Has somebody experiences with booths at exhibitions?

I’m trying to figure out what it actually takes to run a booth at an exhibition. My workplace is planning to show up at a few next year, and somehow I’ve ended up being the one looking into it. I’ve never organised anything like that before – I’ve only ever wandered through fairs with coffee in hand, not behind the table. I keep wondering how people even start: what kind of prep happens before it all looks neat and effortless. Are there things that always go wrong no matter how well you plan? Or moments that make the whole stress worth it? Would be great to hear from anyone who’s done it before, just to know what it really feels like from the other side.

 

What products and / or services do they provide to customers if such is engaged??

 

Beware of people pulling joints out of their noses. They might be interesting characters.

You don't want a booth right next to your competitor who hates you.

Unless it's a food convention with lots of food to sample, bring your own food and drink. Not only do conventions serve the worse food it's usually astronomically priced for the captive audience.

It can be stressful depending upon your attitude and goals being there. It's usually exhausting having to spend most of the time on your feet.

Make sure you have enough staff to man the booth. Expect people to flake out, either no shows or disappear leaving you to do everything.

All these conventions are places to network, source product, get contacts, and have a good time if that's possible and you're that kind of person.

 

Good last point there. You have to be "that kind of person". Attitude, personality and exceptional knowledge of product, service etc is also key. Enjoy!

 

@MeAgain: yeah, we already have a tax number, so at least that part’s covered – though paperwork still feels like a trap waiting to spring.

@~Zen~: your breakdown made it sound half adventure, half survival guide. Love the idea of space design, hadn’t even thought about light or noise. When you did those Cups, did you tweak your booth between events or keep it the same setup?

@scratcho: it’s for eco-tech gear, small scale systems for energy saving, kind of niche but still visual.

@Toker: you nailed what I fear most – exhaustion and missing staff. Did you ever have a day where it all went sideways?

@Etherea: that bit about attitude hit me – I’m not the loud type, but maybe authenticity works too if you care enough about what you show.

 

I have also been to trade fairs on business quite often. However, these were quite large trade fairs and we always had our own stand there. So nothing we designed or built ourselves. You have to look in advance at what to expect at this trade fair. Look at the pictures from previous years, then you will know what standard to expect there. You can use this level as a guide.
If you only want to participate in one trade fair, you can also contact the organiser. They often offer exhibition stands. However, these are only for the specific trade fair and cannot be used at other trade fairs.

 

My tattoo shop shuts down for a tattoo convention they plan on attending several days in advance. The conventions usually run Friday through Sunday. They arrive Wednesday or Thursday depending on how far they have to travel. Set up is when the hall doors open Thursday. A box truck like from Hertz Truck Rental is loaded with all the crap they need (banners, stands, tool boxes, supplies of all kinds including inks and sanitation products, tattoo beds, folding tables and chairs. work stools, drop cords, power strips, all kinds of shit) all in order to tattoo clients who agree to get inked and enter the contests. They also expect a certain number of walk ups too. They also carry coolers full of drinks and snacks for the artists and clients. Then there's their stuff for sale (tees, sweats, mugs. etc) all for advertising the shop and artists. I've been inked at one and entered in a few competitions. Spent two days there. One for inking, the other for competitions. My artist won one and placed in a couple others. Sunday at convention close begins the breakdown. Monday morning travel takes place. Back at the shop all is unloaded and set back up in the shop which takes another day. It's quite a process but does drive a lot of clients to use the artists in the shop.