How Exhibiting at Events Can Boost Your Business
We’re living in an incredibly digital world. All kinds of interactions have moved to taking place entirely online, and in the world of business, it’s just as easy to connect with potential customers and clients online as it once was to meet them in person.
And yet, face-to-face marketing remains a powerful tool for B2B growth. In fact, so many interactions and events taking place online mean that there’s a unique kind of value to be found in meetings or engagement that happens in person, making this a really valuable avenue for businesses to consider.
One marketing approach that might feel outdated is exhibiting at events, but it’s this ‘analogue’ format that can make events such a brilliant place to boost your business. Events bring together interested buyers who are ready to have conversations and negotiations with brands offering relevant products or services, and you can gain access to plenty of potential opportunities by attending.
In this article, we explain how exhibiting at events can boost your business so that you feel ready to attend.
Brand Visibility
One of the simplest ways that attending and exhibiting at events will boost your business is that it’s brilliant for brand visibility. You should aim to attend events that are relevant to your industry, and having a stand clearly showcasing your brand identity will help to get your name recognised and remembered by plenty of relevant professionals.
What can make events so impactful is that you’ll be in the centre of a gathering of relevant target audience members who are actively looking for business opportunities. These are the kinds of people who you want to notice and remember your brand, and exhibiting at an event puts your name and service offering front and centre.
You’re also putting a human face to your brand name, which helps you to develop a much more trustworthy presence. The people you meet at the event will go away with a personal and (hopefully) very positive impression of your brand, setting you up for much better business opportunities than if you’d tried to make the same impression online.
Lead Generation
One of the biggest advantages of exhibiting at events is that it’s a fantastic way to generate leads. Not only does it place you to connect with dozens of potentially interested customers, but the quality of these leads is going to be much higher than if you were reaching out online, thanks to the context of the event.
Plenty of B2B event attendees will be key decision-makers in a business who are there to look for new vendors and partners. Instead of having to first make contact and get a prospect to agree to a conversation, you can launch straight into a sales pitch and have more productive conversations from the outset.
You’ve also got the benefit of face-to-face conversations, where it’s much easier to read someone and adapt your approach based on non-verbal cues and have a more nuanced discussion, which is a lot harder over the phone or on a call. Whilst you might need to invest more time into preparation and planning, the payoff will be lead generation that you couldn’t have facilitated anywhere else.
Networking Opportunities
Along with the brilliant opportunities you’ll get to have business conversations whilst exhibiting at an event, it’s also worth attending because of the chances you’ll get for networking. Meeting and connecting with other industry professionals can be incredibly valuable for your career prospects, as well as giving you contacts who can offer advice, support, and a sounding board.
We all know that networking is an important part of success in any industry, and yet many people find it difficult to reach out to relevant people and find networking events quite nerve-wracking. But as an event exhibitor, you’re in the same boat as a lot of other similar businesses, which makes those initial introductions and conversations easier.
Networking as an exhibitor at an event can be as simple as striking up a conversation with the person at the stand next to yours. But you ought to make the most of being in an environment where there are lots of similar industry professionals, and make an effort to connect with them as well as making sales.
Industry Insight
Leading on from that last point, many events bring together lots of similar businesses and interested buyers from the same industry or sector. Attending these events can be a really great way to get an idea of what’s happening in your industry at the moment by looking at what other businesses are offering and seeing how your brand compares to others in a similar market.
Many events also host talks and workshops, as well as exhibitors. If you have the time, then attending these is another great way to hear from leading professionals and get a better idea of the latest trends and innovations that might affect your business success.
This can be particularly advantageous for businesses in more niche industries, such as in the MICE industry, where business and travel intersect in quite a unique way, meaning that events are often one of the only places that bring relevant professionals together. If you’re looking for specific insight into what’s happening in your industry right now, attending an event is one of the best things you can do.
Final Thoughts
Success through event exhibition is not just about showing up. It’s also about making sure you follow up with the buyers and other industry professionals you meet to keep your leads warm and ensure you don’t miss out on any opportunities. Make sure that you have a trustworthy way of recording all of the people you speak with, and make it your first priority after the event to connect with them and organise any follow-up conversations.
Exhibiting at an event is an investment for your business, but with the right strategy, it can be an incredibly fruitful one. Once you’ve tapped into how event attendance can be beneficial, you’ll find it to be a really great strategic approach for growth, and hopefully one you can bake into your overall business strategy in the long term.
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