After facing technical mishaps at a trade show, how can you ensure a seamless experience for future events?

Trade Show Survival Kit: Be Prepared for Anything! Technical glitches can ruin a trade show. Here's how to be prepared: 💾 Backup Everything: Have spare laptops, cables, and multiple copies of presentations ready. 📍 Know Your Venue: Familiarize yourself with their AV team in case of emergencies. 🔄 Plan B is Essential: Have alternative solutions for every piece of technology you rely on. By anticipating potential issues and having a solid backup plan, you'll ensure a smooth trade show experience, even if something goes wrong.

To ensure a seamless experience for future events after facing technical mishaps, conduct a thorough post-event review to identify the root causes of the issues. Develop a comprehensive plan that includes backup systems, detailed setup procedures, and contingency strategies. Provide additional training for your team on handling technical equipment and troubleshooting common problems. Communicate with your vendors and technical support to ensure they are prepared to assist promptly. By proactively addressing potential technical challenges, you can minimise disruptions and enhance the overall event experience.

After facing technical mishaps at a trade show, ensuring a seamless experience for future events involves several steps. Conduct a thorough debrief to identify what went wrong and why. Develop a detailed contingency plan addressing potential issues, including backup equipment and support contacts. Invest in high-quality, reliable technology and test all equipment rigorously before the event. Train your team on troubleshooting techniques and have technical support on standby. Establish clear communication channels for quick problem-solving. Regularly update your tech and software to avoid compatibility issues. By planning meticulously and staying prepared, you can minimize disruptions and ensure smooth future events.

I have found it helpful to schedule a training session for your sales staff who will be working the booth, prior to the show. Often bringing in a professional trainer on trade shows can help educate and remind your sales team on how to effectively work the booth. Gaining leads and interacting with show attendees is much different that making pre-planned sales calls on existing customers.

I encourage my team to document all tasks throughout an event, including unexpected ones and those we knew about but improved upon. We also keep track of better vendors, what worked well, and what didn’t, and gather feedback from colleagues, customers, partners, and attendees. We use Wrike to collaborate and manage our projects effectively. This tool enables us to duplicate our project plan for recurring events, like trade shows, and review our notes from the previous trade show. This approach ensures we are consistently working toward continuous improvement. By documenting our experiences and leveraging collaborative tools, we enhance our ability to learn, adapt, and improve event after event.

An important part of trade show management is sales lead follow-up. This needs to occur within days, not weeks, after the show. Show follow-up should also include an analysis after the show of the true value of attending that particular event. Was the attendance as expected…? Were there a significant number of sales leads gained…? Did sales make contact with any new target accounts…?