6 things to consider when exhibiting at a conference

By Yasmin McLaughlin| Reading time: 3 minutes

Attending a scientific conference as a commercial vendor is a fantastic opportunity to build brand awareness, engage with customers, and generate those all-important leads. But attending a conference can be a complicated and time-consuming process, with lots of things that need to be considered following sign up to ensure you make the most of your conference experience and maximise your ROI. This article highlights the key things to consider when organising your conference attendance.

 

1.Understanding the deadlines 

After signing up to exhibit at a conference, you are likely to receive an exhibitors’ prospectus from the organisers that outlines every detail of the event and what is required from you as a vendor. But deciphering from the mass of information just what is required from you and when can be a daunting task –  and there can be penalties for forms filled out incorrectly or missed deadlines,  which can then result in additional charges.  

In some cases, a manual may not be provided. This means it’s difficult to know your responsibilities and the choices you need to make. Making sure you have provided all the correct details, make the right decision on the multiple rental options available, hit the deadlines, as well as liaise with the conference organisers can very quickly become a full-time job, diverting attention, and sacrificing valuable time from other revenue generating activities.

2. Build (and break-down) an engaging space

The goal when designing your booth is to create a space that is both attractive and inviting to delegates, whilst also reflecting your message and branding. But you also need to consider the physical set-up and break-down of your stand at the events space itself. Conference organisers have strict rules about when build and break-down can take place – usually you can only build the day before the conference begins, and break-down the day the conference ends, which means your conference attendees sacrificing more of their time to achieve this. But you also need to consider that your chosen team may not have the experience or be physically able to carry out booth building and break-down in a safe and suitable way.

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3. Logistics, logistics, logistics

Once you have organised the physical space for your exhibition your next consideration is what do you need to bring how do you get there on time and in one piece?
You may be transporting large or delicate instruments to demonstrate its potential to customers, or lots of little items that are still bulky and expensive to transport.
This is particularly important when heading to an event overseas as international shipping comes with its own set of increased cost and risks such as unique custom restrictions in the country you’re visiting. This means you may not have exactly what you need for the conference to make the most of your attendance.

4.  Don’t forget about the little (free!) things

Preparing for an exhibition can be a complicated process with so many big decisions to make and keep track of, its easy to forget about those little touches that can really maximise your conference impact and ensure you make your ROI.

It’s no secret that everyone loves a freebie. There’s no draw to your exhibit quite like a practical and memorable giveaway. Games and events are also a great attraction and can allow your attendees to generate meaningful engagement with your target customers in a natural environment.

Everything on your booth, from giveaways, to printed work such as posters, banners, and literature must be sustainable and high-quality to positively reflect your company’s brand and message.

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5. Maximise your presence

There are ways to make your presence known at the conference both in the pre-event stage and during the conference itself. A tailored social media or website campaign can let potential leads to know to look out for you at events before the day.  

There is also the consideration of broadening your impact at the event beyond the booth. You may be able to:

  • Present at a session or showcase
  • Become an event sponsor
  • Run demonstrations
  • Take part in satellite events in partnership with the conference organisers.

These are great ways to maximise your presence, achieve meaningful engagement and generate new leads. Whilst they may require additional planning and organisation with the event organisers, they ensure you reach a wider audience at the event.

6. Consider getting some help

Exhibiting at a conference is a costly affair and managing all the requirements for a successful exhibition can quickly turn into a full-time, demanding, and stressful role. Enlisting the help of a professional events consultant can be a cost-effective way of organising your exhibition – from liaising directly with the conference organisers to making sure you have provided all the required information and don’t incur penalties, to supporting you with booth design, logistics, sourcing high-quality giveaways, and helping to identify and arrange additional activities that can lead to greater exposure.

Minnac can help you maximise your conference ROI.

Your main consideration when attending a conference as a vendor should always be ‘How do I maximise my ROI?’

Enlisting the expertise of events consultants is the most time and cost-effective way of achieving this. Our team at Minnac have more than 15 years of experience in conferences and exhibitions and can advise and help at every step of the way making sure you get the most out of your conference experience by generate those vital leads saving you time, money, and stress.

Get in touch to see how we can support your event preparation for any of your upcoming event preparation.

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