Timeline for Trade Show Booths

Successful trade show booths that draw in a crowd at events cannot be created over night. It takes months of careful planning to create the perfect display system. Here is a basic timeline to help you plan the perfect booth on time, starting with 12 months before the big convention. 

12 Months

• Set your goal
• Know Your Budget
• Pick your location on the trade show floor. All of the good, high-traffic spots will get taken first, so you need to move quickly to reserve the perfect spot.
• Send in the application and payment

6 Months

• Let the Advertisements for your trade show display begin – social media, blogs, paid ads, and your website are all great places to promote your display.
• Research convention displays to find the one that’s right for you based on size, price, and reliability of the supplier.
• Decide what will make your booth stand out from the rest – giveaways, ceiling-mounted banners, inflatable arches, etc.

4 Months

• Choose the staff you want to bring with you to the event. The more enthusiastic, product-knowledgeable, and upbeat they are the more likely attendees will want to stop at your trade show exhibits.
• Make hotel and transportation arrangements
• Decide what and how many products you will be putting on display at the event. Keep in mind how much space your portable display will have.
• Communicate with the trade show booth suppliers to make them aware of when and where your trade show display needs to be.
• If you decide to, choose promotional products to hand out
• Get estimated costs

3 Months

• Carefully review contracts
• Communicate your show plan to your staff
• If you haven’t done so, make the final decision of what booth supplier you will be using

2 Months

• Decide if you are going to bring brochures or other literature
• Confirm hotel and transportation arrangements
• Create and order lead forms
• Order badges for your staff
• Make sure your promotional items will be shipped and delivered on time
• If you want to make any minor changes to your display booth, now is the time to do it

Days before the Show

• Make a list of all items you will need at the trade show and make sure they are all packed – including credit cards, passports (if traveling abroad), literature, lead forms, receipts and order forms for everything that was ordered for the show.
• A list of phone numbers for all suppliers and staff members
• Fire certificate, if needed
• An emergency kit, with items such as mints, wipes, markers, pens, a sewing kit, etc.

At the Show

• Walk around and observe competitors to find out what works and what doesn’t for them
• Hold daily meetings with your staff to discuss the events that took place during the trade show
• Ship lead forms back to the office daily for processing

After the Show

• Don’t forget to follow up
• Have another meeting with your staff to get feedback and what they liked and what they didn’t about the trade show exhibit

Whether you are using banner stands, pop up displays, or anything in between, this timeline from SmashHit Displays should make it run much smoother. Have fun!