WHAT TO PREPARE BEFORE PARTICIPATING IN THE FAIR?

Participation in trade fairs is often a very important element in creating a marketing or business strategy. No wonder – WorldFood Poland is an opportunity to meet representatives of many companies and to establish valuable relationships, often leading to many years of cooperation. However, this is only possible if we consciously prepare for the fair and follow a few key rules. Your goal is to stand out from the competition and present the company from its best side. How to distinguish yourself?

1) Set a goal
At the very beginning, determine what is the main goal of your participation in B2B fairs. It may be the presentation and promotion of new products or services, showing off the current achievements of the company and building its image, or market research. The goal may also be simply to establish business relationships or maintain good contacts with existing customers of the company. The company’s strategy at the fair should primarily focus on long-term goals. You have to decide which group of visitors to the fair you care about the most. Retail customers? Wholesale? Large chain stores or restaurants? Determining such a goal is the most important because on this basis you can plan your strategy for participation in fairs and marketing activities.

2) Plan your space
Now that you know your goal, think about how big the stand you need should be. The amount of space needed will vary depending on whether you want to create a space for business meetings or present new products at your stand, or whether you want to plan additional attractions at the stand, e.g. in the form of culinary shows. It will be different when presenting, for example, a new series of snacks, and different when you decide to display cooling devices or a packaging machine. Remember that your stand is a showcase of the company, so it should look attractive and be consistent with the image of your company. A stand at the fair is a tool for building the image and awareness of the brand, therefore it should be prepared in a thoughtful way, tailored to a specific company, goals, products, or services.

3) Ensure promotion
The promotion of trade fairs is always supervised by the organizers, but you have to remember that you mainly want to attract visitors to your stand. Consider where your visitors might be and communicate your presence at the fair before the event. It could be Facebook, LinkedIn, your company’s website, or other places, not necessarily on the Internet. An important element of the promotion is also placing relevant information with the stand number in the e-mail footer and inviting your existing and potential customers by e-mail. It is also a good idea to ensure proper visibility and marketing during the event itself. You can use many options for promoting your brand prepared by the organizer. More details here

4) Prepare materials and hire additional service
The counter at your stand should be lined with the latest catalogues and/or leaflets presenting your company’s offer. You can also choose a multimedia form of communication, but it is important that the offer and materials are as up-to-date as possible and tailored to the target group. Also, consider whether you want to give your visitors goodies and, if so, what kind. At food fairs, they can be all kinds of gifts associated with this industry, specially prepared samples of your products, or simply your advertising gadgets (lanyards, pens, key rings). Also, pay attention to the service of your stand. Regardless of whether they will be employees of your company or, for example, hostesses, you must remember that these are people representing your business. Therefore, they should, above all, have extensive knowledge of the company’s operations and be able to answer visitors’ questions.

5) Remember about newly made contacts
If you promised to contact someone after the fair or if some business talks were successful, be sure to follow up. Call or write an e-mail, refresh the contact, and bear in mind that this potential customer probably also talked to many other companies at the fair. Maybe it is worth preparing a special sales offer for them? Remember that the first days after the fair are very important and it also depends on them whether your presence at the trade fair will be successful or not.

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