The Trade Fair Playbook: From initial planning to lasting impact

Select trade fairs that align with your goals and priorities

• Create your own event strategy and prioritise and score events according to a) relevance, b) impact and c) resources
  
  
• Choose a trade fair that aligns with your target audience and industry
  
  
• Research the trade fair’s history, conference topics, exhibitor profiles, attendee demographics, and other exhibitors/competitors
  

Key questions to consider:

• Will we meet our target audience?
• Are decision makers present?
• Will we be able to meet them and open a dialogue?
• Is it a good arena for networking in general?
• Is the event showcasing industry innovations?

Define objectives and activities

• Determine and define the overall purpose and objectives of participating in the trade fair
  
  
• Use a goal matrix for outlining possible key objectives, priority, success measurement, and timeline (see at the bottom of this page for an example)
  
  
• Decide on appropriate side activities:
  
  
  • Research possible speaking/pitch option at conference / technical sessions
  • Get an overview of the conference programme / technical sessions
  • Customer events (dinners, demo, seminar, and others)
  • Other networking events to attend

Budget and team planning

• Estimate the overall budget including booth space, design, technical set-up, administrative fees/insurance, logistics/freight, staffing, marketing, side events and travel/accommodation
  
  
• Get an early overview of all technical deadlines from the exhibition organiser in connection with your booth. (Water/Power accessibility, booking of furniture, AV equipment, Wi-Fi, etc.)
  
  
• Select the staff/team needed to achieve your prioritised goals (technical staff, sales/marketing, C suite level)
  
  
• Set up a team brief with clear coordination of objectives, expectations, and responsibilities
  
  
• Provide pitch training if needed

Booth design and layout

• Research the venue layout for high-foot traffic
  
  
• Book space as early as possible to secure the best location and take advantage of any early-bird pricing
  
  
• Choose a stand size and layout that align with your objectives and budget. A cohesive visual identity is essential:
  
  
  • Open and inviting booth layout is easy to navigate
  • Communicate clearly your value proposition and frame your narrative around impact: What problem are you solving, and for whom?
  • Reinforce your messaging visually with signage, digital screens, presentations, video content, product displays/demos, etc.
  • Take into account furniture for client meetings, storage, and product displays.

Pre-event marketing and promotion

• Have a clear plan for pre-event marketing and promotion that drives traffic to your stand
  
  
• Announce participation via email, website and social media
  
  
• Invite clients and prospects to visit your stand
  
  
• Remember to submit your company profile to the event organiser for exhibitor listing as soon as possible
  
  
• Consider upgrading the exhibitor marketing options available
  
  
• Prepare digital and print materials to be displayed at your stand
  
  
• Post daily updates on social media throughout the exhibition

Lead generation and networking

• Clear criteria for evaluating leads should be defined before the trade fair
  
  
• Who is a potential customer? What information is essential?
  
  
• If available, review delegate and exhibitor lists to identify possible leads
  
  
• Send guest invitations to potential leads (free or discounted visitor invites are often included in the exhibitor package)
  
  
• Use all available tools (apps, matchmaking services) provided by the event and/or pavilion organiser to schedule meetings
  
  
• Enterprise Europe Networking (EEN)
  
  
• Digital tools and systems based on artificial intelligence (AI) can help to capture contacts in a structured way and prioritise them automatically.

Post-show follow-up and ROI measurement

• Organise and prioritise all leads (hot/warm/cold)
  
  
• Verify contact details (email, phone, company, role)
  
  
• Follow up promptly with personalised emails or calls shortly after the event (preferably within 24–48 hours)
  
  
• Schedule calls or meetings promptly after initial outreach
  
  
• Consider creating fixed templates for follow-up emails
  
  
• Calculate ROI and analyse KPIs against goals
  
  
• Compare performance to last year or past events
  
  
• Conduct debrief with the team, summarise and document lessons learned and improvements for next event
  
  
• If you need help with contracts, securing payments, calculating tariffs, delivery terms, etc. we can help. Read more here:
  
  
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