Most organisations understand that holding an event or taking part in an exhibition can be an important part of their marketing mix. Most companies will benefit from a well organised event where they can demonstrate the company’s expertise and attract potential clients by showing off their products with live demos, seminars that explain issues and offer solutions, as well as gain face to face feedback from their visitors. An exhibition ranges from the small function with a few banner stands to the very largest exhibitions with large number expensive bespoke stands and displays. 

For exhibition services companies helping others with the organisation and setting up of the event, the challenge is getting in contact with the customers at a timely and relevant manner. In the past, it may have been about advertising, direct mail and word of mouth, customers responding by calling you or sending in an enquiry form by post. It still may be sometimes, but in today’s market, the number one source for generating the leads and enquiries for Exhibition Services is the Internet.

B2B Marketing and Promotional Services is a B2B marketing agency that focuses on business -2-business marketing and promotion. We have specialist expertise in building brands, driving sales volumes and increasing margins through customer acquisition and development through a range of online and Internet marketing programmes.
The Internet and search marketing in particular is now a critical B2B direct marketing tool for business brands. It is now the most cost effective channel for acquiring business leads, customer enquiries and ultimately sales conversions.

To find out how B2B Marketing and Promotional Services can help you, contact  B2B Marketing and Promotional Services.  

Organising an exhibition or an event?

There are many type of events and exhibitions that vary from major industry exhibitions to road shows, workshops and tailor-made events.

Exhibitions

Planning and attending a major exhibition can be costly but when it is done well, your brand as well as your sales and relationships will all benefit from it. Once you have made a commitment to an event, don’t delay the start of the planning of it. It is time consuming if you want to get it right. It is important to do your home work well. You want to find the right suppliers to help you achieve your objectives. Depending on your experience as an event organiser, considering an exhibition services company to help you set up your event may be a wise decision. They can take care of everything to do with the stand from design, building, branding and signage to audio visual facilities, lighting, seating and display stands. This will allow you to concentrate on attracting the right visitors - VIPs and other wise - as this is critical to success. Planning and arranging your pre-event and stand activity should not be left to be an afterthought.

Making sure that your invitations are sent out well in advance and that your stand staff are well briefed, ensures that you will be maximising the investment you have made in the event.

Tailor made events

Tailor made events allow you to create an event that exactly matches your needs and the needs of your target market. They also give you exclusivity in terms of access to the people attending and the format that is right for your business such as time, location, catering etc. The most critical part of holding your own event is the pre-event activity. Failing to get this right will result in wasting your money on a poorly attended event. Give your customers a good reason to attend, make sure that the event is relevant and that the timing in terms of when, as well as how long and where, are spot on.

Road shows

Alternatively, you may decide that it is more effective to take your products to your customers rather than expecting them to come to you. A road show or workshops at local hotels can be more cost effective but just as effective. Budgets for this type of event are highly flexible. You could go low cost with budget banner stands or aim to spend more with a tailored approach.

Invitations

Sending invitations should be part of your promotional strategy even if your event is open to all. You should send special invitations to key decision makers and local VIPs as well as loyal customers, new prospects and the media.
It can be hard to attract visitors to any event. You could consider running a joint event with a complementary partner to maximise impact and bring in more visitors.
Don’t forget to distribute a press release in advance to get coverage of the event.

Related to exhibition services there is a wide range of other related B2B promotional or marketing activities.

These include:

Exhibition Services is a crucial B2B marketing tool.
B2B Marketing Home.