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Last edited 28 Jul 2021

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Simon Baxter Website

A guide to successful exhibiting in a post Covid environment

1 Introduction
2 The continued importance of face to face exhibitions to business
3 How to maximise your return on exhibition investment
- 3.1 Be very clear about what you want to achieve
- 3.2 Make full use of the organiser’s marketing channels
  - 3.2.1 Complete marketing package
4 Designing your stand experience – Plan for the best, prepare for the worst
5 Top tips
6 Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
7 Resources

[edit] Introduction

As construction companies look to incorporate face to face events such as UK Construction Week, Digital Construction Week and Futurebuild back into their marketing plans for 2021/2022 it will more important than ever make sure they have taken advantage of every communication tactic available through the event organiser, pre, during and post event.

Budgets are likely to be tighter in the short term due to the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic but with clear objectives, good planning and hard work, face to events can play a crucial role in helping deliver the company’s marketing objectives.

At the time of updating this article (08/05/2021) the government’s roadmap for opening up the economy appears to be on track, with virtually all social restrictions due to be lifted on June 21st 2021. But there still remains some uncertainty on what social interaction and hygiene rules and guidelines will be in place, particularly when we enter the winter season.

Back in July 2020 I spoke to two of the construction industry’s key exhibition organisers, Ollie Hughes of Digital Construction Week and Nathan Garnett of UK Construction Week to help me provide this guide to successful exhibiting in what was at that time, a very uncertain and challenging environment.

Much of this guide remains solid advice regardless of the pandemic situation and I have updated it on the following assumptions:

Live events will happen post June 21st 2021
Virtual events may be part of the mix
Some uncertainty exists the rules on social interaction

[edit] The continued importance of face to face exhibitions to business

‘We have learnt a lot of lessons during this crisis, about the potential of technology, but I think there are also limits to this technology and is no substitute for face-to-face meetings and interactions.’ - Boris Johnson, FT, 17th July 2020,

Given the rise in use of online events technology during lockdown, there will undoubtedly be some change in the mix of online and face to face business communications going forward but, as Boris Johnson indicated in his interview with the FT, there are some situations where a face to face social interaction is much more beneficial.

Being an exhibitor at a relevant trade show gives you the opportunity to have a live face to face with a large number of invited, interested prospects where you can:

Persuade
Explain
Answer questions
Gain trust
Demonstrate

Exhibitions are a good way to maximise sales resource by concentrating prospects and the sales team in the same place at the same time.

Exhibition organisers invest heavily in building large databases of prospective industry buyers and influencers, to which exhibitors have the opportunity to engage with via the exhibition marketing program and live event.

[edit] How to maximise your return on exhibition investment

The opening up of exhibitions post Covid will be an evolving situation, with some uncertainty and potentially specific requirements to deliver a safe exhibition.

In the conversations I had with Nathan Garnett and Ollie Hughes, it seemed to me that for an exhibitor, it is even more important to become excellent at the things that have always been the hallmarks of successful exhibitors.

[edit] Be very clear about what you want to achieve

This should always be the starting point when considering exhibiting as part of your marketing plan.

As an exhibitor you need to be very clear about:

What you want to achieve
What is it that you can do at the show that you can’t do through other channels
Who you want to target

Being very clear on these areas will help you:

Decide which exhibition to attend
Inform your marketing program
Lever the organiser’s marketing program
Brief your stand experience team

[edit] Make full use of the organiser’s marketing channels

Both Ollie and Nathan emphasised that there is a strong correlation between those exhibitors that engage more with the organisers and use their marketing tools, and those who get good results.

It will be more important now to work hard to attract the largest number of quality leads to your stand on the day. It is likely potential visitors will be looking to justify their visit more and spend less time at the event.

Exhibitors need to give visitors a strong reason to leave their desk and seek out their stand at the exhibition.

[edit] Complete marketing package

As an exhibitor, you are buying a complete marketing package not just the stand space. The organisers will have a complete marketing program to help you engage with and draw prospects to your stand. The marketing program will cover the lead up to the event, during the show and post event and, it is increasingly common for a show organiser’s marketing program to engage potential visitors year round.

Once you are clear on what you want to achieve at the show and who you want to target, talk to the show organiser. They will have a marketing team to help and advise you on how to best use their marketing tools to engage relevant prospects.

A show organiser's marketing program typically includes:

A. Regular newsletter to exhibition visitor and prospect database. Giving exhibitors the opportunity to:

Supply news, insight, education
Advertise
Encourage visitors to the stand

B. Regular online events e.g. webinars, podcasts, round tables, Q&As

The use of these in show organiser's marketing programs accelerated through 2020 as companies pivoted towards more use of online communications channels.

Organisers will offer advice on how to produce the right sort of content.

Exhibitors can:

Provide content to organiser for planned event
Participate in organiser’s live event
Host their own event

Online events can be a great way to engage and capture relevant prospect data for further targeted communications.

C. Social media

All shows will have their own social media program in which you can participate. The organiser’s marketing team can advise exhibitors how to best take advantage of this channel based on what they want to achieve.

D. Event website

The event website offers a number of promotional opportunities:

Exhibitor entry
Sponsor/Partner
Speaker bio

E. Industry advertising and PR

The show will have their own advertising and PR campaign across the relevant media channels and exhibitors can feature through:

Providing news and informed content
Partners logos appearing on ads

F. Venue

There will be a number of opportunities for exhibitors to promote their brands in and around the venue.

Sponsorship of events, areas, programme, uniforms, badges, lanyards
Meet the buyers – pre-arrange meetings
Event app
Signage
Advertising in area leading to event
Organiser’s live stream news and reporting

[edit] Designing your stand experience – Plan for the best, prepare for the worst

Designing a stand experience for an event in the next 18 months (from 10/05/21) requires some contingency planning as some social interaction restrictions could be put in place at short notice. Especially in the winter months.

A sensible approach could be to try and remain as flexible as possible, as long as possible by designing a stand experience that can adapt quickly to any changes in guidelines, allowing the introduction of Covid minimisation measures if rules change.

[edit] Get the exhibitor’s manual

The first thing you should always do when you sign up to exhibit is to get hold of the exhibitors manual and read it through thoroughly. The exhibitor's manual will be more important than ever as it should contain everything you need to know to design and deliver a Covid safe stand experience in line with the current government and industry guidelines, and will likely include a risk assessment template including risks associated with the transmission of Covid-19. Advice can also be found on The Association of Event Organisers website.

The manual should be shared with all relevant stakeholders. Stand designers, suppliers, stand team, marketing agencies, stand logistics

Organisers will keep you informed of any changes to guidelines for the design, operation and logistics for your stand experience. You will need to have processes in place to make sure that any changes to the exhibitors manual are fed to the relevant stakeholders in a timely manner.

[edit] Keep the show organiser informed

Exhibitors should keep the organiser informed of their stand experience plans as they develop. The organiser can then advise of any potential issues and help find a solution.

[edit] Additional considerations when designing the stand experience post Covid

A. Change of Covid safe guidelines

The state of the Covid-19 outbreak may require changes to the guidelines for creating a Covid safe stand experience in the lead up to an exhibition. They might relax, or become more stringent.

B. Covid transmission considerations

Respiratory hygiene
Social distancing
Contact surfaces

C. One way traffic flow systems and wider aisles

Signed traffic flows may be in place to encourage social distancing. Organisers will be keen for large crowds not to build up in the aisles.

D. Longer hours and incentivised entry times

Organisers are likely to try and manage crowd density by extending opening hours and trying to encourage a more even spread of visitor arrivals.

E. Visitors optimising their time more

Visitors may be looking to spend less time at the exhibition but make sure they get the most out of it. So may spend more time planning their visit

[edit] Ideas for designing a stand experience in a post Covid environment

A. Design several stand experience scenarios

With guidelines for delivering a Covid safe stand experience likely to change over time it could be prudent to look at a ‘layered’ stand design that allows you to remain flexible in delivery right up to the last moment.

The stand experience could be designed so that the individual layers of safety features can be added if the guidelines suddenly change. For example, using portable/removable screens and social distancing signage.

B. Learn from other’s experiences

Exhibitors can learn what other people have already done in similar circumstances. Keep an eye on the Exhibition news media like Exhibition News, as they will be reporting on how the industry is opening up. Visit other exhibitions to see how they operate. Exhibitors may have colleagues in other countries who are already exhibiting and stand builders may already have experience of designing a Covid safe stand experience.

C. Design for the traffic flow

If the traffic flow in front of the stand is one-way then it could be advantageous to design the stand experience to concentrate on attracting attention from that direction. This could be the physical elements for the stand or the way the stand staff operate.

Again, it could be worth keeping this flexible in case things change. Keep in touch with the organiser.

D. Focus on the reason to be exhibiting

When developing the stand experience, exhibitors should hone in on what it is they are there for and want to achieve. If you are not a caterer, this may not be the time to be offering refreshments to attract visitors on to the stand.

E. Demonstrations

Demonstrations are one of the key elements of an exhibition that cannot be easily replicated through other media. But they may need to be managed in terms of the touching of equipment and crowds. Exhibitors will need to think carefully, and liaise with the show organiser, about how they can deliver a safe and engaging demonstration.

Think about:

Timed demonstrations
Demonstrated by stand staff only
Less people trying product
Regular cleaning of shared/touched surfaces
Signed audience viewing points

F. Pre-booked meetings

With visitors likely to be trying to optimise their visit in a shorter time, exhibitors need to use the organisers and their own marketing programs to try and organise timed meetings on the stand.

G. Booth live streaming

Booth live streaming with Q&A facility can be used to widen the audience, especially for timed product demonstrations.

On stand events will need to be publicised with links.

H. Managing people flow and density

Considerable thought will need to be given as to how the stand operates on the day. How you control the movement of people on and off the stand and maintain any social distancing required.

This can be done through:

Signage and floor markings
Stand staff
Timed visits

I. Stand team

Manning a stand can be tiring and stand staff need to be on their game all the time. The longer opening hours may mean that staff will need scheduled rest periods. So a bigger team than normal might be required.

Higher general levels of illness may require a few back-up stand crew trained up and ready to step in if required on the day.

Potential nervousness of visitors means stand staff will need to make sure visitors feel safe to come on to the stand and engage. This means stand staff will need to be:

Well trained in and, exhibit good respiratory and hand hygiene
Seen to be managing the visitor flow and density on the stand
Seen to be cleaning shared contact surfaces regularly

[edit] Top tips

Be very clear about what you want to achieve
Get, read and share the exhibition manual with all stakeholders
Make the most of the show marketing package
Always be ready and welcoming. Right to close of play!
Keep the organiser informed of your stand experience development

If you would like more advice on exhibiting or would like a free exhbition stand concept design and marketing plan then please email Simon Baxter or visit the W7 website.