone gets people to actually stop, or if it just blends in like everything else.
So really, from anyone who's worked or attended a ton of these, what actually gets touched vs what just sits there looking nice? Trying not to waste money on stuff that becomes table decoration.
Appreciate any input, first time helping plan one of these!
First few shows I worked, I was (and still am) quite good at starting conversations, but terrible at ending them.
A friendly person would hang around the booth for fifteen minutes while three actual prospects walked past, and I didn’t know how to wrap it up without sounding rude. Nobody really trains this, but it quietly affects lead quality...
What helped was deciding before the show what a real prospect looks like, so I could tell within a minute whether to invest or politely close. An exit line (with some variations) that works for me: "I don't want to keep you from the rest of the floor. Can I grab your details and send you the specific thing we talked about?" The people worth more time usually keep talking anyway.
Anyone have an exit line that works without feeling abrupt? Always looking to steal a better one. 😄
Basically Im looking for a pop up or pre built booth that I could draw my design on and they make. I need to get both of these completed and delivered to me by December.
Thanks!
We're getting ready for a fairly large trade show and need around 20 retractable pull-up banners for our booth setup.
The last time we ordered budget banners, the graphics looked fine at first, but several of the stands ended up breaking or becoming unstable after a couple of events. Since we'll be flying with them this time, durability is probably more important than saving a few dollars.
I've been looking at companies like ESigns, Signs, and UPrinting, but it's hard to tell which ones actually provide sturdy hardware versus basic budget stands with a custom print attached.
We'll be using them across multiple events throughout the year, so ideally they need to hold up to frequent setup, packing, and travel without falling apart after a few uses.
The main thing I'm trying to figure out is:
Are there any companies you've used for bulk banner orders that delivered reliable hardware and good print quality?
Also, if you've ordered a large quantity before, did you notice a big difference between the cheaper banner stands and the more premium options when it came to durability and transport?
Would really appreciate any recommendations or experiences from people who've done trade shows regularly.