Preparation is key to any exhibition or trade show. Especially in Australia, planning and preparation should start months in advance of the actual event. Everyone involved must understand the goals for each phase of the show so that no one feels like they are wasting their time at a certain phase when it would be better spent elsewhere. That’s why planning an exhibition or a trade show can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some tips that will help you manage your next event:

1. Book your stand space early

Book your stand space early. By booking early, you will ensure that you get the stand space you want and that it suits your needs. Booking early also means that you can plan and budget for staffing requirements, marketing strategy, and any other factors that may affect the success of your exhibition or trade show. It is better to know as much about these aspects before committing to a particular event rather than having to change things once it has already been booked. This will reduce costs as well as help with any unforeseen issues arising from last-minute changes in strategy or budget.

2. Watch out for hidden costs in the exhibition brochure

It’s important to fully understand the terms and conditions of your exhibition space, including any additional charges or fees. There are many ways that you can find yourself paying more than you expected for your space. For example, it’s not uncommon for trade show organizers to charge extra for things like set-up time, which can be as much as $100 per hour (or more). You may also have to pay for services such as security or power, so look into this before signing up for an exhibition space!

Avoid hidden costs by choosing a venue that offers reasonable rates and flexible payment options. A good way to find out whether there are any extra fees is by asking other exhibitors if they have been charged anything unexpected during their stay at the event center in question.

3. Get help from the IT department

This may seem obvious, but it’s worth repeating. If you have a stand at an exhibition or trade show, having a strong IT infrastructure is essential. The people in your company will be spending much of their time interacting with visitors at the venue and so having good wifi and computer equipment is vital. You can also make use of other technologies like video conferencing and remote working to reduce costs while still maximizing productivity during events like these. As well as this, if your business has a website or social media presence that needs updating to promote your presence at an event (or has fallen into disrepair), then bringing on board an expert from the IT department or getting IT support professional services could be beneficial too!

4. Consider how people will find your stand and what you want to achieve

Next, you need to consider how people will find your stand and what you want to achieve. There are two main approaches:

  • You can use a printed catalog or directory (usually free) given out at the exhibition entrance. If so, it’s important to have a strong call to action that invites visitors in and gives them an idea of what they’ll experience inside.
  • You could also print small flyers with basic information about your company, which attendees can take if they’re interested in learning more. A simple design is key here—you want people who pick up these flyers to remember that they saw them on the floor and come back later!

To add some extra fun and interest when handing out flyers, consider using bright colors or fun pictures of product samples (for example chocolate bars with your logo). It’s also helpful for these materials if there’s something interactive about them—a QR code for downloading an app or visiting a website, perhaps? This way visitors can get more information from their phones while still keeping track of where they’ve been throughout the event space.

5. Check the exhibition booth and banners

The first thing you should do is check your booth.

  • Make sure that it is well-lit and clean. Your booth needs to look good, and this means keeping it tidy and making sure it’s well-lit so people can view the product they’re interested in.
  • Check that all retail banners are properly displayed. Also, ensure they are readable from a distance; if a banner cannot be seen properly, then why have one at all?

6. Decide your main message and establish how you will communicate it

The main message is the most important message of your exhibition or trade show. It should be clear and concise, easy to understand, and relevant to your audience. The main message should also be memorable and memorable enough that it can be communicated with ease through different channels (print, online, social media, etc.).

7. Track all your expenses

Managing a trade show or an exhibition can be a daunting task. There are many things to do, and it’s easy to lose track of how much money you’re spending and where your funds are going. To make sure you don’t get caught out at the last moment, you must keep a record of all of your expenses.

Keep receipts for all purchases; this will allow you to see at a glance how much has been spent on various items. For example, if there are twenty boxes of promotional merchandise being delivered from China, then each box may cost around $50 – so if ten boxes arrive at once, then $500 would have been spent on that purchase alone!

Regardless of whether you hire bookkeeping services in Melbourne or you have your own accounting personnel, always keep receipts for any money spent on marketing or advertising (e.g. printing flyers). This way when the event is over there will be sufficient information available about which methods worked best during its run period so that next year’s efforts can be improved upon accordingly. Make sure all bills have been paid before leaving.

8. Arrange a briefing session to bring all employees up-to-date with the plan

As a show manager, you should be ready to explain the purpose of the event and how your team can help make it a success. Encourage all employees to take part in some way and explain what is expected from each person.

Discuss who will be responsible for collecting visitor contact details and when they need to return with these forms if they are not already on file, as well as when they should expect their cards back so that they can begin planning their next steps based on the information that has been gathered.

9. Check that everyone knows their role and what skills they have to offer

As the project manager, you are responsible for ensuring that all of your team members know what they are expected to do and have the skills required to complete their tasks.

You also need to make sure that everyone understands who is responsible for which aspects of the show. For example, if someone on your team has marketing experience then they may be suited to putting together a plan for promoting your business or product at an exhibition but if another member has IT skills then they may be better suited to creating visuals and presentations instead.

By clearly assigning roles before beginning a project you can help ensure that everything runs smoothly throughout its duration.

10. Think about who will be manning the stand.

It’s important to think about who will be manning your stand, as this can make a big difference in how successful it is. For example, if you’re selling jewelry and have a table display of handmade pieces, you may want someone with an artistic eye or a love for design. If you’re selling photography services or products, perhaps someone with some experience in photography would be best.

In any case, it’s always advisable to have more than one person at hand. Not only does this ensure that if something goes wrong there is backup available; but having two people also means that one can deal with customers while the other handles any admin tasks such as collecting contact information from visitors and following up on leads generated during the show (or at another time).

Conclusion

Managing an exhibition or a trade show is a process that involves a lot of planning and preparation. If you are thinking about organizing your own exhibition, it is important to understand how this process works in order to be successful. We hope you have found these tips useful.