Top 5 Tips - International Trade Shows

The wall might look pretty, but the rest is chaos right until the end.

 

 

2. Prepare as much as possible, but don't overthink it!

 

 

I know, this heading sounds kind of vague, but hear me out. Following on from the above, you can definitely prepare yourself by having full knowledge of your logistics, knowing everything you can about the show, etc etc. And definitely, definitely ship things to the show as far in advance as time allows. But here's the thing - things will go wrong, they always do (I've been doing shows since 2019, and I can confidently tell you, something has gone wrong either leading up to, or during the set up of every single show). It's inevitable and unavoidable (in my experience - if you've done a perfect show, I want to know your secrets). The thing is, you need to be calm when it does (easier said than done, I know) so you can pivot and solve the problem. Sometimes the resolution leads to a better thing in the end (this sounds very 'motivational', but it's true - one of the biggest shipping disasters we ever had ultimately led to a much better trade show set up, and it was the problem solving pivot that got me there).

 

 

It's also very possible to overthink your stand, the build, and its details. Keep in mind how long everything will take to set up - the things you're attaching to the wall (if anything) only need to stay in place for 3-5 days, not forever, so as long as things aren't falling off the wall, you're good to cut some corners getting them up and keeping them there. Same with stand details - you might notice it (and we all love the details) but is the time you put in worth it? Unless it's really obvious, usually not. Your stand should be striking, and it should be the best possible showcase for your products. It should not take 10 hours to build and make you completely exhausted for the show ahead (yes, speaking from experience from our first Maison&Objet).

 

An added little tip - keep it simple. A stand with too much going on can be overwhelming and ultimately put buyers off (yes, we've done this too).

 

When all is said and done - if something goes wrong with your stand, or you think you should have done something differently, ultimately no one will know unless you tell them (and they won't think it matters anyway!). And if it's something bigger than that, then that leads me to my next step:

 

 

3. Have a backup in case things go wrong.

 

 

Trade show disasters? I've been through them. A whole host of them (up to and including my husband testing positive for covid the day before we went to our first Shoppe Object, so I had to go, set up, the whole thing, SOLO. It was awful, there were tears, but I did it, and never tested positive for covid myself - go figure). And my general vibe is to roll with them, and 'keep on truckin' (this is actually my whole vibe for 2025, but that's another journal post).

 

 

Here's the thing - you can have contingency plans in place. Here's what I do as a few examples - I split my sample set (which I usually have in duplicate anyway, as it's nicer to have multiples on the stand) into two, and ship them separately. Same with my catalogues - I halve them and send them in separate shipments. Using New York as an example, I could be flying out up to 6 days before the show, so I usually have some 'just in case' bits prepared, in the off chance something goes missing  in transit and it's too late to send direct to the show (for Shoppe there is a very tight window for when you can deliver things directly to the venue, and an early cut off if you deliver things to the show through their logistics partner), at least I can have someone send those things to the hotel.

 

Know where your local Ikea/Home Depot/insert last minute supplies place here is. You can plan your stand out perfectly, but things always look different in real life - maybe you will want options for how you display things, maybe you need some extra lights (and this is really hard to get through the show at the last minute as they pre-order all these things). It's always good to have a few extra props and displays, or if you really need it, it's good to know where you might be able to get these things in a pinch. What you don't want, is to need something and to have to spend 20 minutes trying to work out where the closest place is that is likely to have what you need. Spend that 20 minutes eating a slice of pizza to give you the energy to keep on truckin' (see what I did there).

 

 

4. Know your budget, and what's worth paying good money for.

 

 

We're all on a budget - I know, don't get me wrong. But in trying to save money, some things can cost more in the end - whether it's financially or in time and energy. A very practical example: at Maison&Objet, you might be wondering if it's worth paying for the junior stand package - the stand comes equipped with the basics and this feels like a bit of an upsell, right? Actually, probably not - at M&O, the stands are a very basic shell, and if it's your first time doing the show, it might be worth paying for basic wall covering, lighting, carpet etc. At least for your first show. Even with all the tips in the world, your first show is stressful - shelling out for something like this makes life a little easier, and is worth the cost (and it's not like you don't end up paying for all these things - you can't really get away without wall coverings and lights, and I've always needed a power outlet - these things add up and so this is where a pre-set package can make sense). Likewise - at shows where you're allowed to paint the walls, I've always thought it was worth it having someone else paint the walls for you. The time it takes, plus all the stuff you need... I always figured it was more cost-effective to pay for it to be done. No one wants to be painting walls back to white at 9pm after a 3 day show - trust me.

 

 

Likewise, there's other costs you have to consider, like where you'll stay. Most of these cities aren't cheap, so my first steps is always to book something to get the best rate (and keep checking back - sometimes they have sales further down the line). I always book with the option to cancel, that way I know I can be flexible, but I know i've secured the best rate I can. I also always try to stay as close as I can to the show, or to a place that's easy to travel to/from. Trust me when I say, the last thing you want is a 40 minute walk back to your hotel after a 9+ hour day on your feet - if you can swing it, the closeness is worth the cost. What's not worth the cost? It's not a revelation, but trade show food is almost universally bad and outrageously expensive. Monoprix and Trader Joe's will save you, trust me.

 

Finally, an expense that might not be on your radar, but in my experience is 100% worth it in places like Paris, is having a native speaker help you out at the show. At Maison&Objet, each stand has a sign with the country of origin flag next to your company name, and I know how nervous I get when I try to cobble anything together that isn't English (especially considering it's been nearly 20 years since I lived in Italy which is the only semblance of a second language I have). I similarly know how relaxed I become when I can speak my native tongue, and I see that for French speakers at M&O too. It makes buyers more confident to buy from you, and more likely to order on the stand. If you aren't sure about fully committing to this, just have someone help you for the busiest parts of the day - it really does make a difference.

 

5. Have fun (but not too much).

 

 

Yeah, I know I sound like your parent right now, but hear me out. Trade shows are loads of fun, but they're always unbelievably exhausting. I always approach shows with more energy and hope than most things in life, and as an extroverted introvert, I am very good at the chatting, but by the end of the show, I've often lost my words, my voice, and my energy levels are at 10%. I often need to be silent for about a week afterwards just to recharge. This is compounded with the fact that this show isn't a short tube ride from your home - even travel to Paris from London is tiring, because travel is exhausting. You need to take rest where you can get it, and no one wants to be hungover at a trade show - trust me. Feeling like a zombie knowing you've got to talk about your brand to people from 9am to 6/7pm is the WORST.

 

 

So, by all means go to the show party or out for drinks, but just be strategic with it. You don't want to miss the buyer from Barnes and Noble because you were hiding in a corner feeling worse for wear.

 

DO make friends with your trade show neighbours and other brands - some of the people I met at my very first show are friends I still have to this day, and it's so nice to have other business friends to compare notes/commiserate with.

 

 

6. Remember this is all a chance to learn.

 

 

I know I said this was 5 tips, but this one is important, and it's a general show tip really. Nothing annoys me more than when Marko is suggesting how we can improve things for the next show, WHILE WE ARE STILL SETTING UP FOR THE CURRENT SHOW. And you know, there's a time and a place for that kind of thing, but what I will say is that Marko isn't wrong, he could just time his point a bit better.

 

Throughout the show we are discussing ideas for the next show (take the opportunity to see what interesting things other people are doing - there's some really great ideas out there), and how we can improve. There's always things we can do better, and things we can change - it's that evolution between shows that keeps things fresh for both us and the buyers and keeps people interested (and us too - nothing worse than becoming apathetic to your own set up).

 

 

Want to chat to me about this? I'm happy to help.

 

 

Okay so that's it for this one - I hope you've got some useful ideas or tips out of this post, and that brings me to my very final point. Over the years I've accumulated a lot of knowledge on this subject (not least through all the tears and mistakes!) and so now, I'm offering everyone the opportunity to book in an hour with me to get into the details on this (and on your particular questions) and let you ask basically anything about trade shows.

 

For £150 (ex-vat), you'll get:

 

• An hour of face-to-face time with me, either in person or on video chat.

• We can talk through all your questions and concerns about all aspects of doing a trade show.

• I can give you all my tips and recommendations for the shows I have done (including Top Drawer, Maison&Objet and Shoppe Object).

• A list of recommended partners for logistics for shipping things to/from the show, along with tips for best practice to make sure your things arrive smoothly in time for the show.

• If needed, we can discuss international pricing (for example, if you're unsure about pricing in other currencies, we can go over this).

• Basically, the time is yours, and you can send me as many things as you'd like to go over in advance, so you get the most knowledge and value.

 

Sound good? Email me at hello@the-completist.com, using the subject line 'Trade Show Chat' and we can get a time booked in.

 

Let's talk shop

- Jana