Making the trade show grade with CMS Australasia

29 November 2018

Ernst & Young’s (EY) latest report on the value of business events indicates nearly 9.5 million visitors and 65,000 exhibitors attended over 2,000 trade shows up to early 2016. This demonstrates the value of exhibitions to the national economy – but also the competition faced by exhibitors to offer a memorable experience when attracting visitors and business. How do you make the trade show grade? By seeking the expert guidance on event specialists such as CMS Australasia.

What elements does my trade show need for success?

The Exhibition and Events Association of Australia (EEAA) indicates that hosting a winning exhibition encompasses three elements. These are:

  1. Thorough preparation before the event.
  2. Dedication to meeting your goals during the trade show.
  3. Measuring your success post-event to determine next steps.

The first stage is the vital foundation step on your road to trade show success. The next step relies on the talent of yourself and staff members, while the final process requires analytical thinking. Planning, on the other hand, needs comprehensive thought on the strategic aims of why you are paying for a stand at a given event. It helps here to have the guidance of an external event specialist.

Before the exhibition hall fills with visitors, you should plan your strategic aims for the event.Before the exhibition hall fills with visitors, you should plan your strategic aims for the event.

Start by considering some specific goals you’d like to achieve from the trade show. Is it demoing a product to a certain number of people? Engaging other event exhibitors? The more specific your aims, the easier it will be to analyse success. Once you have determined these targets, design your stand to meet these needs. Include ample visual displays to stand out from the rest and target your materials at the visitors you most want to engage.

Set up costs (including the cost of the stand and equipment hire) and display material encompass a quarter of all exhibitor costs according to EY’s report on business events. Making the most of this investment involves working with event experts to deliver wow factor. Providers can assist with display aspects such as:

  • Lighting, motion graphics and sound system equipment set up.
  • Expert video production.
  • Staging and theming elements.

Each of these, when implemented with your business branding and exhibition goals in mind, can add an edge to help you towards trade show success.

Working with an event specialist makes it easier to tell your brand story through your exhibition stand.Working with an event specialist makes it easier to tell your brand story through your exhibition stand.

Why partner with CMS Australasia?

In an exhibition centre full of businesses, each targeting your potential future customers, it pays to stand out from the crowd. Doing so requires a visual display and narrative experience that engages event visitors and tells the tale of your brand – stories CMS Australasia has been helping businesses with for more than 25 years.

Helping organisations get trade show-ready is simple with our specialist event team and the use of our technical design, video production and event management services. We know that no two businesses are the same, so we bring a fresh and creative approach to every event. For more information, contact the CMS Australasia team to request a proposal.